Arena Mexico is like Romes Coliseum and is just as steeped in Mexico Citys mythology. It holds over 13,000 spectators, but its influence extends well beyond the ropes. In the documentary Lucha Mexico, from filmmakers Ian Markiewicz and Alexandria Hammond, we gain access to the legendary space as a crowd raves for the luchadores, hyper masculine gladiators dressed in Lycra hot-pants, printed leotards and detailed masks.
Lucha libre, the Mexican sport-as-spectacle, has been gaining an audience in the United States and beyond because its similar to professional wrestling blending technical maneuvers, sequences of holds and aerial moves but with masked champions even more prone to theatrical staging.Outside the ring, wewitnesswrestlers engaging in mundane activities, but they remain national heroes their images replicated onposters and copies of their masks hot souvenirs for tourists.
Lucha Mexicoopens in theaters July 15th as well as on VOD.