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With its artful exploration of the power of real love, the new movie Bella is poised to win over audiences

by: Patrick Scalisi for the July issue of Columbia magazine

Eduardo Verástegui, Leo Severino and Alejandro Monteverde have a plan. And if everything goes according to script, come Aug. 15’s feast of the Assumption, the movie actor, producer and director, respectively, will offer a prayer of thanks to Mary for her intercession on their labor of love, a film called Bella.

“Our mantra is what Mother Teresa said: ‘I didn’t come to be successful; I came to be faithful to God.’ And if success comes, it’s a blessing,” Severino said. All modesty aside, Bella seems primed for success.

The film took one of the top honors at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival and has connected with critics everywhere. With help from the Knights of Columbus, Bella may very well follow in the footsteps of  The Passion of the Christ and The Chronicles of Narnia to become the next big story in films that appeal to Catholics.

A Critical Darling

Bella’s promotional tagline reads, “One day can change your life forever” – a theme closely intertwined with the film’s plot. When his involvement in a tragic accident forces Jose (Verástegui) to abandon his burgeoning career as a soccer superstar, he begins work at his brother’s upscale Mexican restaurant in New York City.

Between befriending a pregnant young waitress and spats with his brother, Jose continually struggles with the accident that changed his life.

As a testament to the film’s connection with its audience, Bella nabbed the People’s Choice Award at last year’s Toronto Film Festival – often a barometer for future Oscar winners.

This, in turn, prompted attention from several major news outlets. FOX News called Bella “incredibly charming,” while CNN raved, “Powerful and moving…a true inspiration.”

Yet for all the accolades, Severino, age 34, is more concerned with other reactions: “We’re more interested in ‘living Oscars,’ people who are touched,  who are changed and impacted in a positive way from seeing the film.”

“Impact” is definitely the operative word. Bella isn’t a drama that sits on its laurels. Instead, the film tackles serious issues. About his character, Jose, Verástegui said, “The important thing is to have projects where Latinos have the opportunity to be heroes – not heroes like Superman or Batman or science-fiction heroes, but an everyday hero, a man who is loyal, who lives a life of integrity, a man who sacrifices everything for his wife, his family, his children.”

Jose, at least, is modeled on these words, a man who exemplifies these characteristics and more.

Two Conversions

Verástegui’s own career has taken a few life-changing turns. A former pop music star in his native Mexico, he traveled to the United States to pursue modeling and acting. Job offers followed, though not many that elevated him past the Hispanic stereotype.

“I was seduced by the entertainment industry,” he said. “At the end of the day, I realized I was chasing an illusion, a lie.”

Verástegui, 33, was in Los Angeles following his work in the 2003 film Chasing Papi when his conversion took place. He began reading the works of popular theologian Scott Hahn, attending Mass daily, and discerning a possible vocation to the priesthood.

It was at daily Mass that Verástegui met Severino, who himself was becoming dissatisfied with his job in the film industry. Though Hollywood might describe what happened next as a “celebrity melt-down” – Verástegui fired his staff while Severino quit his job – in reality, both young men experienced an awakening of their Catholic faith.

“I decided to be involved only in films that had the ability to touch people’s hearts, films that would elevate the dignity of Latinos in America and in the whole world,” Verástegui said.

Though focused primarily on Bella ’s impending release, Verástegui is hopeful about the future. Oneof his career goals is to make a film about the era of Church persecution in Mexico. He hopes to portray Blessed Miguel Pro, who was martyred in 1927. “The next film we have in mind is Life is Beautiful meets Braveheart of Mexico, centered around the life of Blessed Miguel Pro,” said Severino.

“If Bella does well, it would be much easier for us to go on with our mission and make bigger films.” As for the name of their film company, Metanoia Films, Severino explained that the term comes from the writings of St. Francis Assisi and literally means “change of heart,” especially a spiritual conversion.

Getting the Message Across

Much like The Passion of the Christ, Bella has relied on grassroots marketing to generate a favorful buzz prior to the film’s Aug. 15 release. Verástegui, Severino and Monteverde – self-identified as “the three amigos” – have been touring the United States, screening the film at colleges and for various groups, including the Knights of Columbus.

“We were inspired…by Pope JohnPaul II’s call for the new evangelization,” Severino said. “He told us to not be afraid to use the media to speak the truth.” And the truth, it seems, has a wide audience. Men enjoy the film as much as women, and Hispanics and non-Hispanics alike have flocked to the film’s prerelease screenings, sometimes by the thousands.

Many Latinos thank the film-makers personally after watching the movie. “By the time [Alejandro] and I got together to really dig out the script, we knew there were some issues we wanted to tackle. There’s also the social justice component – something about…how people are treated,” Severino said.

Verástegui echoes this sentiment: “For me, it is important to use the media to speak the truth.”

Knights Meet Hollywood

During a screening for Knights of Columbus leaders in New Haven last January, Verástegui met with Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson. Discussions ensued about Bella ’s marketing campaign, and a strategy involving Knights was developed.

Severino calls it “The Bella Movie Event.” Councils can prepurchase and resell tickets to screenings of Bella during its opening week. Ticket sales will fund the theater rental fees and add to the film’s opening week gross.

For an extra donation, movie patrons might receive promotional materials that range from signed posters to a behind-the-scenes DVD featurette.

“This basically came up in our discussion with the supreme knight,” Severino said. “We wanted to find a way to plan our distribution and involve international entities like the Knights.” (For more information, call the Supreme Council Communications Department at 203-752-4253.)

The results so far have been impressive. Severino estimates that 50,000 people have seen the film – not bad for a movie that hasn’t played yet at local theaters.

The three amigos hope this momentum continues from Aug. 15 and beyond. “We’ve seen that the evangelical community has a very organized, mobilized method to promote films they really like,” Severino said. “It’s a plan that we think is easily going to get all the different groups out there behind the film as a social event, as a recruitment tool, as a fund-raiser.”