Fando y Lis
| Fando & Lis | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Alejandro Jodorowsky |
| Written by | Fernando Arrabal (play) |
| Starring | Diana Mariscal Sergio Kleiner |
| Music by | Pepe Ávila |
| Cinematography | Rafael Corkidi |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Abkco Records Cannon Films |
Release date | 1968 |
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | Mexico |
| Language | Spanish |
Fando y Lis is a 1968 Mexican film directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky in his feature length directorial debut. It is an adaptation of a play of the same name by Fernando Arrabal, who was working with Jodorowsky on performance art at the time. The film was shot in high-contrast black-and-white on the weekends with a small budget and was first shown at the Acapulco Film Festival in 1968.
Plot[edit]
The film follows Fando (Sergio Klainer) and his paraplegic girlfriend Lis (Diana Mariscal) through a barren, postapocalyptic wasteland in search of the mythical city of Tar, a place where one will know the true nature of eternity, and reach enlightenment. On their journey they see many odd and profoundly disturbing characters and events.
The narrative of the film leaves a lot to the audience's interpretation, as the avant-garde and surreal nature in which the events of the film are presented mimic the workings of the subconscious.
Reception[edit]
When the film premièred at the 1968 Acapulco film festival, a full-scale riot broke out.[1] The film was later banned in Mexico.[2] Roman Polanski (who was there with his wife Sharon Tate to promote his film Rosemary's Baby) defended the film, stating that he defends any auteur's right of expressing himself with complete liberty and that censorship in art and culture was just not acceptable (as had happened to him in his motherland).
The film (cut by thirteen minutes) was released in New York to generally negative reviews, with many critics comparing it unfavorably to Fellini Satyricon, which had recently opened.[2]
Digital Restoration and Re-Release[edit]
The film has received a 4K digital restoration and is set to be re-released in UK cinemas by Abkco Films for a limited time commencing on February 7, 2020.
References[edit]
- Bibliography
- Rosenbaum, Jonathan (1991). Midnight movies. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80433-6.
External links[edit]
- Fando y Lis on IMDb
- Fando y Lis at AllMovie
| Films directed |
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| Comics written | |
| Related topics | |
 | This article related to a Mexican film of the 1960s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- Spanish-language films
- 1968 films
- 1960s avant-garde and experimental films
- Art works that caused riots
- Films about paraplegics or quadriplegics
- Films directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky
- Golan-Globus films
- Mexican black-and-white films
- Mexican films
- Mexican films based on plays
- Surrealist films
- 1968 directorial debut films
- 1960s Mexican film stubs