The Devil Never Sleeps

Dir. Lourdes Portillo. 1994, 84 mins. Mexico/U.S. Digital projection. When filmmaker Lourdes Portillo receives a call informing her that her beloved uncle Oscar Ruiz Almeida has been shot, she heads back to her hometown of Chihuahua, Mexico. Officially Almeida’s death was ruled a suicide, but as Portillo probes her family, further troubling secrets arise. Inspired by Errol Morris’s The Thin Blue Line, the film unspools in an intimate yet formally adventurous assemblage that makes room for dramatic recreations, archival footafe, and essayistic contemplation. Portillo passed away in April 2024, and we honor her contribution to nonfiction filmmaking here with a screening of her greatest work. 

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / discounted for MoMI members ($7–$11). There is a $1.50 transaction fee per ticket for all online purchases. The cost of admission may be applied toward a same-day purchase of a membership. 

Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission.