Gael Garcia Bernal is ready to take the reins again in his second-ever film as director. His new project, called Chicuarotes, will present the story of impoverished Mexican teens trying to move move up the social ladder, he said, in an announcement to ScreenDaily.
“The narrative of the film follows their dreams of moving up economically and socially,” said Bernal. “They want to stop working and make lots of money. I can’t tell you now how they attempt to do this but it’s a comedy - a very dark comedy.” The film will be set near the Xochimilco Lake in Mexico City.
Known primarily for his on-screen roles in the films Rosewater, and the Amazon show Mozart in the Jungle, Bernal has was launched into stardom by Amorres Perros, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. At the time, Iñárritu was a celebrity DJ and Bernal was an acting student.
“I got the script [for Amorres Perros in the mail… I was like, ‘yeah, it’s good’. It was the first script I’d ever read,” said Bernal. “The second script I read was Y Tu Mamá También. I was spoiled from the start.”
Bernal’s roles tend to be young men on the extreme end of poverty or privilege. In Amores Perros he played a jobless Mexican youth who tries to escape poverty through illegal dog fighting. In Y Tú Mamá También he plays an insecure rich kid.
Like his on-screen roles, Bernal’s 2007 directorial debut tackled class issues. The film, Déficit (Spanish for “lack” “deficit ” or “deficiency”), was a scathing portrayal of fresas, the young Mexican bourgeoisie. The low-budget film debuted at Cannes and a mild reception in the U.S. If Déficit provides any clue, Chicuarotes will provide an insightful portrait of Mexican life with meaningful character arcs and big questions about class and society.
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