Peter Greenaway feature filming in Mexico

Set in the 1930s, when Mexico was considered an exciting and avant-garde place for filmmakers, Greenaway’s feature follows Eisenstein’s life as he departs for a new life in Guanajuato and tries to make his epic but ill-fated portrayal of Mexican life ¡Qué viva México!. The Russian director’s production was beset by problems, and he was forced to abandon the whole project unfinished.

Guanajuato city in north-central Mexico is known for its crucial role during the War of Independence and, for filmmakers, its beautiful colonial-style architecture.

Greenaway is an acclaimed auteur whose body of work over several decades often demonstrated the influence of the French nouvelle vague and, in his later work, his fascination with art, especially from the Flemish, Baroque and Renaissance periods.

The director has long been associated with The Netherlands – his office is based in Amsterdam - and many of his regular producing partners and collaborators are Dutch.

In classic Greenaway fashion, this film is an international co-production with a Netherlands emphasis: we spoke to production company Submarine in Amsterdam, who are working with co-producers Fu Works, also in Amsterdam; Paloma Negra in Guadalajara, Mexico; Edith Film Oy in Helsinki and Brussels-based Potemkino. Funding for the film came from Screen Flanders and the Dutch Film Fund (Nederlands Fonds voor de Film).

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