Los olvidados (The Forgotten). 1950. Mexico. Directed by Luis Buñuel. Screenplay by Luis Alcoriza, Buñuel. With Alfonso Mejía, Roberto Cobo, Estela Inda, Miguel Inclán. Restored by the Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project at L’Immagine Ritrovata in collaboration with Fundación Televisa, Televisa, Cineteca Nacional de Mexico, and Filmoteca de la UNAM. Restoration funding provided by the Material World Foundation. In Spanish; English subtitles. DCP. 88 min.
Buñuel mixes social realism with subtle touches of Surrealism on a palette of gritty black and white in this harsh picture of violent teens in the Mexican slums. “The Mexican Buñuel is, for me, the most interesting period of his filmmaking. Restrained by an industry that demanded narrative structure, Buñuel’s anarchy and free-association images spill over a grim reality in which he explores his fascination with the naturalism of violence and the crimes of misguided charity. As searing today as it was when he created a commotion upon its premiere” – Guillermo del Toro
The film’s success at the Cannes Film Festival, where Buñuel was chosen Best Director, signaled his return to international filmmaking.