'''Alfonso Arau''' (born [[January 11]], [[1932]]) is a [[Mexico|Mexican]] director of such films as ''[[Zapata: The Dream of a Hero]]'', ''[[Like Water for Chocolate]]'' (adapted from the novel written by his ex-wife [[Laura Esquivel]]), ''[[A Walk in the Clouds]]'' with [[Keanu Reeves]] and [[Anthony Quinn]], and the ''[[Hallmark Hall of Fame]]'' production ''[[A Painted House]]'', adapted from the [[John Grisham]] novel of the same name.

He is also an actor. Among others, he played the role of antagonist "El Guapo" in [[¡Three Amigos!]] (USA, 1986), a comedy with [[Martin Short]], [[Steve Martin]], and [[Chevy Chase]]. He also played Captain Herrera in [[Sam Peckinpah]]'s 1969 western, ''[[The Wild Bunch]]''.

In 1973 he acted in and directed ''Calzónzin Inspector'', a movie based on a Mexican comic called ''Los Supermachos'', of great Mexican cartoonist [[Rius]], although Rius disapproved the movie. The movie is about two indigenous Mexicans who are confused for government inspectors from the capital by the corrupt mayor of a small town, and is a humorous political critique, aimed squarely at then ruling party [[Partido Revolucionario Institucional|PRI]] and its [[Cacique Nutibara Bloc|cacique]]s, in a time when freedom of speech in regard to political matters was highly restricted.
There are at least two versions of the movie, the shorter one having some scenes deleted, the most notable one shows the killing of a renegade farmer by a police officer shooting at his back.

A notable movie was ''El rincón de las vírgenes'' (Mexico, 1972), "The Virgins' Corner" where he plays the helper to a fake mystical doctor travelling town to town, remembering their travels when a group of women intend to propose the doctor for sainthood. The movie is set in the 1920s in rural Mexico.

In December 2004 the [[Santa Fe Film Festival]] bestowed its Luminaria Award for lifetime achievement in cinema to Alfonso Arau as a cornerstone to its five-day festival. Jon Bowman, executive director of the Santa Fe Film Festival said, "Arau is truly a renaissance artist, with a deep and innate understanding of all phases of the cinematic medium."

==External links==
* {{imdb name|id=0000778|name=Alfonso Arau}}
* [http://santafefilmfestival.com/ Santa Fe Film Festival]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arau, Alfonso}}
[[Category:1932 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Mexican film directors]]
[[Category:People from Mexico City]]

[[de:Alfonso Arau]]
[[es:Alfonso Arau]]
[[fr:Alfonso Arau]]
[[fi:Alfonso Arau]]