Simple Mexico Home of Surrealist Opens to Public ABCNews
go to original August 9, 2013

In this Aug. 1, 2013 photo, a photograph of Spanish filmmaker Luis Bunuel hangs at the entrance of "Casa Bunuel" in Mexico City. The Spanish government has opened this house after restoring the facade and conditioning the interiors. (AP/Gabriela Sanchez)

MEXICO CITY - Down a narrow, dead-end street in a middle-class neighbourhood of Mexico City, a three-story brick house with white window frames gives up no hint of the bizarre, even shocking images that were dreamed up inside.

Luis Bunuel, known as the father of surrealist cinema, lived in the simple, gated house over the last 30 years of his life after settling in Mexico as an exile from post-civil war Spain. For a man who assaulted moviegoers with such shots as an ant-infested hand, an eyeball sliced open with a straight razor, and elegant diners sitting on toilets, Bunuel enjoyed a surprisingly genteel life here.

Now, the Spanish government, which bought the house from Bunuel's family, has opened it to a public long fascinated with his work. The plan is to turn the building into a meeting place for Spanish and Mexican moviemakers, with workshops and occasional exhibits staged to celebrate Spanish-language cinema. The inauguration has been timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Bunuel's death in the Mexican capital.

Critics still regard Bunuel as one of cinema's greatest directors, with movies such as "L'Age d'Or" and "That Obscure Object of Desire" pushing the boundaries of both taste and narrative.

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