Rodrigo Garcia’s first Netflix series “Santita” will be dropped on April 22nd

Rodrigo Garcia’s first Netflix series, Santita, will conclude on April 22nd, and Variety has shared exclusive first look photos, including behind-the-scenes shots with the Emmy-nominated director.

“Santita” is about María José Cano, also known as Santita, who abandons the love of her life at the altar after a car accident leaves her in a wheelchair. When he unexpectedly reappears 20 years later, she is forced to confront her past. Despite her less noble nature, the story of María José, nicknamed Santita (Little Saint), unfolds as a sinisterly irreverent and unconventional love story.

Paulina Dávila stars opposite Gael García Bernal in this emotional drama produced by Panorama Entertainment. The film also stars Ilse Salas (Good Girls) as Bernal’s wife and Eric Heiser (Ingobernable) as Davila’s co-worker/lover.

The story, set in Tijuana, revolves around this flawed but deeply human character who “moves through the world like everyone else, no matter his disability,” Garcia told Variety.

It was precisely Santita’s provocative character that drew him to the project. In addition to being a talented doctor, he plays poker, bets on cockfights, and longs for a better sex life. “She is someone who is not only successful professionally despite her disability, but also has a pretty free and wild personal life that we wouldn’t expect from someone like this,” Garcia said.

The seven-episode series was written and produced by Luis Camara (You’re Killing Me, Susana) and Gabriel Galanter (Steel Trap).

“We did a lot of research to make it as grounded and real as possible, especially regarding Santita’s sex life. This woman hasn’t had an orgasm in nearly 20 years because of her disability, but she knows that there are women with similar injuries who can, so she’s been looking for that,” Garcia said.

He said that during the writing and pre-production stages, he relied heavily on insights from people in the community, especially women who are dedicated to advocating for the rights of individuals with various disabilities. She emphasized the diversity within the community and emphasized that no two experiences are the same.

They had to cast a wide net to find the actress to play Santita, and while there were several actresses who fit the bill, Davila was the closest to the character they wanted to play.

When he saw many of Mexico’s best actresses during the casting process, he realized that casting was about more than just acting skills. Everyone is so talented, so it was important to find someone who embodies the Santita they envisioned.

“I thought Paulina was wonderful. She’s a very good actress and she brings a lot of complexity and fun. She’s someone you can forgive even for her bad behavior because she has so much charm.”

“Gael was always kind of my first choice because he’s such a good actor, he’s so charismatic, he’s got such a great sense of humor,” he mused, although Bernal and Dávila were friends but had never worked together.

“You always look forward to chemistry,” he noted. Fortunately, the chemistry was clear from the first scene shot in the hospital cafeteria. “It also helps that we’re both beautiful.”

Garcia’s body of work includes such notable pictures as “Nine Lives” (2005), “Mother and Child” (2009), “Albert Nobbs” (2011), and her 2000 directorial debut, “You Can Tell Me Just by Looking at Her,” which won the “Un Certain Regard” Award at the Cannes Film Festival and the NHK Award at the Sundance Film Festival.

He also worked on acclaimed series such as In Treatment (2008), Big Love (2006), Six Feet Under (2001), The Sopranos (1999), and The Affair (2014).

He will next executive produce and direct four of the eight episodes of Toronto’s FX limited series Cry Wolf, created by Sarah Treem (The Affair) and starring Oscar winners Olivia Colman and Brie Larson. He is also an executive producer on Netflix’s epic “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” based on his father Gabriel García Márquez’s seminal novel, which will conclude its second and final season in August.

Panorama founders Gerardo Gatica and Leandro Halperin, along with Garcia, Cámara and Galantel, served as executive producers on “Santita.”