Mexican film wins Silver Bear in Berlin

Mexican filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios and producer Manuel Alcalá won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay at the 68th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival with their film “ Museo ” (“Museum”), a story inspired by the real-life robbery at the National Museum of Anthropology and History.

Ruizpalacios claimed it was “exciting” to “export” Mexican culture and that it was very rewarding to have been awarded the statuette.

During a press conference after the gala, Ruizpalacios claimed he felt responsible not only for representing Mexican cinematography but the country as a whole.

Mexican film wins Silver Bear in Berlin

(Mexican filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios and producer Manuel Alcalá – Photo: SASCHA STEINBACH/PISCINA/EFE)

“Exporting Mexican culture over here is what I find most exciting,” he said, who added that being awarded the recognition for the screenplay was “particularly thrilling” and rewarding, as writing a film script is “hard, long, and invisible” work.

According to Ruizpalacios, the screenplay is the most time-consuming part of making a film, and the most demanding.

Alcalá, for his part, recounted that his father was a journalist and this is why he remembers well the theft of the National Museum of Anthropology and History that took place soon after the disastrous 1985 earthquake that killed between 20,000 and 45, 000 people.

Alcalá began to do research on the robbery 12 or 14 years ago, and thus was born the script that Ruizpalacios later rewrote.

“It takes the essence of the story” he said, clarifying that characters and situations spring from there that are based on “personal experiences” from both screenplay writers.

As to who gets to keep the Bear, Alcalá proposed to put it “in a museum” while Ruizpalacios said they would “share custody.”

"Museo", starring Gael García Bernal and Leonardo Ortizgris , is not only the story of the theft of ancient Maya treasures and similar historic items but it's also about the friendship bewteen two students and the mutual search of a father and a son.

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