53rd Ariel Awards

A while back the Mexican Academy had their award ceremony where the narco-themed satire El Infierno (Hell) swept the awards by winning nine top film prizes, including best picture and director. I have seen the movie -that was released under Mexico’s Bicentennial celebrations- and is a dark comedy that precisely because the humor is able to tell and show many crude “realities” about what’s happening in Mexico with the narco, the government, and perhaps most of all its citizens. It’s a film that many should watch, especially if you live in a country where citizens indifference facilitates chaos.

Here are nominations with winner in (*) BLUE for some categories.

Best Film
Abel, Diego Luna
Chicogrande, Felipe Cazals
(*) El Infierno (Hell), Luis Estrada

Best First Film
Alamar, Pedro Gonzalez Rubio
(*) Año Bisiesto (Leap Year), Michael Rowe
La Mitad del Mundo, Jaime Ruiz Ibáñez

Best Director
Diego Luna for Abel
Felipe Cazals for Chicogrande
(*) Luis Estrada for El Infierno

Best Actress
Karina Gidi in Abel, Diego Luna
(*) Mónica Del Carmen in Año Bisiesto (Leap Year), Michael Rowe
Maricel Alvares in Biutiful, Alejandro González Iñárritu
Ursula Pruneda in Las Buenas Hierbas (The Good Herbs), María Novaro

Best Actor
Javier Bardem in Biutiful, Alejandro González Iñárritu
(*) Damián Alcázar in El Infierno (Hell), Luis Estrada
Demián Bichir in Hidalgo, la Historia Jamás Contada, Antonio Serrano
Hansel Ramírez in La Mitad del Mundo, Jaime Ruiz Ibáñez

Best Iberoamerican Film
El Hombre de al Lado (The Man Next Door), Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat, Argentina
(* Tie) José Martí: el ojo del canario, Fernando Pérez, Cuba
(* Tie)También la lluvia (Even the Rain), Iciar Bollaín, Spain

To check nominations in all categories go here and for all winners go here.

Many were wondering why the movie that was submitted to 2011 Oscar was not even nominated in top categories, but some of us know that Mexico politics are not always clear not only in the Country but also in cinema circles. Anyway if you wish to understand better what’s going on in Mexico, then El Infierno should be must be seen for you.