The last Christeros
Director: Matías Meyer Producers: Julio Bárcenas, Matías Meyer, Paola Herrera, Frans Van Gestel Screenplay: Matías Meyer, Israel Cárdenas (based on the novel Rescoldo: Los últimos cristeros by Antonio Estrada) Cinematographer: Gerardo Barroso Alcalá Editor: León Felipe Gonzalez Music: Galo Durán Principal Cast: Alejandro Limón, Antonio García, Jesús Moisés Rodríguez, Salvador Ferreiro, Abel Lozano
Los últimos cristeros is a visually powerful, yet intimate exploration of a lesser known aspect of Mexican history—the dramatic war between Church and State in the 1920s and 1930s. It follows the valiant story of a small band of men who refuse to accept amnesty and instead, continue their fight against religious persecution and the prohibition of their right to practice their Catholic faith in public. These guerillas are the last men standing against the Mexican army, and with diminishing food and provisions, they struggle to survive in an arid and forbidding landscape where the line between self-defense and wanton bloodshed may easily become blurred.
Meyer crafts an emotionally evocative homage to Mexico’s defenders of religious freedom. Diana Sanchez, TIFF
Los últimos cristeros es un poderoso tributo visual, a la valentía y perseverancia de los cristianos rebeldes en defensa de la libertad religiosa; la cual es una parte de la historia mexicana menos conocida —la guerra dramática entre el estado y la iglesia en los años 20 y 30; cuando un pequeño grupo de hombres rechaza la amnistía y continúa su lucha contra la persecución religiosa y por la libertad de culto. esta es la valiente historia de estos soldados de Cristo.
Matías Meyer was born in Perpignan, France in 1979. His previous films Wadley and El Calambre screened at many international festivals including Rotterdam and BAFICI. Los últimos cristeros premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and won Best Film at Cinélatino, Toulouse and the Riviera Maya Film Festival.