Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin has joined the cast and production team of “Man at Water,” the new film directed by Mexican Gael García Bernal. The news was revealed along with the release of the first official poster of the feature film.
The film, described as a dramatic comedy with surreal nuances, is co-written by García Bernal himself and produced under the label La Corriente del Golfo, a company he shares with Diego Luna. In the story, the Mexican director plays Camilo, a Cuban lifeguard whose life takes a drastic turn after rescuing Abel, a powerful businessman with political ambitions. From there, the protagonist becomes involved in an apparent life of dreams that will soon let him see his darkest side.
For his part, Ricky Martin plays Roby, an actor hired within the plot to play Camilo in a biographical film promoted by his wife. The character represents a special milestone for the artistic trajectory of the boricua, as it constitutes his first role interpreted entirely in Spanish in more than two decades.
Gael García Bernal confessed that he always thought about the interpreter for this role, although at first he considered it difficult to specify. “Ricky was one of those wonderful accidents. “It was the first person I imagined for the role, but it seemed to me to be such a dismal idea that I kept his name,” he said.
After calling him shortly before starting recordings in Mérida, Yucatán, Martin immediately accepted. Despite the fact that filming his character required a single day of work, his enthusiasm led him to join as an executive producer.
“To have the opportunity to work with Gael is always an honor. I’m incredibly proud to be part of Man at Water and this journey,” said the Puerto Rican singer. The international cast of the film is completed with prominent figures such as Natalia Oreiro, Esmeralda Pimentel, Débora Nascimento, Anna Díaz, Manuel García Rulfo and Jorge Salinas.
“Man at Water” will debut worldwide in the Venice Film Festival’s Spotlight section and subsequently perform at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). In addition, she is among the productions in competition to represent Mexico at the 99th edition of the Oscars.
