In recent years, few Mexican films have dared to approach military themes. Whether due to ignorance of the subject, fear of censorship, or simply because its potential is not known, the training of the Armed Forces in Mexico has gone almost unnoticed in Mexican cinema. That’s about to change with Heroic, a film by David Zonana that has raised all kinds of conversations around its complex content and the supposed true story on which it is based. Did everything you see on the screen really happen?
Heroic tells the story of Luis, a Mexican teenager who enters the Heroic Military School. There he is subjected physically and psychologically until he is molded by the system and transformed into a perfect soldier. However, in his journey through the Heroic Military College, Luis will be a victim and perpetrator of situations that will put his physical and mental health to the limit in a context where violence in military institutions exceeds any limit.
There are many anecdotes about the Heroic Military College. If you have someone you know who is currently studying there, or who has trained at its facilities, you will surely know more than one. That was the basis for creating Heroic. Luis’s story does not have a first and last name in real life. However, it does draw on stories that happened to more than one cadet. The horrors that they experienced inside the Heroic Military College are what gives life to the film. In a nutshell, Heroic It is not based only on one true story, but on many.
To nourish the script of this Mexican drama, The production sought out former cadets and other service providers of the institution. The filmmakers knew that it was useless to touch on such a complex topic if the truth was not spoken. Physical and psychological abuse were some of the topics that were most frequently presented in the talks. However, Homoerotic elements, rapes, crimes, and even torture also came to light. Obviously, many did not want to talk about those topics.
“I was not surprised to find this secrecy, which is why it was important to talk to people who have been in different areas of the armed forces. It helped us that most of the actors are also former cadets because they contributed a lot to the project. I dealt with very sensitive, open and collaborative people. Unlike what one might imagine, dealing with tough and heartless military types, I met people of impressive human quality, as well as creative talent,” said David Zonana for The Economist.
Beyond criticizing the training of the Mexican Armed Forces, Heroic seeks to show more than one true story to generate reflection on the film. The exposition of the events will allow each viewer to generate their own interpretation. Although the background allows it, there will be no apology for violence or sensationalism. An important point to highlight, as you mentioned director, is that several members of the cast were part of the Heroic Military College; The intention was to make each performance feel as real as possible. Santiago Sandoval, who plays Luis, is a former cadet of the Colegio del Aire.
“I wanted to put the story on the point of who are the young people who are in charge of our security. That they do many things well, but others have violated the rights of civilians, they have executed, they have disappeared. For me it was important to understand where they come from, why they enter the Military College and what their needs are. Also how they psychologically transform from being innocent young men in search of providing for their family, to men who are capable of killing and blindly obeying.“Zonana added to GQ.
If you want to have a better perspective of military training in Mexico, and reflect on all the aspects that this entails, Heroic It is now available in theaters in Mexico. The film reached more than 500 theaters throughout the country thanks to Cinépolis Distribución.
Juan Jose Cruz I am one of those who always defended Robert Pattinson as Batman and can see the same movie in the cinema up to 7 times. My guilty taste? Low-budget horror films.