'Corina' and the Malinchismo of Mexican cinema

It is important to remember and recognize good productions in the country.

Mexican movies tend to be bad. In my head, at least.

I won't lie to you, dear readers: the truth is, I have a misconception about Mexican cinema. Because I tend to think it'll be a clichéd, cheap, and poorly made comedy.

I can't forget Los Olvidados. Or films like Y Tú Mamá También, La Camarista, Los Adioses, Niñas Bien, Las Hijas de Abril... or even modern comedy classics like Solteras . Seeing Corina at the Raindance Film Festival in London reminded me that quality Mexican feature films can indeed exist.

Here we are told the story of Corina, an agoraphobic woman who works in the publishing industry and whose mission involves leaving her home to fix a problem at work.

With hints of the French classic Amélie and the work of director Wes Anderson, this love letter to books, creative freedom, and imagination pays close attention to detail. Not only in the protagonist's relationship with her surroundings—especially the complex dynamic between her and her mother—but also in the conversational energy portrayed in the script. Set in 2000s Guadalajara, Corina smells and tastes of Mexico, primarily through the conversational interactions between the characters.

I also had the opportunity to meet the director, Úrzula Barba Hopfner, who came to the British capital to present her film.

This whole experience makes me reflect on many things about Mexican cinema, mainly two factors: its limited reach compared to other countries, even our own, where our interest is focused on American, Canadian, or British productions. And the lack of distribution opportunities stems from this problem.

Hopefully, there will be more opportunities for films like this to be shown around the world. And that Mexicans won't have to travel to other countries to recognize the talent that exists at home.

* Corina is now available on Amazon Prime.

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