Premiere of “One hundred years with Juan Rulfo”

Juan Rulfo is the protagonist of a long list of literary and cultural activities which will be held in Mexico to commemorate the centenary of the author of Pedro Páramo.

The premiere of a documentary directed by his son Juan Carlos Rulfo, the unveiling of statues, book presentations and conferences about his work and artistic legacy will take part of the festivities in the western state of Jalisco, which will conclude on May 20, said Patricia García, member of the organizing committee.

“The intention is to start a little at a time the festivities that commemorate the 100th anniversary of Juan Rulfo's birth” next May 16, commented García, also Sayula's Councillor of Culture, a municipality that takes part in the Rulfian route.

The activities will be free of charge and will be held in Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco, and three southern towns where the author of Predro Páramo spent his childhood and was inspired by their landscapes.

The cultural program started in Sayula with a film exhibition which screened: El gallo de oro (1964), based on a short story by Rulfo, and En este pueblo no hay ladrones (1965), where he had a brief appearance with Gabriel García Márquez and Luis Buñuel, as well as documentaries about his life.

In San Gabriel, where Rulfo lived his early years, will be concerts with artists such as Lila Downs, plays based on short stories from El llano en llamas, and guided tours related to some of his work's most prominent sites.

The centenary will also serve as the occasion to inaugurate the cultural route The Magic Realism, promoted by the state government and three southern municipalities from Jalisco, in order to develop tourism in the area where the author was born. The route will be officially inaugurated on May 19.

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