René Cardona's SANTA CLAUS aka SANTA CLAUS VS THE DEVIL (1959) + Toy Drive

In celebration of the holiday season and support of Border Kindness, 7th House and El Cine are pleased to present mid-century Mexican filmmaker René Cardona’s see-it-to-believe-it, family-friendly cult Christmas oddity SANTA CLAUS aka SANTA CLAUS VS THE DEVIL (1959)! El Cine co-founder Gilbert Trejo will join us to introduce the screening and discuss Cardona's fascinating story, impact, and legacy.

Before space travel was real, Mexico sent Santa to the cosmos. In SANTA CLAUS, the holiday myth collapses into a fever dream: Lucifer plots from below, a demon named Pitch whispers chaos into the ears of children, and Santa — stationed in his orbital, cloud-top space workshop — watches humanity through celestial surveillance. With the mischievous Pitch on the loose and deadset on corrupting children and sabotaging Christmas, it’s up to Santa, his trusty advisor Merlin the Wizard (?!) and a crew of international children to outwit Pitch’s schemes and guide a lonely, kindhearted girl toward hope.

A candy colored mixture of holiday lore and science fiction that is part cosmic morality play, part Cold War hallucination, Cardona’s 1959 Mexican fantasy bends theology, technology, and innocence into something that feels more like a dream record than a Christmas film. As bizarre as it is endearing, Cardona (one of Mexican cinema’s most prolific directors of melodrama, adventure, and exploitation films) gifted the world with an unforgettable — and unintentionally hilarious — cult classic. Long before irony found it, Santa Claus was already a philosophical artifact — a reflection on good and evil wrapped in velvet absurdity and cosmic sincerity.

Join us for this rare theatrical screening of Cardona’s original Spanish language version!

Dir. René Cardona, 94 mins, 1959, Mexico, Spanish w/ English subtitles, Suitable For All Ages, Digital.

Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.

ABOUT EL CINE

El Cine is a 501-c3 that provides free film education for the community through Latin-focused screenings and conversations. Visit their website for more info and upcoming events!

ABOUT BORDER KINDNESS

Border Kindness provides asylum-seekers, migrants, refugees, and the displaced with comprehensive services that include food, shelter, clothing, medical care, and legal services.

Their programs and interventions are designed to identify, protect, and nurture the most vulnerable, including women, children, the elderly, and families.

Border Kindness believes everyone should have the opportunity to live free of pain, hunger, intimidation, and fear.

They believe everyone is our neighbor.

Visit their website for more information and to see how you can help

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With some exception, The Philosophical Research Society’s 7th House Screenings does not typically provide advisory warnings about potentially upsetting content or subject matter, as sensitivities are particular to each viewer. Please be sure to read event listings, research on the web, or visit Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com for thorough info on content and age-appropriateness. If you have any specific content advisory questions, please email [email protected].

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The views, opinions, and thoughts expressed within exhibited works are solely those of their creators and may not represent those of the Philosophical Research Society (PRS), its affiliates, or any individuals associated with PRS. Screenings are intended for educational and entertainment purposes.

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