Exotic Mexico

The Endless Summer

June 1966 •English

Bruce Brown's The Endless Summer is one of the first and most influential surf movies of all time. The film documents American surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August as they travel the world during California’s winter (which, back in 1965 was off-season for surfing) in search of the perfect wave and ultimately, an endless summer.

Italy's in Season

January 1967 •English

This short film presents a look at Italy's popular tourist spots.

Confronting the Cartels

March 2016 •English

Tens of thousands of Mexicans have been killed in drug-related gang violence in the past ten years. Ruthless criminals control the illegal trade with the US, thought to be worth $13bn a year. Now one of Mexico's leading politicians, known as El Bronco, the Governor of the State of Nuevo Leon claims he can beat the country's infamous cartels. For Our World Yalda Hakim has been to spend time with him.

Centinelas del Silencio

May 1971 •English

Sentinels of Silence is a 1971 short documentary film on ancient Mexican civilizations. The film was directed and written by Mexican filmmaker Robert Amram, and is notable for being the first and only short film to win two Academy Awards.

PETer Plastik

January 2014 •Spanish

A guy named Peter learns several facts about plastic's impact on the environment.

Renault 12

May 2018 •French

Shortly after his mother’s passing, playwright and stage director Mohamed El Khatib receives a phone call from his uncle in Bab Berred, the family’s village in the Moroccan Rif, instructing him to come as soon as possible to collect his inheritance – mysteriously insisting that he should make the trip in a Renault 12. Coaxed by his father, El Khatib decides to make the journey from Orléans to Tangier. Structured like a road movie, Renault 12 is also the filmmaker’s quest to discover his own origins, in which he both documents chance encounters and stages situations to bring social, political, and cultural landscapes to light.

The Thought Of Art

September 2017 •Spanish

Research and dissemination documentary-film about contemporary art in which more than 30 staff members of museums and galleries, visual and sound artists, collectors, art critics and curators share their knowledge and give an account of their experiences and anecdotes.

West Virginia, the State Beautiful

December 1929 •English

A travelogue showing the beauty of the state of West Virginia in 1929.

Phantoms of the Sierra Madre

September 2024 •English

A Danish writer travels to Mexico with the purpose of locating a mysterious Apache tribe that fervently seeks to remain in obscurity.

Oaxaca - Zwischen Rebellion und Utopie

January 2007 •English

México, México: Mexique en mouvement

December 1968 •French

"Mexico begins where the roads end ”. Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes tells us about the history of Mexico: its invasions, its revolutions, its sacred lands, its forgotten legends, its religious rituals and this frightening misery. François Reichenbach and his camera sink into the dust, on this sacred land, where "the land never ends."

Utopia of Death

October 1940 •English

This short film focuses on the mysterious and legendary Seri Indians who live in a utopian colony off the west coast of Mexico.

Champagne Safari

January 1954 •English

Travelogue/documentary follows newly married Rita Hayworth and Prince Aly Khan on their honeymoon trip through exotic locales.

Mexican Men

March 2016 •English

Who’s up for a sensual, seductive trip with some of the hottest Latin men that have ever graced the Silver Screen? ‘Mexican Men’ collects five of the most accomplished gay shorts from one of the homes of groundbreaking queer cinema. From short encounters, emerging love stories and deeply touching connections, these short films are sure to stir the heart... and body. Includes: Atmosphere [Atmósfera] (2010); To Live [Vivir] (2003); Tremulous [Trémulo] (2015); Wandering Clouds [Nubes flotantes] (2014); Young Man on the Bar Masturbating with Rage and Nerve [Muchacho en la barra se masturba con rabia y osadía] (2015).

Sunshine in Soho

January 1956 •English

1950s Soho beats with far more energy than its 21st century counterpart in this vivid time capsule.

Songs of Injustice: Heavy Metal Music in Latin America

December 2018 •Spanish

In this documentary film a team of researchers examine the social contexts that influenced the emergence and permanence of heavy metal music in Chile, Argentina, Mexico and Peru. Colonialism, dictatorships, terrorism and neoliberal exploitation serve as points of reference for how heavy metal in the region has been directly linked to each country's social and political context.

Picturesque India or, In and About Calcutta

January 1913 •English

Botanical gardens in Bombay plus the highly decorative Jain Temple in Calcutta.

Copal Dreams

June 2019 •Spanish

The communities of San Martin Tilcajete and San Antonio Arrazola in Oaxaca, Mexico are best known for being the main source of the "Alebrijes" (wood carving) in the state; a relatively new but powerful tradition in mexican folklore. In both communities, there is a family that claims they're father started this tradition in all the state of Oaxaca.

Más que un Juego

June 2019 •Spanish

Muerte es Vida (Death is Life)

October 2016 •English

Monarch butterflies have brought hope to the darkest times of people's lives. In Mexico, when they arrive for Day of the Dead, they are thought to be souls of the departed. Coincidence?