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Gael García Bernal: The Revolutionary
By : Bret Love
Latin American Cinema has experienced an impressive renaissance in recent years, thanks in large part to directors such as Alejandro González Iñárritu (Amores perros, Babel), Alfonso Cuarón (Y tu mamá también, Children of Men) and Fernando Meirelles (City of God, The Constant Gardener).
Aside from their ethnic heritage, another thing these three directors have in common is a profound respect for Gael García Bernal, who’s worked with each of them on at least one occasion. In fact, the 31-year-old García Bernal could be seen as a lynchpin in the Latin film boom, acting, directing and producing films that deal with themes of social justice.
The Guadalajara native’s immersion in the entertainment industry began early. The son of model-turned-actress Patricia Bernal and actor-director José Ángel García, he made his acting debut at the age of 1 and became a telenovela heartthrob when he was still in his teens.
“My parents have always been an incredible influence on me,” he says. “I learned so much just from being around them. It was so much fun to watch them perform every night. They’ve always been very helpful, but have never tried to steer my career in any particular direction.”
García Bernal also became intrigued by sociopolitical issues at a tender age, teaching some of Mexico’s indigenous Huichol people to read when he was 14 and taking part in peaceful demonstrations during the Chiapas uprising two years later. So perhaps it’s no surprise that the actor leapt at the chance to play revolutionary leader Che Guevara twice: in the little-seen 2002 miniseries “Fidel” and in the role that helped elevate his international recognition, 2004’s The Motorcycle Diaries.
The Motorcycle Diaries was one of six films García Bernal has appeared in over the past decade that have earned Academy Award recognition, including Amores perros (nominated for Best Foreign Language Film), Y tu mamá también (Best Original Screenplay), The Crime of Padre Amaro (Best Foreign Language Film) and Babel (seven nominations, including Best Picture). When you add Best Film nominations at Spain’s Goya Awards for 2001’s Don’t Tempt Me (which co-starred Penélope Cruz) and 2004’s Bad Education (which was directed by Pedro Almodóvar), it’s an incredible track record for a young actor who’s barely 20 films into his career. The humble García Bernal seems reluctant to take credit for his canny career choices.
“I take it on a case-by-case basis,” he says when asked how he selects his roles, “so it depends. Sometimes you think you know what you’re looking for and it either comes along or you generate it, but most of the time it’s about timing and luck. Destiny plays a big part in it.”
What’s important to García Bernal is the challenge of telling a good story, and gaining insight into mankind by interpreting a character’s emotional journey. “Acting is a path to wisdom,” he insists, “but it offers wisdom in a completely different way. You learn a lot about the human condition, and about yourself, through that process of investigation with a character. I relate acting to a game, like you’re a kid playing pirates. You don’t stop to think, ‘Well, maybe the pirate should not be so bad.’ Once you begin to judge a character, you’ve defeated the purpose. I find the whole process very enjoyable.”
The actor could say the same thing about his life at the moment. He and his best friend, actor Diego Luna, formed Canana Films with partner Pablo Cruz, developing, producing and distributing numerous important films (many of them socio-politically themed documentaries) in Mexico. In 2007 García Bernal directed his first feature film, Déficit, and in May he acted along with Hollywood it-girl Amanda Seyfried in Letters to Juliet. Nevertheless, the biggest development in his life has nothing to do with films: García Bernal’s Argentine actress girlfriend, Dolores Fonzi, gave birth to their son Lázaro in Madrid last year.
He admits to being excited about his role as a first-time father; however, García Bernal remains circumspect about how being a dad will impact his career choices. “Ever since I first wanted to be an actor I’ve been drawn to the necessities of the moment, focusing primarily on what’s coming up next,” he says. “You can have all your plans out there, but destiny plays its part: Some things may come, but some things might not. You never really know until you live it, so we’ll have to see what happens.”
What’s happening to García Bernal seems to be the most fruitful period in his already impressive career. In addition to Letters to Juliet, 2010 will also find him co-starring with Kate Hudson in Earthbound and appearing in the Spanish production También la lluvia, a period drama about Christopher Columbus. Even so, the project that has Hollywood buzzing is a biography about civil-rights activist and labor organizer César Chávez, to which Canana was recently granted film rights. It’s one of several films currently in development at García Bernal’s company, which represents the Hollywood star’s continued dedication to the Latin American film renaissance.
“You try to do as much as you can to help each other out, not only in Mexico but also in Latin America in general,” he says. “We have a very strong bond in our community, which is part of what’s great about filmmaking. There are a lot of great stories to tell in these countries, so everything has been geared toward the future and there are debates going on in every country. How do we build a society? That sense of curiosity makes it an interesting region in which to make films, so I’m hoping this growth continues and opens Latin America up to the rest of the world.”
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