Permanencia Voluntaria Archives
A collection of newly restored films encompassing various genres, from dramas and film noir to comedies, horror, and sports. Beloved by Latin American audiences and esteemed auteurs such as Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro, and Quentin Tarantino, Mexican popular cinema from the 1940s to the 1960s spans approximately 30 years of extraordinary creativity. This serves as a reminder to the rest of the world about the significance of Mexican cinema's quality and status.
The collection showcases rescued classic films, newly restored, featuring iconic figures such as the legendary silver-masked crime-fighting wrestler El Santo, a bikini-clad Bat Woman, a young Ricardo Montalbán in 'Untouched', and the pioneering horror sound film 'La Llorona'.
Permanencia Voluntaria Archives stands as the sole independent film archive in Mexico specializing in the preservation and curation of popular films. It houses works from the Calderón/García Besné family, who owned and managed 36 cinemas, established a film studio, and operated a production company focusing on popular film genres such as Rumberas, Luchadores (wrestling), and Ficheras (showgirl) movies.
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The Permanencia Voluntaria Archives collection includes the following titles:
Angel Face
Carita de Cielo
Fiction, Comedy, Romance, Musical
Mexico
A singular comedy of errors, this Mexican classic follows Lupe as she pretends to be a thief to infiltrate a criminal cell that is threatening her father.
Behind the Scenes: La Llorona
Documentary
Mexico
The story behind the filming of the iconic film: La Llorona (1933).
Infernal Dolls
Muñecos infernales
Fiction, Thriller, Science Fiction, Classic
Mexico
In this remastered Mexican classic, four men are cursed by a voodoo priest for stealing a sacred idol from his temple.
La Llorona
Fiction, Classic, Thriller, Drama
Mexico
A new restoration of Mexico's pioneering horror sound film, La Llorona is a romantic melodrama with expressionist and supernatural elements based on the chilling tale of the ‘wailing woman’.
Looking for El Santo
Documentary
Mexico, Cuba
This intimate short documentary reveals the surreal story of Santo's debut in cinema, during the Cuban Revolution.
Panther Women
Las mujeres panteras
Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Classic
Mexico
Panther women are worshipers of Satan and perform rituals in their honor and sacrifice. The fighters will face them up and down the ring.
Perdida
Documentary
Mexico
After being told that her family had made some of the worst films in the history of Mexican cinema, Viviana García Besné unearths 100 years of cinematic legacy.
Santo vs. the Evil Brain
Santo contra Cerebro del Mal
Fiction, Science Fiction, Adventure, Classic
Mexico, Cuba
In this cult classic from El Santo's saga, an undercover police officer is kidnapped by Dr. Campos who brainwashes him into becoming a member of his gang.
Santo vs. the Infernal Men
Santo contra Hombres Infernales
Fiction, Science Fiction, Adventure, Classic
Mexico
El Santo helps an undercover agent take down a gang of drug smugglers in this new restauration of the Mexican cult classic.
Santo vs. the Riders of Terror
Santo contra los Jinetes del Terror
Fiction, Thriller, Adventure, Classic
Mexico
A new restoration of the cult classic film featuring El Santo. A group of violent lepers escape from a sanatorium unleashing the terror on the inhabitants who have no choice but to turn to El Santo to save them.
Stronger than Love
Mas fuerte que el amor
Fiction, Drama, Romance
Mexico, Cuba
Newly restored, this Mexican clasic melodrama and social critique of class tensions follows a humble man's fight to be accepted by the upper class after making millions.
Take Me in Your Arms
Llévame en tus brazos
Fiction, Drama, Musical, Romance
Mexico
One of the most important melodramas of the decade where a fishing-village girl sacrifices her reputation to the local banker to protect her family. Newly restored!
The Bat Woman
La mujer murciélago
Fiction, Adventure, Science Fiction, Classic
Mexico
A new restoration of a fascinating and little-known Mexican entry in the Batman superhero canon.
The Phantom of the Monastery
El fantasma del convento
Fiction, Drama, Classic, Thriller
Mexico
The sexual tension between a trio of friends is being punished by the super natural experiences at an abandoned convent.
Untouched
Sombra verde
Fiction, Drama, Romance, Adventure
Mexico
A romance set in the jungle around Veracruz, where a scientist searches for barbasco roots. Lost in the interior, he meets a machete-wielding stranger and his beautiful daughter.