Santa (película de 1932)

Santa (1932), based on Federico Gamboa’s famous 1903 novel and starring Lupita Tovar, marked the true beginning of Mexican sound cinema thanks to the optical sound-on-film system developed by the Rodríguez brothers. Its success opened the era that would lead to the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.

Note the distinction: Mexico made silent films long before 1932 — Santa was not the first Mexican film, but the first feature with synchronized optical sound.