Los caifanes (1967)

After a party for young people from the upper class suddenly breaks up, a couple, Jaime and Paloma (Enrique Álvarez Félix and Julissa), leave the group and wander through some streets of Mexico City. The rain and their search for a more suitable place to be alone lead them to take shelter in a seemingly abandoned car. After a brief romantic encounter inside the car, they realize that it actually belongs to Captain Gato and his Caifanes. The encounter sets off a tour of Mexico City, spurred by Paloma’s fascination with the working class’s customs, way of speaking, and manners, and with the spontaneous—but always suspicious—friendship the Caifanes know how to offer. The rest of the film depicts nightlife in the Mexican capital during those tumultuous, psychedelic 1960s. As the group makes its way through cabarets, parks, funeral homes, diners, and public squares, the film shows various characters and some of the era’s customs and habits, interspersed with a wide range of artistic expressions from that time.