Legendary 70s Mexican horror film auteur, Juan F. Moctezuma II fought to make a Hollywood film to win back his beloved from a luchador. However, Moctezuma disappeared with the film. Watch as we unravel the mystery: Where is Juan Moctezuma?
This film looks at the Mexican horror genre and specifically the films of director Juan F. Moctezuma II. The '60s - 80s were a golden era of Mexican cinema, but it lacked variety. More importantly, Mexico yearned for an auteur of international acclaim. Many Mexican directors possessed a voice for Mexico, Ripstein for example, or were only "adopted Mexican." Only one was enough to draw worldwide attention: an unknown horror director with a short-lived career who paved the way for Guillermo Del Toro, Cuarón, Iñárritu, and others. Juan Francisco Moctezuma II was poised to be the auteur director that Mexico yearned for in the 70s. Instead, he disappeared midway through filming his last known film, "1000 Paths of Death" (1977). Moctezuma and the film were championed by a B-movie producer with an eye for talent who started the careers of many others. For Moctezuma to betray this producer is unimaginable. It would be as if Coppola turned his back on Roger Corman and disappeared and we never got "The Godfather."
Reels and storyboards from this legendary missing film, "1000 Paths of Death," have recently emerged. For myself, the horror film aficionado and documentarian, already in the process of restoring Moctezuma's other films, this reel is a huge missing piece to the puzzle of where and why Moctezuma disappeared all those years ago.
My grandparents came from San Luis Potosí, Mexico to Chicago and tried to hide their Mexican culture for fear of racism. I've spent my life trying to reconnect to my Mexican heritage. In some ways, this project has become my way of earning the right to call myself Mexican and I'd like to share the story.
