"Recuerdos De Esas Casas En La Playa": Remembering director Enrique Gomez Vadillo (1943-2017)

On this day in 2017, Mexican filmmaker & stage director Enrique Gomez Vadillo passed away at the age of 73.

If you’ve known me long enough or have followed my work for a while, then you’ll know that Enrique Gomez Vadillo has been a huge curiosity of mine since I’ve always felt that his films tackled topics of homosexuality, pain, & romance in ways that differed from other Mexican filmmakers from the 80’s & 90’s. As the years have gone by, I’ve learned a lot about him personally & his career. The real deal. No rumors, no bologna. 

Born in Merida, Yucatan—Vadillo was inspired by the works of Luis Buñuel, Federico Fellini & Stanley Kubrick. The dramatic-loving Vadillo began his acting & film studies at UNIBE, UCLA, the Actors Studio in New York, and he even joined John Cassavetes workshop. Vadillo would proceed in becoming a film critic up until he decided to just make films himself. 

Vadillo was an artistic fellow who not only made “different” kinds of Mexican films, but he had also directed many stage plays (ex.“XXXX”, “Equus”, “Love Letters”) that won him awards & given praise from critics in Mexico & the USA. Vadillo had also dabbled in directing telenovelas: “Señora Tentacion” & “La Casa En La Playa” being his most well-known works. 

To learn about some of Vadillo’s work, Check out my reviews for: Verano Salvaje, Johnny Chicano, Playa Prohibida, El Chico Temido De La Vecindad, Machos, La Tentacion, La Muerte En La Playa, and Desnudos. 

1st photo: Luis Buñuel & Enrique Gomez Vadillo

2nd photo: Federico Fellini & Enrique Gomez Vadilllo

All photos courtesy of Nico Gomez