10/01/2022 - Topping the bill of this tragicomic road movie are Mexico’s Regina Blandón, Aislinn Derbez and Michelle Rodríguez, and Spaniards Manu Vega, Paco Tous, Estefanía de los Santos and Enrique Villén

The cast and crew of Con los años que me quedan by Frank Ariza (© Jorge Alvariño)

Originally from Cadiz but now based in Los Angeles, Frank Ariza (Perdóname Señor, Los nuestros 2, State Secrets), one of the busiest showrunners in Spanish-language TV fiction in the USA and Mexico, has already directed the feature ¡Ay, mi madre! [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (released on Netflix). However, in the autumn, he wrapped principal photography on Con los años que me quedan [+see also:
trailer
film profile], a film that is now in post-production and will see the light of day later this year.

With a screenplay penned by Ariza himself, the feature is a tragicomic road movie toplined by Mexican actress and singer Regina Blandón (The Mystery of Trinidad, La familia P. Luche, Como novio de pueblo) and Spanish thesp Manu Vega (El juego de las llaves, Lobo Feroz). Flanking them in the main cast are actress and model Aislinn Derbez and comedy queen Michelle Rodríguez (40 y 20) as well as Paco Tous (Hombre muerto no sabe vivir [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and Estefanía de Los Santos (seen recently in Ama [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Sevillanas de Brooklyn [+see also:
trailer
film profile], and who also popped up in Ariza’s feature debut), with Enrique Villén (La pequeña Suiza [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and Antonia San Juan (whom we saw not long ago in The Phantom of the Sauna [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) putting in special appearances.

Shot in Madrid, Almeria and Los Angeles, the movie was lensed by DoP Javier Salmones, who pulls off a painstaking feat of lighting and colour, on the basis of a remarkable storyboard conceived by the director of this road movie that takes in myriad settings and situations, and uses numerous flashbacks.

The storyline introduces us to Macarena, who grew up in a modest family that decided to emigrate to the USA when she was five years old. The teenage years of this charismatic, strong-willed girl with an attitude were somewhat complicated, but an unexpected turn managed to help her focus and find her feet: she decided to study Law. And Diana, a policewoman whom she meets during an internship, becomes the love of her life. Everything seems to be going as she had always dreamed it would, but her father triggers a sudden change in her life: Paco falls in love with a prostitute whom he gets pregnant, causing his family to descend into a complex spiral, both financially and emotionally. In order to move forward, Macarena agrees to act as a mule and transport goods from Los Angeles to Mexico. To do so, she goes online and books a car-sharing trip with Louis, the peculiar young “owner” of the vehicle.

Con los años que me quedan is being produced by Álvaro Ariza, of Esto también Pasará (The House of Snails [+see also:
trailer
film profile], El Refugio [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and Si No Pasa AIE, in co-production with SDB Films (Mexico) and Glow (Spain), and in association with Mexico’s Grupo Expansión. The executive producer is María Luisa Gutiérrez, of Bowfinger International Pictures. The movie will be distributed in Spain by A Contracorriente Films.

(Translated from Spanish)