No One Writes to the Colonel (1999)
No One Writes to the Colonel (1999), directed by Arturo Ripstein, starring Fernando Luján and Marisa Paredes.
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Synopsis
Every Friday, the Colonel puts on his only suit and goes to the dock to await a letter announcing the arrival of his pension. But the townsfolk all know that this pension will never come. His wife also knows it, and even he knows it. But he is still waiting, living with the pain of the death of his son.
- Guillermo GranilloCinematography
- Arturo RipsteinDirector
- Fernando PardoEditing
- Jorge SánchezProducer
About the film
No One Writes to the Colonel (Spanish: El coronel no tiene quien le escriba) is a 1999 Spanish-language film directed by Arturo Ripstein. It was an international co-production between France, Spain and Mexico. It is based on the eponymous novella by Colombian author and Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez. The film was also selected as the Mexican entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 72nd Academy Awards, but it did not make the final shortlist.
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No One Writes to the Colonel (Spanish: El coronel no tiene quien le escriba) is a 1999 Spanish-language film directed by Arturo Ripstein. It was an international co-production between France, Spain and Mexico. It is based on the eponymous novella by Colombian author and Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez. The film was also selected as the Mexican entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 72nd Academy Awards, but it did not make the final shortlist.
Cast
Production
The production of the film was somewhat of a family affair, with Arturo Ripstein directing, his wife Paz Alicia Garciadiego writing the screenplay, and their son Gabriel Ripstein making his debut as producer.
Awards
The film was Mexico's official Best Foreign Language Film submission at the 72nd Academy Awards, but did not manage to receive a nomination. It was also entered into the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.
See also
List of submissions to the 72nd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
List of Mexican submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
External links
No One Writes to the Colonel at IMDb
No One Writes to the Colonel at Rotten Tomatoes
Text from No One Writes to the Colonel (film) on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_One_Writes_to_the_Colonel_(film)
Trivia
- It premiered on June 2, 1999, a Wednesday.
- It runs 1h58 — a typical feature length.
- Its original title is "El coronel no tiene quien le escriba".
- It won 0 award(s) and received 1 nomination(s) on record at Wikidata — International Submission to the Academy Awards among them.
- As of September 20, 2026, it is available in Brazil by subscription on Netflix.
- This film's quiz has 11 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosProducciones Amaranta, Gardenia Producciones, Fondo para la Producción Cinematográfica de Calidad, Tornasol Media, DMVB Films, Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía, Tabasco Films, Universidad Veracruzana, Ventanarosa
- CountriesMexico, Spain, France
- LanguagesSpanish
- StatusReleased
More about this film
Nominations
- International Submission to the Academy Awards 2000
Filming locations
- Mexico
Where to watch
Cast
-
Fernando Luján
El coronel -
Marisa Paredes
Lola -
Salma Hayek Pinault
Julia -
Rafael Inclán
Padre Ángel -
Ernesto Yáñez
Don Sabas -
Daniel Giménez Cacho
Nogales -
Esteban Soberanes
Germán -
Patricia Reyes Spíndola
Jacinta -
Eligio Meléndez
Sotero -
Odiseo Bichir
Dr. Pardo -
Julián Pastor
Lugones - Eugenio Lobo Álvaro
Quiz about this movie
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Tags
Crew
- Guillermo Granillo Cinematography
- Arturo Ripstein Director
- Fernando Pardo Editing
- Jorge Sánchez Producer
- David Mansfield Original music
- Paz Alicia Garciadiego Screenplay
Questions about this film
What is No One Writes to the Colonel about?
No One Writes to the Colonel: Every Friday, the Colonel puts on his only suit and goes to the dock to await a letter announcing the arrival of his pension. But the townsfolk all know that this pension will never come. His wife also knows it, and even he knows it. But he is still waiting, living with the pain of the death of his son.
Who directed No One Writes to the Colonel?
No One Writes to the Colonel was directed by Arturo Ripstein in 1999.
Who stars in No One Writes to the Colonel?
The cast of No One Writes to the Colonel includes Fernando Luján, Marisa Paredes, Salma Hayek Pinault, Rafael Inclán and Ernesto Yáñez.
How long is No One Writes to the Colonel?
No One Writes to the Colonel runs for 118 minutes, or 1h58.
Where can I watch No One Writes to the Colonel?
No One Writes to the Colonel is available on Netflix and Netflix Standard with Ads. Availability changes often: the list on this page is the most recent we received.
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Page updated on 09/10/2026.
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