The Wave

Redes was made in Mexico in 1936, co-directed by Fred Zinnemann and Emilio Gomez Muriel. The film was supported by the Mexican government's education ministry, with the aim of showing the living conditions of fishermen. The story is set on the coast of Veracruz. A fisherman's son dies because there is no money for treatment, and the man realises how he and his fellows are exploited by the single buyer they sell to. The effort to organise and the political pressure raised against it form the central conflict. Most of the performers are actual fishermen. The cinematography is by Paul Strand and his background in photography is visible in every frame: faces against the sky, nets, details of boats. The music is by Silvestre Revueltas. The film counts as an early reference point for Latin American political cinema. Who it's for: those interested in film history and early examples of social realism. Who it's not for: viewers expecting naturalistic acting and fluent narrative; the film is close to propaganda in structure and does not hide it.