There are only a handful of Latin American directors that come close to the level of career achievement exhibited by Arturo Ripstein. He has made close to 30 features, and about 15 shorts, most of them documentaries (including one on Bunuel). I've managed to watch 11 of his features. My favorites are El Imperio de la Fortuna (Empire of Fortune), El Castillo de la Pureza (Castle of Purity), La Mujer del Puerto (Woman of the Port) and Profundo Carmesi (Deep Crimson). One cannot discuss his career without mentioning Paz Alicia Garciadiego, who has written every script and has been an active influence on the set of every film Ripstein has directed in the past two decades. Thay are married. Ripstein's films are primarily made for consumption in Spain and France. A Mexican friend told me they are barely distributed in his native Mexico because historically they have never made money there. It has to do with the long takes he favors, the depressing outlook, the anti-religious stance of many of his films, etc. I think he's brilliant, although several of his films (Principio y Fin comes to mind) would benefit from some trimming. The only Latino directors that come close are Argentinians Adolfo Aristarain and Fernando Solanas, Peruvian Francisco Lombardi, and perhaps Chileans Raul Ruiz and documentarian Patricio Guzman.