Podtalk: Gael García Bernal on the Red Carpet at 55th Chicago International Film Festival

Printer-friendly versionE-mail page to friendPDF version

CHICAGO – It was a Tribute Night at the 55th Chicago International Film Festival on October 26th, 2019, and the honoree was actor Gael García Bernal (“Mozart in the Jungle,” “Coco”), who was showcasing his latest film as director, “Chicuarotes.” A large gathering of his ardent fan base surrounded his walk on the Red Carpet before the screening.

Gael García Bernal on the Red Carpet at the 55th Chicago International Film Festival
Photo credit: Joe Arce for Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

“Chicuarotes” is an audacious crime drama from Bernal, as lifelong friends Cagalera and Moloteco turn to violence and lawlessness to buy their way out of their hard-scrabble Mexico City neighborhood. Hoping to scrape together enough cash to join a union that holds the promise of steady work, the amateur criminals graduate from petty theft to hostage taking. But their escapades land the teens in desperate circumstances, both darkly humorous and fraught with danger.

Gael García Bernal has been a sought-after actor since his feature film debut in “Amores Perros” in 2000. He is best known for his performances in the films “Bad Education,” “The Motorcycle Diaries,” “Y Tu Mamá También,” “Babel” and lent his voice to the Walt Disney animated film “Coco.” He also was featured on series television, in the Amazon Studios “Mozart in the Jungle,” for which he won a Golden Globe.

‘Chicuarotes,’ directed by Gael García Bernal
Photo credit: ChicagoFilmFestival.com

In a Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com – on the Red Carpet for his film “Chicuarotes” at the 55th Chicago International Film Festival – Gael García Bernal reflects on directing and his role on “Mozart in the Jungle.”

By PATRICK McDONALD Editor and Film Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com