The Grey Automobile February 3, 2007

The classic Mexican silent film The Grey Automobile gets an update and reinterpretation in this amazing theatrical presentation by Mexico’s avant garde theater company Teatro de Ciertos Habitantes.

Enrique Rosas’ 1919 film El Automóvil Gris was a box office hit in Mexico. The sensational story of a real-life gang of criminals that terrorized Mexico City’s wealthy families in 1915 mixed documentary footage with reenactments featuring both actors and some of the people from the real-life events. Much of the film is shot on location where the actual crimes happened, and it culminates with the actual footage of the execution of the Grey Automobile Gang.

With the distance of time and culture, the film invites modern reinterpretations. Director Claudio Valdés has turned to the Japanese tradition of live narration, or benshi. Three actor/interpreters, speaking a mix of Spanish, English, and Japanese, explain the film and provide a running (and sometimes irreverent) commentary—all to live piano accompaniment.

Official Website: http://www.mondaviarts.org