Gerardo Oñate spoke with life and style about this production and his acting career that is taking off after an important film released at the end of 2022.
Gerardo Oñate lived a good part of his life in Morelia and for a period in Guadalajara dedicated to the career he studied and with a stable office job. But everything changed when he refocused his life on acting and went through the Casazul salons and other workshops that led him to the movies.
“For a long time I was dedicated to work in Marketing in different companies, let’s say a life rather “Godinez”, but suddenly it was a commercial, then a short film that won an award at the Morelia Film Festival, until I found that I really wanted to continue doing this,” recalls Oñate on this journey of finding his own vocation.
The Mighty Victory It was the first film he starred in and a production in which he was accompanied by great figures of Mexican cinema such as Damián Alcazar, Edgar Vivar, Joaquín Cosío, Adal Ramones, Luis Félipe Tovar, Eduardo España, Roberto Sosa, among others.
“This project took a long time to be carried out, the reality is that it suffered, because I did the casting in 2018 and it was not until 2019 when it could start. Suddenly they tell me that I am “Durán”, the leading role and I have to prepare physically and be ready to record,” recalls Oñate.
The cast that makes up The Mighty Victory It was extremely powerful, in a project that used a historical argument and a script to stay upright due to the limited availability of official resources to carry it out.
“In a meal with the entire cast it was an impressive thing, more than 200 years of experience were added, there were 27 actors all with a great career, I felt a responsibility for this work,” said the actor from CDMX.
With locations in the state of Durango and Jalisco. This story narrates the events of 1936 when the local mine in Jalisco closes and the future of the town is threatened. “Durán”, a young machinist, must choose between giving up his dreams and the love of his life or embarking on the adventure of build a steam train with the help of an unusual group of townspeople.
“The filming lasted two months, but in these four years living with the other actors in the cast has made me grow and learn from great figures in the show,” said the 36-year-old actor.
Although there are two actors who have stood out in recent months for their conflicting political positions such as Joaquín Cosío and Damián Alcazarwho both have different visions of the government’s work in supporting the arts, artistic production and the management of the country, lived together at the table with Gerardo Oñate.
“The reality is that all the colleagues were very cordial, and as it is in a family, neither politics, soccer or religion are discussed at the table. Very possibly at that time the positions were not so far apart“, recalls Oñate.
This stands out since the film directed by Raúl Ramón took 10 years to be made, due to the lack of incentives for its production.
“Cinema will survive any regime, despite how adverse it may seem. Although I share the idea that Guillermo del Toro has commented, that cinema should be self-sustaining, unfortunately at this time in Mexico it is not possible to speak of a resolved film industry“, reflects the actor.
The film that is still in movie theaters in the country has a message that is important to Gerardo Oñate, who is experiencing a moment of great passion for the creation of new content.
“There is an important element that has The Mighty VictoryIt is not a movie about violence, drug trafficking, gender discussion or something that confronts, it is believing in your country, in your people and that together we can do great things. Starting a train in 1936 was as complicated as it is now to produce a film, however we continue to do it,” said the actor.
Production in Mexico is often related to the intention of reaching festivals and with a cruder denunciation, although there is a lack of attention to narratives that include the family in a constructive way.
“All discussions are valid, but from time to time it is worth going to the cinema that makes us feel good and leaves us with a positive conversation,” he concluded.