To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the publication of Juan Rulfo’s literary masterpiece Pedro Páramo, the Embassy of Mexico in the Philippines and Instituto Cervantes de Manila will screen the film PEDRO PÁRAMO (Rodrigo Prieto, 2024).
The screening, presented by Filipino writer Jessica Zafra and professor Marlon James Sales, will take place at the Intramuros branch of Instituto Cervantes on November 24 (Monday), at 5:00 pm.
First published in 1955, Pedro Páramo stands as a cornerstone of modern Latin American literature. It is a haunting exploration of memory, death, and the weight of the past. Set in the ghost town of Comala, the novel follows Juan Preciado’s search for his father, a local chieftain named Pedro Páramo, only to discover that the living and the dead coexist in a world of echoing voices and unfulfilled dreams.
Seventy years later and ready to entice an international audience, the same story has been retold by Mexican filmmaker Rodrigo Prieto. Mateo Gil writes the screenplay, which is steeped in Mexico’s 1940s, and Manuel García-Rulfos plays the titular character, Pedro Páramo, while Mexican actor, Tenoch Huerta plays the protagonist, Juan Preciado. The adaptation appears to possess both the “visual and emotional impact” of Rulfo’s story, and it conjures the sense of wonder and imagination inherent in the original, all while remaining true to the magical dimensions of the original text and its dimension of morality.
Following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film has sparked renewed global interest in Rulfo’s work, leading to record sales of Pedro Páramo in Spanish and English editions worldwide.
The film Pedro Páramo will be screened in its original Spanish language with English subtitles and will take place at the Intramuros branch of Instituto Cervantes (855 Calle Real, San Luis Complex, Intramuros, Manila).
Admission is free, with previous reservation at this link: https://cultura.cervantes.es/manila/en/Pedro-P%C3%A1ramo/185091
For more information, visit Instituto Cervantes’ website at www.manila.cervantes.es, or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila
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