A theater chain halted screenings Monday of an acclaimed documentary about the failings of Mexico's justice system pending a court ruling on a complaint from a prosecution witness.
Hit Mexican film pulled pending legal challenge - The film, "Presunto Culpable" ("Presumed Guilty"), and the legal case against it have drawn renewed attention to Mexico's secretive, antiquated justice system, which critics say routinely violates the rights of defendants or fails to convict those who are guilty.
Hit Mexican film pulled pending legal challenge - The Cinepolis theater chain announced it was pulling the film hours after the Interior Department said it had temporarily revoked the permit for the documentary. Both the theater chain and the Interior Department said they must comply with a judge's order ordering a halt to screenings but would challenge the ruling.
"We profoundly regret that because of this judicial order, thousands of Mexican will lose the opportunity to know the reality of our system of criminal justice," Cinepolis said in a statement.
Hit Mexican film pulled pending legal challenge - The film centers on 26-year-old Antonio Zuniga, who was convicted of a 2005 murder on scant evidence. Zuniga's conviction was eventually overturned, a process documented by his lawyers, who filmed the hearings with the permission of the trail judge.
Hit Mexican film pulled pending legal challenge - The documentary, which received the audience award for best international feature at the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival, opened across Mexico on Feb. 18. It was the second-most viewed film in the country over the weekend, behind the animated movie "Rango," according to the National Chamber of Cinematography.
Hit Mexican film pulled pending legal challenge - Last week, a judge in Mexico City ordered authorities to halt showings pending hearings on a complaint filed by chief prosecution witness Victor Manuel Reyes Bravo, a relative of the victim. Reyes Bravo alleges his right to privacy was violated.