Pera Film is celebrating the cult star of Mexican Cinema: El Santo, the luchador, one of the most prolific monster fighters in the history of cinema. Presented in collaboration with the Embassy of Mexico and Cervantes Institute, the program El Santo Superstar, Mexico highlights five films exploring the cult and the imaginative from 1960s and 1970s, stories that surround one of Mexico's most treasured folk heroes.In addition to solving crimes and wooing beautiful women, Santo found the time to wrestle the Wolfman, Martians, mummies, and the Bermuda Triangle...over 50 movies.
El Santo (whose real name was Rodolfo Guzman Huerta) was born on Sept. 23, 1917 in Tulancigo, Hidalgo, Mexico. He began his professional wrestling career at the age of 16 under his own name in 1934. He first appeared in the ring under the name "El Santo” eight years later. He continued to wrestle until 1982. Santo started out as a "rudo" (bad guy) in the ring, but years later (in the early sixties) decided that becoming a technico (good guy) would greatly enhance his career. A publisher named Jose Cruz started a "fumetti"-style comic book in 1952, featuring Santo's adventures fighting crime and monsters on a weekly basis, which popularized Santo into a near-legendary figure in Mexico. The comic book series (4 volumes) ran continuously for about 35 years, and is probably the most famous superhero comic book in Mexico. It was only in 1961 when producer Alberto Lopez hired him to star as "El Santo" in the now classic "Santo Vs. The Zombies" that his actual film career began.
From 1958 to 1982, Santo starred in over 50 films. By 1977, the masked wrestler film craze had practically died off, but Santo continued to appear in more films over the next few years. His last film was "Fury Of The Karate Experts", shot in Florida in 1982, the same year he retired from the ring. He died from a heart attack a week later on Feb. 5, 1984. As per his wishes, he was buried wearing his famous silver mask.
In collaboration
February 6
19:00 Anonymous Death Threat
February 7
18:00 Santo vs. the She-Wolves
20:00 Santo and Blue Demon vs. the Monsters
February 8
14:00 Santo vs. Blue Demon in Atlantis
16:00 Anonymous Death Threat
18:00 Santo in the Wax Museum
February 9
14:00 Santo vs. the She-Wolves
16:00 Santo and Blue Demon vs. the Monsters
18:00 Santo vs. Blue Demon in Atlantis
February 6
19:00 Anonymous Death Threat
February 7
18:00 Santo vs. the She-Wolves
20:00 Santo and Blue Demon vs. the Monsters
February 8
14:00 Santo vs. Blue Demon in Atlantis
16:00 Anonymous Death Threat
18:00 Santo in the Wax Museum
February 9
14:00 Santo vs. the She-Wolves
16:00 Santo and Blue Demon vs. the Monsters
18:00 Santo vs. Blue Demon in Atlantis
February 12
19:00 Santo in the Wax Museum
Program Trailer
El Santo Superstar, Mexico highlights five films exploring the cult and the imaginative from 1960s and 1970s, stories that surround one of Mexico's most treasured folk heroes.In addition to solving crimes and wooing beautiful women, Santo found the time to wrestle the Wolfman, Martians, mummies, and the Bermuda Triangle...over 50 movies.
Pera Museum’s Cold Front from the Balkans exhibition curated by Ali Akay and Alenka Gregorič brings together contemporary artists from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia.
The Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation’s Orientalist Painting Collection includes two children’s portraits that are often featured in exhibitions on the second floor of the Pera Museum. These portraits both date back to the early 20th century, and were made four years apart. One depicts Prince Abdürrahim Efendi, son of Sultan Abdulhamid II, while the figure portrayed on the other is Nazlı, the daughter of Osman Hamdi Bey.
Organized in collaboration with the Giacometti Foundation, Paris, the exhibition explores Giacometti’s prolific life, most of which the artist led in his studio in Montparnasse, through the works of his early period as well his late work, including one unfinished piece. Devoted to Giacometti’s early works, the first part of the exhibition demonstrates the influence of Giovanni Giacometti, the father of the artist and a Swiss Post-Impressionist painter himself, on Giacometti’s output during these years and his role in his son’s development.
By using our website, you allow cookies. For more information, please visit our cookie policy.
Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 - 19:00
Friday 10:00 - 22:00
Sunday 12:00 - 18:00
The museum is closed on Mondays.
On Wednesdays, the students can
visit the museum free of admission.
Full ticket: 80 TL
Discounted: 40 TL
Groups: 60 TL (minimum 10 people)
