Films that have had Catholic Churches in Mexico as stage

Catholic churches in Mexico have been scenarios of both national and international film productions thanks to its architectural wealth and spiritual value. Remember scenes have taken place in these temples, in productions that range from revolutionary dramas to love stories.

Next, a tour of some of the most prominent films that have made these visual and narrative protagonists in the country.

In love (1946)

Directed by Emilio “El Indio” Fernández and starring María Félix and Pedro Armendáriz, In love It is one of the most emblematic works of the so -called “golden age” of Mexican cinema.

Set during the time of the Mexican Revolution, at the beginning of the 20th century, the film presents the love story of a revolutionary leader and the daughter of one of Cholula’s most influential men, a city in the state of Puebla, taken by the insurgent forces.

Several scenes of the tape were shot in the Temple of San Francisco Acatepec, but one of the most remembered moments is when the protagonists hold an intense discussion abroad, in which even the parish priest has to intervene to defend the woman.

According to the National Institute of Anthropology and Historythe temple has a baroque style of the seventeenth century and stands out for its facade covered with Mexican Talavera of different colors.

The three Garcia (1947)

Pedro Infante, an indisputable icon of Mexican popular culture, starred The three Garcia, One of his most famous films. Directed by Ismael Rodriguez, this ranchera comedy is about a lawsuit between two families and love entanglements.

Although the story appears to develop in San Luis de la Paz, in the state of Guanajuato, the primacy archdiocese of Mexico it needs that several of his scenes were filmed in Mexico City. In particular, the church that appears in the film is the parish of San Pedro Apóstol, located in the municipality of Cuajimalpa, to the west of the capital.

Both the interior and outside of the temple were used as a location for the film. One of the scenes occurs during the Mass, when the priest uses the homily to talk about the need for forgiveness, seeking to reconcile the protagonists with a rival family.

In that same sequence, the three cousins – interpreted by Pedro Infante, Abel Salazar and Víctor Manuel Mendoza – are integrated into the parish choir and sing a moving version of the Ave Maria.

The parish of San Pedro Apostol was built in 1818 by Dominican friars on an old cemetery. Today, in front of the temple is the Pedro Infante Museum, which retains memories of the idol of Mexico.

Macario (1960)

The first Mexican film nominated for the Hollywood Oscar Awards in the best foreign film category was Macariodirected by Roberto Gavaldón and based on the homonymous story of B. Traven.

The story presents a humble peasant obsessed with his poverty and the desire to eat a guajolote or whole turkey without sharing, until death appears to offer him a pact that will change his destiny.

It was filmed in the Mining City of Taxco de Alarcón, in the state of Guerrero. One of the scenes of the film occurs at the exit of the Sunday Mass, when Macario with his family watch a food parade that passes in front of them.

The location of this sequence is the exterior of the parish of Santa Prisca and San Sebastián, which, which, which, which, which, According to the State Government, It is a novohispano baroque temple built in 1758.

At present it is a temple with great tourist attraction, since it stands out for its pink quarry facade, decorated with sculptures, and its dome covered with tiles. Inside, altarpieces carved in wood and covered with gold sheet are preserved.

Romeo + Julieta (1996)

Even international cinema has found in the Catholic temples of Mexico ideal scenarios to tell their stories. Such is the case of Romeo + Julietaa modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s classic directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.

The film was partially filmed in Mexico City and one of its most outstanding locations was the parish of the Purious Heart of Mary, located in the Colonia del Valle, where the scenes of the secret marriage among young people, an action scene and even the farewell of the protagonists were recorded.

This temple, built between 1938 and 1953 mixes elements art decofunctionalist and Gothic, with a monumental interior that houses more than 1,400 square meters of murals, colorful stained glass windows and in its dome a statue of Christ stands out.