The Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA) will dedicate a film series to Mexican Golden Age film icon María Félix, entitled “María Félix: La Doña.”
This screenings, which will take place from July 11 to 27 at the museum’s Debra and Leon Black Family Film Center, will feature screenings of iconic films starring María Félix between 1942 and 1957, such as “Doña Bárbara” (1943), “Enamorada” (1946) and more.
This isn’t the first time MoMA has presented screenings dedicated to Mexican cinema in which La Doña — as Félix is known — appeared on screen. In 2015, the venue screened “Enamorada” (In Love), directed by Emilio Fernández, and in 2019, it did the same with “La diosa arrodillada” (The Kneeling Goddess), filmed in 1947 by Roberto Gavaldón. However, this will be the first time MoMA will screen a series dedicated exclusively to Félix.
Defining her as “the greatest international star to emerge from the Mexican cinema’s ‘Época de Oro,’” MoMA said Félix was a “cultural phenomenon who redefined femininity on screen through her portrayals of difficult, domineering women who defiantly operated outside the social conventions of her time.”
The program seeks to recognize Félix’s career to project “the commanding screen presence” that made her an internationally acclaimed actress, despite never participating in a Hollywood film.
“Hollywood never offered me a role that I wanted,” Félix once said. “They would offer me Indian roles that I didn’t like, whereas in my country, I did whatever I wanted.”
Félix preferred to work on projects in other countries, including Spain, Argentina, and France. The French production “French Cancan” (1955) from Jean Renoir, starring Félix, will also be part of the MoMA’s screenings.
The museum also highlights her appealing life off-screen, including “her tumultuous relationship with composer Agustín Lara, close friendships with artistic luminaries like Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and the exotic rumors that fed Mexico’s tabloid press,” which it credits for contributing to the artist’s mystique.
The program is curated by Dave Kehr and Steve Macfarlane, with the collaboration of the director of the Morelia International Film Festival, Daniela Michel, and the programmer Chloe Roddick, in addition to the support of the National Autonomous University of Mexico’s Film Library.
María Félix was born in Álamos, Sonora, on April 8, 1914. From a very young age, her beauty and personality led her to win contests and rise to prominence in society. After her first marriage and the birth of her son Enrique, she moved to Mexico City, where she was discovered by filmmaker Miguel Zacarías. She made her film debut in 1942 with the movie El Peñón de las Ánimas, which launched her to stardom.
Félix acted in over 40 films in Mexico and Europe. She passed away at 88, on April 8 2002. Lara’s famous song María Bonita is dedicated to her.
With reports from El Economista, Biografías y Vida, and Milenio
