Mexico City, October 2. The unfortunate and unexpected news arrived almost simultaneously with the 6.9 magnitude earthquake in the early hours of Thursday, September 22. The Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (AMACC), of which Jorge Fons was the first president when it was refounded in 1998, announced on Twitter the death of the maestro, a key figure, albeit one of limited production, in the new Mexican cinema. Profiles, anecdotes, and tributes would soon begin to circulate on television, in festivals, and in movie theaters.
In recent days, the important awards received by this film, theater and television director – born in Tuxpan, Veracruz, in 1939 – at international festivals have been repeatedly recalled, such as the Silver Bear at the 27th Berlinale for Los albañiles (1977), the Grand Jury Prize at the 38th San Sebastián for Rojo amanecer (1990) or the Gran Coral and Best Director in Havana for El callejón de los milagros (1995), in addition to multiple Ariel awards from the AMACC and even a couple of TVyNovelas .
But there was little emphasis on an issue that has repeatedly provoked public outrage when it has been reported, but which has not been adequately followed up: the version of Rojo amanecer restored by the UNAM Film Library and owned by América Móvil (Clarovideo) has five cuts and is almost two minutes shorter than the original, due to censorship imposed by the Radio, Television and Cinematography Directorate (RTC) of the Ministry of the Interior.
