Manuel Barbachano Ponce

April 04, 1925

Manuel Barbachano Ponce (4 April 1925 – 29 October 1994) was a Mexican film producer, director, and screenwriter associated with the development of independent and culturally oriented production in Mexico. He produced key mid-century titles including Raíces—entered into the 1955 Cannes Film Festival—and the documentary Torero!, which received a special citation at the Venice Film Festival. He also produced internationally recognized features such as Nazarín (directed by Luis Buñuel) and later films including María de mi corazón, Doña Herlinda y su hijo, Frida, naturaleza viva, and Tequila. As a director, he made popular comedy features such as Chistelandia and its sequels, and he participated in the 1965 anthology Amor, amor, amor, a project linked to the First Experimental Film Contest and shaped by adaptations of contemporary Mexican literature.