After a successful launch at the Sundance Festival, we can finally enjoy the first trailer for Cassandro, the long-awaited biopic starring Gael García Bernal. Directed by Roger Ross Williams and co-written with David Teague, it is based on the life of Saul Armendriz, a gay wrestler from El Paso, Texas. The film depicts how Armendriz crosses the border to Ciudad Juárez to participate in wrestling, initially adopting the alias El Topo.
The plot takes a turn when he meets his new coach, Sabrina, who offers him to compete as a “foreigner”, marking his transformation into Cassandro and giving him increasing notoriety. Gael García Bernal brings this complex character to life, with Roberta Colindrez, Perla de la Rosa, Joaquin Cosio and Bad Bunny in supporting roles.
Marcelo Zarvos’ soundtrack includes anthems from the disco era, immersing the audience in that era. Following its world debut at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, the film will release on Amazon Prime Video on September 22. Critically, Cassandro has been a successful film, praised for its dynamic exploration of family relationships and its treatment of gay identity in a predominantly masochistic world, with Gael García receiving particular praise.