Doña Herlinda y su hijo (Donna Herlinda and Her Son). 1985. Mexico. Written and directed by Jaime Humberto Hermosillo. Based on the novel by Jorge López Páez. With Arturo Meza, Marco Treviño and Guadalupe del Toro. In Spanish; English subtitles. DCP. 90 min.
Produced by Guillermo del Toro and starring his mother, Guadalupe del Toro, in the title role, this little-known Mexican class satire—director Jaime Humberto Hermosillo’s feature debut—follows the relationship of doctor Rodolfo (Marco Treviño) and musician Ramón (Arturo Meza), who must keep their homosexual relationship hidden. Their love is put to the test by the machinations of Rodolfo’s quietly controlling mother (Guadalupe del Toro) who, pretending to be unaware of the nature of their relationship, invites Ramon to move in with her and her son—and then arranges for Rodolfo to be married. Early in the film, look out for a brief appearance by a young Guillermo del Toro seated at a table with other students in the park. Donna Herlinda and Her Son features an effervescent performance by Guadalupe del Toro, and demonstrates Guillermo’s support of young Mexican directors and active role in Mexico’s filmmaking community.