Mexican Actor Daniel Giménez Cacho and actress Ximena Lamadrid sat down at the Ritz Carlton Hotel to talk about the real-life experiences and thought-process behind the making of their upcoming Netflix film, “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths.”
The film focuses on the life of a Mexican journalist and filmmaker who returns home to Mexico, where he experiences an identity crisis and a multitude of family issues; eventually walking through vague memories of his life.
Daniel Giménez Cacho is not new to the film industry. He has played in numerous Mexican films like “Tear This Heart Out” and “Zama.” He has also won the GOYA Awards for Best Actor, the Ariel Award for best actor and more.
“Making this film made me feel like I was in a dream. Just a completely different way of working for me,” Cacho said. “It was like a dream inside a dream, and the conditions, the great level of the equipment, the photographer, and the way we related as actors. The freedom we experienced for me was like a fantasy.”
Directed and co-written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, popularly known for “The Revenant” and “Birdman,” the film was shot in 26 weeks, allowing the actors to practice and become comfortable with the twists and turns the film presents to the audience.
Iñárritu wrote the film as a mirror to his life, tackling subjects like immigration and other personal trials he went through in real life. In an interview with the director, he stated, “Migrating is to die a little. A part of yourself is left behind.”
Imposter syndrome and dealing with immigration were some of the movie’s main thematic points. When returning to Mexico, Cacho’s character, Silverio, is criticized by his peers in Mexico for leaving home to explore the United States. In the movie, he blames himself for creating a better life and leaving his friends behind.
The authors Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Nicolás Giacobone also highlighted the flaws and beauties of living in Mexico. He talked about the disappearances of thousands of Mexicans, calculating up to 80,000 people since the government last counted. In the interview, actress Ximena Lamadrid explained that the movie is very illustrative, but essential to watch.
“The film is done in a very metaphorical way. The scene I wanted to touch on was the scene that is about people that have disappeared. It’s been women and men, and hundreds of thousands of people disappeared, and we don’t know where they are never found in Mexico,” she said. “Perhaps someone who’s not from Mexico doesn’t know that fact let’s understand it’s just a very stark and visual experience that you kind of question.”
There are a lot of questionable experiences depicted in the film, like that of discrimination, prejudice and racism. The two actors were hopeful that this movie would bring awareness to the problems and relate to not just a Mexican audience, but to everyone.
“Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths” is now showing in select theaters and will be available on Netflix on Dec. 16.
Copy edited by Nhandi Long-Shipman
