Alfonso Arau
A Mexican filmmaker who blended magical realism with sensuous visuals to bring Latin American stories to a worldwide cinematic feast.
Born 1932 (age 94)·Mexican film director, actor·Birthday: January 11·The Silent Generation
Biography
Alfonso Arau began as a dancer and actor, a charming presence in Mexican comedies and spaghetti westerns, before stepping behind the camera with a distinct, lush visual style. His international triumph was 1992's 'Like Water for Chocolate,' an adaptation of his then-wife Laura Esquivel's novel. The film became a global phenomenon, a sumptuous tale where emotion literally spills into food, defining the magic realist genre for cinema and proving the commercial power of Spanish-language films. He leveraged this success in Hollywood with the Keanu Reeves-starring 'A Walk in the Clouds,' another romance steeped in visual poetry. Throughout his long career, Arau has served as a cultural ambassador, weaving Mexican identity, passion, and folklore into narratives that appeal directly to the heart and the senses.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Alfonso was born in 1932, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alfonso Was Born
The biggest hits of 1932
#1 Movie
Grand Hotel
Best Picture
Grand Hotel
Alfonso's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1932Born
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1937Started school
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1945Became a teenager
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Could drive
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1950Could vote
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Turned 21
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1962Turned 30
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 40
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 50
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 60
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 70
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 80
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2026Age 94 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Directed the landmark film 'Like Water for Chocolate,' which became the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the United States at the time.
- Won five Ariel Awards (Mexico's top film honor), including Best Director for 'Like Water for Chocolate.'
- Helmed the Hollywood romance 'A Walk in the Clouds,' starring Keanu Reeves and Anthony Quinn.
- Had a long career as a character actor, appearing in films like 'The Wild Bunch' and 'Romancing the Stone.'
Did You Know?
He was a professional dancer and choreographer before becoming an actor and director.
Arau is the father of actor and director Sergio Arau, who directed 'A Day Without a Mexican.'
He played the bandit leader 'El Guapo' in the cult comedy 'Three Amigos!' (1986).
His film 'Like Water for Chocolate' was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language.
““I wanted to make a movie that was like a meal that you could taste with your eyes.””
