▲ The founder of the Women in Film and Television association assured that the path for the female gender It was complicated and undervalued
.Photo taken from the official Amacc account
▲Actress Diana Bracho in a still from the film Romelia’s secret.Photo taken from the official Amacc account
Ana Monica Rodriguez
La Jornada Newspaper
Saturday June 22, 2024, p. 6
Busi Cortés, pioneer of feminism in cinema, who fought for inclusion and gender equality in the national film industry and would be recognized with the Golden Ariel on September 7 at the Degollado Theater in Guadalajara, Jalisco, died at 74 years old, reported Women in Film and Television, an association she founded two decades ago.
Luz Eugenia Cortés Rocha, her real name, was the first woman to make a debut film at the Cinematographic Training Center (CCC) and assured that the path for the female gender in cinema was complicated and undervalued, even in the calls for project financing
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Among his works are remembered Snakes and Ladders, Daughters of their mother: The Buenrostro, Hotel Villa Goerne, The place of the heart and Romelia’s secret for which he received an Ariel y la Diosa de Plata for best first film, among other films and television series.
Busi Cortés studied Communication at the Universidad Iberoamericana and a bachelor’s degree at the CCC; She was a member of the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Sciences and Arts (Amacc), president of Women in Cinema and Television and served as a teacher at the CCC, the UNAM University Theater Center, the Iberoamerican University and the National Cineteca .
The director, who would be recognized at the 66th edition of the Ariel Awards along with the art director Brigitte Broch and the actress and singer Angélica María, told The Day in 2006 regarding the film Daughters of their mother… which was a tribute to Mexican cinema of black humor. “They are the movies that I like the most. It’s a shame we couldn’t get in. The skeleton of Mrs. Morales (by Rogelio A. Morales, 1959); We lacked the art to fit a skeleton. Yes, there is a very conscious homage to those types of films.”
About his fiction film Snakes and Ladders express: This film reflects a complexity. I have three children: two boys and a girl, and I realize that the new generations of women are very strong. I see them with many more weapons, more than my own male children.
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Last November, in the context of the 19th edition of the International Women in Film and Television Show, where she received a tribute, she said that in 50 years female film directors have grown in quality and quantity.
In the 1980s, when the CCC was inaugurated, the filmmaker said that In the first generation there were many women, but for the second there was only Maryse Sistach and in my time there were only three of us and we basically dedicated ourselves to the script; In the fourth it was just one again. We were very few 40-50 years ago
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They mourn death
Regarding the documentary filmmaker and screenwriter, Women in Film and Television lamented on social networks: Today we say goodbye to Busi Cortés, an incredible filmmaker, with deep sadness. Her tireless fight for gender inclusion and equity and her leadership in the association left an indelible mark. Her work made visible the political presence of women in Mexico, inspiring generations with her feminine perspective. We will always remember you Busi
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Meanwhile, the Film Library of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) lamented: “Dear Busi, your departure hurts us greatly. Your work and teachings as a filmmaker, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker and teacher will always remain in our hearts. Thanks for everything. With three feature-length fiction films Romelia’s secret (1988), Snakes and Ladders (1994) and The Buenrostro (2005), Busi obtained multiple recognitions and nominations, such as the Ariel for best debut film. In 2001, she was winner of the José Rovirosa Award for her documentary Paco Chavez”.
The Filmoteca added that Busi was a member of the National System of Creators and jury of several national and international competitions and His legacy is admirable and worthy of recognition.
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Meanwhile, the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences published: “The Amacc regrets the sensitive death of our beloved filmmaker Busi Cortés, Ariel de Oro 2024, recognized for her work presenting women’s stories on the screen. She was a pioneer of the wave of young women filmmakers who were able to train and create their first works thanks to public film schools such as the CCC México and the CUEC. In 1989 she received the Ariel for best debut film for the unforgettable film Romelia’s secret. We will miss you, dear Busi. Rest in peace, a big hug to your family and friends.”
