Dance of the 41 (Spanish: El baile de los 41) is a 2020 Mexican drama film directed by David Pablos, written by Monika Revilla and produced by Pablo Cruz and El Estudio. It portrays the events leading up to and around a 1901 party of gay men, half of whom were dressed in drag, known as the Dance of the Forty-One (El baile de los cuarenta y uno).
| Dance of the 41 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Spanish | El baile de los 41 |
| Directed by | David Pablos |
| Written by | Monika Revilla |
| Produced by | Pablo Cruz |
| Starring | Alfonso Herrera |
| Cinematography | Carolina Costa |
Production companies | Canana Films El Estudio Bananeira Filmes |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | Mexico |
| Language | Spanish |
It stars Alfonso Herrera as Ignacio de la Torre y Mier, the gay son-in-law of then-president of Mexico Porfirio Díaz, Mabel Cadena as Amada Díaz, his illegitimate daughter, and Emiliano Zurita (son of Christian Bach) as Ignacio’s fictional lover, Evaristo Rivas.[1][2][3]
Plot
editThe film is based on the Dance of the Forty-One which was a society scandal in early 20th-century Mexico. The incident revolved around an illegal police raid carried out in 17 November 1901 in a private home in Mexico City. The scandal involved the group of men who attended, 19 of whom were dressed in women's clothing. Despite the government's efforts to hush the incident up, the press was keen to report the incident, since the participants belonged to the upper echelons of society (including the son-in-law of the incumbent President of Mexico). This scandal was unique in that it was the first time homosexuality was openly spoken about in the Mexican media and had a lasting impact on Mexican culture.[4]
Cast
edit- Alfonso Herrera as Ignacio de la Torre y Mier
- Mabel Cadena as Amada Díaz
- Emiliano Zurita as Evaristo Rivas
- Fernando Becerril as Porfirio Díaz
- Paulina Álvarez Muñoz as Luz Díaz
- Alan Downie as the English butler
Filming locations
editThe movie was filmed in Mexico City and Guadalajara at the end of 2019.[5] Some filming locations include the Rivas Mercado House, the bar La Opera in Mexico City's historic center and many of the exteriors were filmed in the streets of Guadalajara.
The mansion used to represent the Ignacio de la Torre House is the Casa Rivas Mercado, in Colonia Guerrero, Mexico City, which represents similar eclectic late-19th-century architecture of urban mansions in the area and functions as a cultural center.[6] The actual Ignacio de la Torre mansion was located where the National Lottery building is now located at Paseo de la Reforma number 1. The Equestrian statue of Charles IV of Spain, better known as "El Caballito", was located in front of the house at that time.[7]
Premiere and distribution
editThe movie's premiere was on 1 November 2020 at the closing event of the Morelia International Film Festival.[8][9]
The premiere for the general public was on 19 November 2020 at Cinépolis cinemas in Mexico.
The film premiered on Netflix worldwide on 12 May 2021.
Accolades
edit| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Ariel Award | Best Picture | Pablo Cruz and Arturo Sampson | Nominated | [10] [11] |
| Best Director | David Pablos | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Alfonso Herrera | Won | |||
| Best Actress | Mabel Cadena | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Emiliano Zurita | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Carolina Costa | Nominated | |||
| Best Special Effects | Ricardo Arvizu | Nominated | |||
| Best Visual Effects | Alma Cabrián and John Castro | Nominated | |||
| Best Art Direction | Daniela Schneider | Won | |||
| Best Makeup | Alfredo "Tigre" Mora | Won | |||
| Best Costume Design | Kika Lopes | Won | |||
| Best Original Song | Carlo Ayhllón and Andrea Balency-Béarn | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ “The Dance of the 41”, Al Día
- ^ ""El baile de los 41": una película sobre Ignacio de la Torre y Mier, el yerno homosexual de Porfirio Díaz" (in Spanish). México Desconocido. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
- ^ "Llevan al cine la noche del deseo masculino" (in Spanish). El Universal. 2 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
- ^ de la Fuente, Anna Marie (14 April 2021). "Netflix Bows Mexican Scandal Drama 'El Baile de los 41' on May 12, Unveils Trailer". Variety. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ "Filman la escandalosa fiesta del Porfiriato" (in Spanish). El Informador. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- ^ Casa Rivas Mercado
- ^ La casa De la Torre y Mier / Díaz
- ^ "18 FICM: ¿Cuál será la función de clausura del Festival de Cine de Morelia?" (in Spanish). El Heraldo. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- ^ de la Fuente, Anna Marie (2 November 2020). "Sundance Audience Award Winner 'Identifying Features' Scoops Top Prizes at Mexico's Morelia Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- ^ "Ariel 2021: la lista completa de nominados a lo mejor del cine mexicano". InfoBae. 19 August 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ "Estos son los nominados a los Premios Ariel 2021". InfoBae. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
External links
edit- Dance of the 41 at IMDb
- "Dance of the Forty One film review". UK Film Review. 19 May 2021.