La India María

Mexploitation and the Films of María Elena Velasco

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Film, History & Criticism, Performing Arts, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Ethnic Studies
Cover of the book La India María by Seraina Rohrer, University of Texas Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Seraina Rohrer ISBN: 9781477313473
Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication: December 20, 2017
Imprint: University of Texas Press Language: English
Author: Seraina Rohrer
ISBN: 9781477313473
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication: December 20, 2017
Imprint: University of Texas Press
Language: English

La India María—a humble and stubborn indigenous Mexican woman—is one of the most popular characters of the Mexican stage, television, and film. Created and portrayed by María Elena Velasco, La India María has delighted audiences since the late 1960s with slapstick humor that slyly critiques discrimination and the powerful. At the same time, however, many critics have derided the iconic figure as a racist depiction of a negative stereotype and dismissed the India María films as exploitation cinema unworthy of serious attention. By contrast, La India María builds a convincing case for María Elena Velasco as an artist whose work as a director and producer—rare for women in Mexican cinema—has been widely and unjustly overlooked.Drawing on extensive interviews with Velasco, her family, and film industry professionals, as well as on archival research, Seraina Rohrer offers the first full account of Velasco's life; her portrayal of La India María in vaudeville, television, and sixteen feature film comedies, including Ni de aquí, ni de allá [Neither here, nor there]; and her controversial reception in Mexico and the United States. Rohrer traces the films' financing, production, and distribution, as well as censorship practices of the period, and compares them to other Mexploitation films produced at the same time. Adding a new chapter to the history of a much-understudied period of Mexican cinema commonly referred to as "la crisis," this pioneering research enriches our appreciation of Mexploitation films.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

La India María—a humble and stubborn indigenous Mexican woman—is one of the most popular characters of the Mexican stage, television, and film. Created and portrayed by María Elena Velasco, La India María has delighted audiences since the late 1960s with slapstick humor that slyly critiques discrimination and the powerful. At the same time, however, many critics have derided the iconic figure as a racist depiction of a negative stereotype and dismissed the India María films as exploitation cinema unworthy of serious attention. By contrast, La India María builds a convincing case for María Elena Velasco as an artist whose work as a director and producer—rare for women in Mexican cinema—has been widely and unjustly overlooked.Drawing on extensive interviews with Velasco, her family, and film industry professionals, as well as on archival research, Seraina Rohrer offers the first full account of Velasco's life; her portrayal of La India María in vaudeville, television, and sixteen feature film comedies, including Ni de aquí, ni de allá [Neither here, nor there]; and her controversial reception in Mexico and the United States. Rohrer traces the films' financing, production, and distribution, as well as censorship practices of the period, and compares them to other Mexploitation films produced at the same time. Adding a new chapter to the history of a much-understudied period of Mexican cinema commonly referred to as "la crisis," this pioneering research enriches our appreciation of Mexploitation films.

More books from University of Texas Press

Cover of the book Monumental Ambivalence by Seraina Rohrer
Cover of the book Tejano Religion and Ethnicity by Seraina Rohrer
Cover of the book Modernization, Dislocation, and Aprismo by Seraina Rohrer
Cover of the book Morning Comes to Elk Mountain by Seraina Rohrer
Cover of the book Paraguay and the Triple Alliance by Seraina Rohrer
Cover of the book The Duty to Act by Seraina Rohrer
Cover of the book The Port of Houston by Seraina Rohrer
Cover of the book Postnationalism in Chicana/o Literature and Culture by Seraina Rohrer
Cover of the book Town in the Empire by Seraina Rohrer
Cover of the book A Camera in the Garden of Eden by Seraina Rohrer
Cover of the book Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Care for Antiques, Collectibles, and Other Treasures by Seraina Rohrer
Cover of the book Handbook of Middle American Indians, Volumes 2 and3 by Seraina Rohrer
Cover of the book Unruly Girls, Unrepentant Mothers by Seraina Rohrer
Cover of the book Duchess of Palms by Seraina Rohrer
Cover of the book Adoring the Saints by Seraina Rohrer
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy