Maria Candelaria

This passionate melodrama about a flower-seller whose poor fiancé steals quinine to cure her and so precipitates their doom, first brought Mexican cinema to international attention. Dolores del Rio's image helped but it was news of Eisenstein at work in Mexico that had inspired its director, 'Indio' Fernandez, to return from exile (in Hollywood) and found an authentic Mexican cinema. He succeeded - and Eisenstein would have been proud. (National Film Theatre)