“Midaq Alley” (“El Callejón de los Milagros”), the Jorge Fons 1995 gem that launched Salma Hayek’s career, is being re-released by Sony Pictures across Mexico and Latin America, thanks to an agreement between Sony Pictures International Productions and its producer, Alameda Films.
News comes after Spain’s San Sebastian Film Fest announced that it would close the festival’s Classics (Klasikoak) section.
The newly restored 4K version celebrates the 30th anniversary of the iconic film, considered one of the most consequential Mexican films of all time. It won a raft of awards worldwide and represented Mexico at the 68th Academy Awards.
Based on the novel by Nobel Prize-winning Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz, with a screenplay by Vicente Leñero, the film was produced by the legendary Alfredo Ripstein, whose Alameda Films is now run by his grandson, Daniel Birman Ripstein.
Set in a downtown Mexico City backstreet whose inhabitants’ lives are closely interwoven, the film is split into four clear parts. The first three are named after main characters, and the last one brings the story to an end. Each part begins at the same moment, showing the same game of dominoes, and covers the same time period, but from a different character’s point of view.
“Bringing ‘Midaq Alley’ back to theaters with the support of Sony is a testament to the film’s enduring impact and cultural importance,” said Birman Ripstein, adding: “This new release will allow a new generation of audiences to discover this magical film in a way it has never been seen before.” Restoring the classic to its new restored version took four years, he revealed.
“We are delighted to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime milestone cinematic celebration,” said Philip Alexander, VP and general manager of Sony Pictures Releasing México.
Aside from being the screen debut of Salma Hayek, “Midaq Alley” features a notable ensemble cast of lauded Mexican actors that include Bruno Bichir (“Ozark”) Daniel Giménez Cacho (“Zama”), Juan Manuel Bernal (“Monarch”), Ernesto Gómez Cruz (“The Crime of Father Amaro”), María Rojo (“Valentine’s Wedding”), Tiaré Scanda (“No Man’s Land”) and Margarita Sanz (“Frida”).
The theatrical run of “Midaq Alley” is slated to kick off on Oct. 23 with Sony handling distribution across Mexico and Latin America.
The 73rd San Sebastian Film Festival runs over Sept. 19 -27.
