Biography
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Born
14 November 1951 (age 72)
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Born In
Ciudad de México, Mexico
Celebrated filmmaker, artist, and musician, Sergio Arau was born in Mexico City. He is the writer/producer/director of the hit independent feature film “A Day Without a Mexican,” which was released in the USA on May 14 th , 2004 , and distributed by Televisa Cine. Sergio and his wife, writer/actress Yareli Arizmendi, have been the subject of national media attention for their roles in that controversial film. Sergio and Yareli have been written about in such major print media as the Wall Street Journal, the LA Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Associated Press; appeared on such major media as National Public Radio's “Marketplace” show, and San Francisco's top rated talk shows “The Dog House” and “The Chui Gomez” morning shows; and been the subjects of stories airing on such major TV media as CNN, CBS News with Dan Rather, and the Fox News Network's “Hannity and Colmes” show, to name just some.
Sergio received his MFA in Film Studies at the National School of Film (CUEC), Mexico City . A highly recognized visual artist and political cartoonist, he won the Coral De Plata award at the Havana Film Festival with his animated short “El Muro”/”The Wall” (2001.) An accomplished musician as well, Sergio formed Botellita De Jerez (1983) a group that focused humor and Mexican traditional music with the contemporary sounds of rock'n'roll.
In 1998, Sergio won the MTV Award for Café Tacuba's “Alarmala De Tos” (a song Botellita had made famous ten years before.) Arau's group is considered the precursor of the “Rock-en' Espanol” movement.
Among his many awards, Sergio's comic strip “El Muro” received first prize at the XVIII International Salon of Cartoons ( Montreal , Canada ) and his cartoon “El Preso” received first honors at the Bi-Annual House of Humor in Gabrovo , Bulgaria . Sergio coined the phrase “ART-NACO,” which is still a style emulated by many of today's most popular artists. His paintings adorn the homes of some of Mexico 's elite artists and politicians.
In 1985, Sergio opened “Rockotitlan,” Mexico 's first “Rock-en” Espanol” nightclub. In 1990, his book “La Netafisica” (a collection of his cartoons and illustrations) was published, and in 1992, he founded his “Heavy-Mex” group “La Venganza De Moctezuma.”
In 1994, Sergio produced and directed the video for his own hit song, “Viajo Sin Brujula” and gained a reputation as a film director/producer. He went on to create videos for such diverse groups as Café Tacuba, El Gran Silencio, Banda Maguey, Grupo Mojado, and Jose Manuel Figueroa, among others.
In 1998, Sergio wrote, produced, and directed (along with Yareli,) the mockumentary shot film “A Day Without a Mexican,” a project commissioned by the Fine Arts Museum of Chicago. That same year, he also won the MTV Award – Best Rock Video, for directing Café Tacubs's “Alarmala De Tos” (a song composed by Arau.) In 1999, “Casas y Gente” Magazine stated that Sergio Arau was “destined to be the painter of the next millennium.” The Conga Room nightclub in Los Angeles , has commissioned two of his art pieces as décor for their facility.
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