Omar Chaparro (left) stars with Mercedes Hernández and Max Arciniega in “The Wingwalker.”
Chicago Latino Film Festival
Better known for doing comedy live and on television and film, Omar Chaparro shows us a different side as an actor and producer in “The Wingwalker,” the film opening the 40th edition of the International Chicago Latino Film Festival.
Along with Max Arciniega, a Mexican American actor from Chicago and member of the Teatro Vista Ensemble — who co-wrote and is co-executive producer of “The Wingwalker” — Chaparro delves into an emotional journey that has as its main axis a story of migration, family and painfully real situations, but also moments full of hope.
“I always say that the miracles in your life begin where your comfort zone ends, and for me this project is just that,” Chaparro said in an interview with La Voz Chicago.
Directed by Alfonso Álvarez Barreda, the film tells the story of Julián (Chaparro), a widowed father of Mexican origin who has lived in the United States all his life without knowing that his identity hides a secret.
He has dedicated himself to being the caregiver of his daughter Sofía (London Garza), after she was diagnosed with a terminal heart disease and is waiting to receive a heart transplant.
As the date of the procedure approaches, a minor crime lands Julián in jail and then deported to Mexico.
Experiencing firsthand the problems of migrants trying to cross the border, this father will risk his life to achieve the goal of returning to his daughter so that she can have her surgery.
The characters he meets along the way demonstrate human malice, but also goodness despite adversity. “The Wingwalker” shows yet another story of the harsh reality of immigration, something that is often associated more with numbers than with human stories.
“This is one of thousands of stories that happen every day of families that are separated from their loved ones and just like [they] encounter people without empathy and without scruples, there is the other side, like the roles played by Mercedes Hernández or Max, people who are willing to help,” explained the actor.
Filming began more than two years ago, and at Thursday’s screening, “The Wingwalker” will be shown to the public for the first time. It’s one of nearly 50 films screening at the festival, continuing through April 21.
Originally from the Mexican state of Chihuahua, Chaparro began his career on Televisa doing comedy programs and make his film debut in “Puños rosas” (2004). He now has more than 30 titles in his filmography, both as an actor and as a voice performer in films such as “Kung Fu Panda” and “Detective Pikachu.”
“The Wingwalker” shows his talent for telling other types of stories beyond commercial comedies like “No manches Frida” (1 and 2) and “¿Y cómo es él?”
To play Julián in “The Wingwalker,” he had to put on weight, and he confessed that he even became depressed when making the film because of the emotional burden that the story represented for him.
“These types of characters force you to go deeper — in my case, to put Omar Chaparro in a box and let the new character come to life and make his own decisions. Lending your life to a character like that is a leap into the void because you don’t know what the result will be,” he explained.
For six years, Chaparro has lived in the United States, something that he acknowledged gives him another perception of what Latinos experience in this country..
Others who appear in the cast are Mexican actors Gustavo Sánchez Parra (“Amores Perros”), Jesús Ochoa (“Asesino en serio”) and Julio Bracho.
“The Wingwalker” will have two screenings at the Chicago Latino Film Festival. Chaparro is expected to attend both, along with Barreda and Arciniega.
Tickets for the screening on opening night are already sold out. The second showing will be at 7 p.m. April 13 at Landmark’s Century Center Cinema, 2828 N. Clark St.