Mexico’s Oscar submission lands US theatrical deal

EXCLUSIVE: New York–based Cinema Tropical has acquired US theatrical rights for Mexico’s Oscar submission We Shall Not Be Moved (No Nos Moverán) about the legacy of the Tlatelolco Massacre of students in 1968.

Pierre Saint Martin Castellanos’s winner of four Ariel Awards including best first feature and best actress for Luisa Huertas played for 13 consecutive weeks earlier this year in Mexican cinemas through Pimienta Films – longer than any other local film this year. Castellanos said the feature drew approximately 25,000 admissions and was re-released on October 16.

Cinema Tropical will open We Shall Not Be Moved on November 28 at Cinema Village in New York for a one-week theatrical run, followed by additional screenings in Los Angeles, Tucson, and other cities.

The black and white drama follows 72-year-old Socorro played by Huertas as a retired lawyer obsessed with finding the soldier who killed her brother during the student anti-government protests on October 2 1968 in Mexico City.

Nearly six decades later, her lifelong fixation has strained her relationships with her sister and her son. When a new clue emerges, Socorro embarks on a plan to avenge her brother’s death, putting her family, legacy, and life in jeopardy.

Producers Víctor Léycegui, Male Gil, and Pablo Zimbrón Alva of Varios Lobos negotiated the deal with Cinema Tropical executive director Carlos A. Gutiérrez.

“Pierre Saint Martin Castellanos has crafted a deeply resonant debut that bridges personal grief and collective memory with remarkable cinematic sensitivity,” Gutiérrez said. “It’s an honour to present Mexico’s official Oscar submission and to continue showcasing vital new voices in Latin American cinema.”

“Having We Shall Not Be Moved reach US audiences through Cinema Tropical is deeply meaningful for our beloved film that had a quite moving release in theatres in Mexico,” said director and producer Castellanos. “We have a strong feeling that Cinema Tropical’s commitment to Latin American cinema gives new life and reach to the film’s story of remembrance and resistance.”

Cinema Tropical has brought US audiences some of the first screenings of films such as Amores Perros and Y Tu Mamá También.

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