gael garcia bernal

Greetings from Berlin! I’m here with Latina contributing editor Smriti Mundhra for the 60th Berlin International Film Festival, where we’ve seen a bunch of great movies from Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Spain, and beyond. A lot of these movies are having their world premieres here, which means that the crew and actors have all traveled long distances to present their art. And if you’ve ever been to Berlin, you know this place knows a little somethin’ somethin’ about great art.

If there’s a face I don’t get tired of looking at, it’s Gael Garcia Bernal’s. So he’s super short, but he’s also wicked smart and an incredibly gifted actor. And now he’s become a key behind-the-scenes player in Latin American cinema with his own company Canana, which produces and distributes smaller-scale films by emerging filmmakers. Gael founded Canana in 2005 with his friends Pablo Cruz and Diego Luna. Now there’s someone who understands the concept of longevity and making a contribution to the arts that doesn’t revolve around ego.

I have only one thing to say today: it’s Cinco de Mayo and you should be somewhere downing a pitcher of that magical drink known as la margarita. After you stumble home, download the Rudo y Cursi soundtrack, which is out today on iTunes (the physical release is June 9th).