by Jonathan Farrell
A film made in 11 days is unheard of in Hollywood. But for producer and actress Vicky Contreras it was something she was able to do with the help of many. Even more amazing is that the screenplay was conceived and written by a 57-year-old retired truck driver while he was undergoing cancer treatments.
“I never was an actor and I know nothing of film. The movie is based upon my life and what I want to express in my heart, said Mario Herrera.
Originally from Nicaragua, Herrera came to the United States over 35 years ago. He now lives in the SF East Bay, near Hercules.
In 2012 he was diagnosed with colon cancer. He told El Reportero “in the midst of a nightmare of radiation/chemo treatments, I had an idea for a story.”
Herrera mentioned that it came in segments, bits and pieces. He persisted amid difficulties due to treatments.
As a truck driver he has seen a lot of the United States driving back and forth. My wife and I wanted to live in a peaceful place that had no noise and was not crowded.”
The movie El Buen Parricida, which was scheduled to be release to he public on march 19, will be out in April. The film expresses the desire he always had to be able to live in a quite, peaceful, beautiful place with only him and his wife and their family. “El Buen Parricida, while based on my life, it has aspects that are fiction. Yet those (fictional) parts simply are there to be an expression of what I feel and believe.”
Herrera is very strong in his feelings and beliefs about marriage and family. He believes that marriage is a powerful union and the promises made between a couple and God is something not to be fooled around with.
El Buen Parricida was the opening film for The Broadway International Film Festival Ensenada, Mexico, this past Feb 27 to March 1.
Even more amazing for Herrera was the fact that “everything came together; Vicky was amazing,” he said. Herrera considers it all miraculous.
Initially approaching people, knocking on a lot of doors was not easy. Yet when one door opened another opened and behind it was Vicky Contreras. A native of Michoacán, México, Contreras has made the SF Bay Area her home. She is among the most prolific film producers in Spanish-speaking cinema today.
“At first Vicky was too busy,” he said. “But as I explained the story to her, she kept asking me to tell her a bit more.”
Even when El Reportero contacted the actress/producer, Contreras said she was in the midst of filming (another project). But that she was very happy to have completed the project for Herrera.
“All Vicky asked me to do was feed the actors and the crews, he said, and help with transportation.”
One of Herrera’s sons, Mario Herrera Jr. noted, “my dad had some difficult days as he was still going through chemo during filming. He was up early in the morning and made sure everyone in the cast crew got to where they needed to be and that everyone was fed.”
“I am very proud of my dad,” said Mario Jr. “It took about a month or two for my dad to write a draft. “Everything happened through Vicky and her many connections. Everyone she knew made it happen. They all rallied around the cause.”
Herrera is eager to carry on to see the film promoted further. “Hopefully in about a month or two a version of the film with English subtitles will be released,” he said. “I hope to continue because I have another script.”
While Mario Jr. will do what he can to help his father, he is realistic. “My dad is now at stage four of his cancer.” Herrera has ‘another round’ of treatments. “I hope and pray to be in remission again. I really want to complete this work. I hope Vicky will work with me on the next script I have. I want to work with her, he said because she opens doors. Vicky is amazing.”
Produced and promoted by Ella Films Productions, for more information about El Buen Parricida visit Vicky Contreras’ page on Facebook.
— Nota del editor: En especial reconocimiento a Emma Alfaro, directora del programa radial en San Francisco, Sol y Luna, quien fue el puente para que Mario Herrera lograra conocer a la productora de la película, Vicky Contreras, y que ella luego se interesara en producir la película.
– Note of the editor: Especially recognition to Emma Alfaro, director of the radio program in San Francisco, Sol y Luna, who was the bridge for Mario Herrera to meet the producer of the movie, Vicky Contreras, and that she then was interested in producing the movie.
