EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW | CINEMA | FICTION
Ricardo Arnaiz. Founder of Animex Productions (in the year 2000). One of the pioneers of animation in Mexico. Creator, writer, producer and director of film, television, theater, and video.
The fiction film lasts 95 minutes. Starring Plutarco Haza, Silverio Palacios, Ariel López Padilla, Gerardo Taracena and Mario Iván Martínez
The entrepreneur and creator of the most important saga of Mexican cinema “La Leyenda de la Nahuala” and with enormous experience in animated films answers questions about the film to TVMAS and confesses that he dared to take this important step in his career, thanks to a call from Carlos Pimentel, film producer, screenwriter and publicist who suggested that he make an animated film about the child heroes of Chapultepec.
And why didn’t you do it in animation?
My first answer was no. Historical and epic films in animated format are complicated by many elements in production. But I really wanted to tell such a story. It didn’t take me more than 1 minute to think that this story could be what I was waiting for: a group of children trapped in their school, with invaders looking for them, trapping them. And I felt the story had to be told in live-action.
Who wrote the script? What was this process like to get to this film?
Immediately I began to write a script and document myself about the students of the Chapultepec school in their fight to defend the capital of Mexico, which was invaded by the United States Army, on September 13, 1847. The script was co-written by Ana Lucía Moctezuma and I decided to do it with jumps in time, flashbacks and memories of each of the characters.
“We worked for more than 6 months in the investigation with the archives of the Chapultepec Museum in Mexico City where we discovered great events, great characters, and a much more impressive and transcendent story than the one we all know. So, we started involving female character”.
The shooting: How long did it last and who supported you?
Despite not having the support of EFICINE, producer Julissa Pacheco encouraged us and, with the commitment of the entire team and the vision of a group of investors, we began production in December 2022 and finished filming in 26 days on location in Tlaxcala and Puebla.
And music? Let’s talk about this aspect that is the protagonist of all audiovisual content…
It was composed by Karim Bojalil with the interpretation of the Puebla State Symphony Orchestra, the BUAP Opera Choir, the Esperanza Azteca Children’s Choir and the School Center Marching Band. In addition, Aleks Syntek and Alex Lora collaborated on the main theme entitled “Somos Héroes“.
Is it an ANIMEX production or do you have partners? And who will do the distribution?
We partnered with LeGrand Films who provided all the equipment and technical knowledge; In post-production we have another great partner, Clan-D, led by Max Blasquez, with whom we worked on “La Leyenda de la Nahuala” in 2007. A great company, New Art, helps us in distribution. It has been a challenge, because making movies in Mexico is not easy, but it is not impossible.
The fictional film lasts 95 minutes, starring Plutarco Haza, Silverio Palacios, Ariel López Padilla, Gerardo Taracena and Mario Iván Martínez, together with young actors who have enormous strength on social networks with more than 20 million followers. It will be released independently with Pablo Velasco, Arnaiz’s partner, in movie theaters in Mexico with 400 copies in its first weekend. The next window is digital platforms.
With the support of the Federal Government, they are preparing the international launch with the Red Carpet at Chapultepec Castle on September 1 of this year. “By not being able to film in that historic location due to being rebuilt and remodeled after an incessant bombardment of more than 24 hours, we will be able to at least be part of this majestic place for our great international launch event” concluded Arnaiz.
THE STORY. Based on a true story that occurred on September 13, 1847. It is a fiction of suspense and action. A group of students from a military academy decide to stay to defend their school from an invading army. Faced with a merciless hunt, they had not considered the fear they would live and now the only hope will be to highlight their courage and unite their talents to get out alive.
Ricardo Arnaiz was born in Monterrey but established his production company in Puebla (Mexico). Among the productions throughout his brilliant career are his first creation for TV, “Roncho” (2002) broadcast by the Locomotion channel and sold to more than 10 countries “La Leyenda de la Nahuala” and has been director, producer, and writer of 12 animated and fiction feature films, 10 projects for TV series and streaming; as well as three children’s plays.
Redacción TVMAS