SILVER

Silvia Pinal Remembered

April 11–24

Celebrated as the “last diva” of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, Silvia Pinal (1931-2024) was an icon with over 100 film, television and stage credits to her name. Her film career began in 1949 with a brief role in BAMBA; she went on to star in numerous acclaimed films, working alongside heavyweights such as Pedro Infante, Germán Valdés and Mario “Cantinflas” Moreno. But it was her work with the acclaimed Spanish surrealist Luis Buñuel that catapulted her to the world stage. Directed by Buñuel, starring Pinal and produced by her then-husband, Gustavo Alatriste, the three films — VIRIDIANA (1961), THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL (1962) and SIMON OF THE DESERT (1965) — are biting class-conscious satires that skewer Francoist Spain, religious dogma and the idle rich. In an interview for the Criterion Collection, Pinal expressed her gratitude for Buñuel, saying, “Working with [him] was the most important part of my career. It accorded me a place in film archives around the world, and in the history of world cinema.”