Cristian Mercado Cristian Mercado’s guerrilla

This movie has generated some controversy because of the way it portrays a political symbol as important as Che Guevara. What did it mean for you to play Inti Peredo, Che’s most beloved guerrilla man? The first thing Soderbergh told us was that we were lucky to do a story bigger than ourselves. As a Bolivian actor, I think it was an amazing experience to participate in a film so honest with Che´s story. It was quite a challenge to embody Inti Peredo, perhaps one of the few who understood the concept of Che’s revolution. A revolution that is a life attitude. I began investigating Inti Peredo´s life and I discovered that in the guerrilla’s reports, Che always spoke fondly of Inti.

Che: El Argentino, the first part of Soderbergh’s film, is a portrait that takes some distance with the image of Che in Latin America. Do you think this film seeks to reinforce even more the myth of Ernesto Che Guevara? In Bolivia, one wonders about Che from childhood. I grew up with the image of Che on the walls of my house. Today, his image is widely used; for example, rock bands like Rage Against the Machine have popularized [it]. In that sense, yes, Che is a popular myth, like superman. People say that this film agrees with Fidel Castro´s ideology. I disagree with this opinion. Steven Soderbergh is an American who makes movies. He’s a smart man who loves his job. A man who portrayed the ordinary Ernesto Guevara. What I love about this film is that it does not insist on exploiting Che´s image.

What role does this movie play in your international career as a movie actor? This movie was a lucky strike. Working with a director like Steven Soderbergh opens the doors of the world. I learned a lot in this film. The movie gave me the opportunity to continue working outside Bolivia. In 2008, the Peruvian director Javier Fuentes-León chose me to star in Contracorriente. It has just been presented at the San Sebastian Film Festival.

Mary Carmen Molina Ergueta