Kuno Becker’s Cinco de Mayo-themed film performs solidly in its opening weekend…

Pantelion’s Cinco De Mayo: La Batalla grossed $70,000 over the weekend, averaging $3,500 from 20 runs in Los Angeles and Orange County. California.

The drama, which stars the 35-year-old Mexican actor and recent Dallas star, tells the story of the legendary Mexican battle on May 5th, 1862, also known as the Battle of Puebla.

The French intervention in Mexico had begun in 1861 due to Napoleon III’s attempt to have more influence in Mexico. The country had just defaulted on its debt with France, Great Britain and Spain, which created an opportunity for France to insert itself in Mexico.

La Batalla of Cinco de Mayo occurred when a lesser-equipped Mexican army led by General Ignacio Zaragosa beat the powerful French army in Puebla. While this battle wasn’t a game changer in the conflict, it did give the Mexican army a morale boost, but it would end up taking six years before France withdrew its forces.

In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is not commemorated like it is in the U.S., but it’s worth reminding people of the history behind the commercialized festivities through Mexican director’s Rafa Lara big screen history lesson.