Arturo Hilario
El Observador
In a Mexican border town plagued by corruption and violence, a teacher arrives with radical new methods to help children learn by harnessing their curiosity and developing their potential.
Based on the incredible true events of a sixth grade class at José Urbina López Elementary School in Matamoros, Mexico, the film Radical follows the new teacher Sergio Juárez Correa, played by the beloved Mexican actor and comedian Eugenio Derbez, who arrives at a dilapidated and underfunded school with a class of students who have little interest in learning due to the boring curriculum and the disorder in their home lives.
Juárez begins instructing children in innovative ways to unleash their potential and takes the school from one of the lowest-performing schools in the country to one of the academically strongest in one year.
In Mexico, Radical was the highest-grossing local theatrical release since the pandemic, and in the United States it was the highest-grossing Spanish-language film since 2019.
We recently had the opportunity to speak not only with the real Sergio Juárez, but also with his film counterpart Eugenio Derbez and three of the film’s young stars, Jennifer Trejo, Mía Fernanda Solís and Danilo Guardiola, who play the students Paloma, Lupe and Nico respectively.
In the interview, Derbez talks about the making of the film, the young actors discuss who they see as their own version of Juárez in their lives, and Juárez lays out his hopes that the film will inspire others in the pursuit of their dreams.
Radical is now streaming exclusively on ViX.
To start off, I wanted to ask Eugenio, since you are already on the other side of the film’s release and it has gained praise and positive reaction, how do you feel about how it came out?
Eugenio Derbez
Very happy, eh? Because the truth is that I didn’t expect such a positive reaction. One is always afraid. The truth is, I must be very honest. You never know if it’s going to connect with people. You never know if critics are going to like it. You never know if it’s going to be successful at the box office. And the truth is that it exceeded all of our expectations.
I continue trying to send that message to my students, that they believe that everything is possible, believe in their dreams, believe that they can achieve many things, so that they do not stay stagnant. So that they believe in their potential.
– Sergio Juárez
I think it is one of the films I have made that has had the best rating from critics, but it has also had a very good ticket desk, a very good box office and that is difficult to achieve, eh? It is a film that triumphed at festivals, received six awards at six different festivals, and also did very well at the box office and that is very difficult for a film to navigate so well in these two worlds, both in art cinema and in commercial cinema.
Sergio, for you, what was the experience of seeing your story, and the story of your students, on the big screen?
Sergio Juárez
Look, it really was a very exciting experience, because it is truly an adventure. For example, being in the moments in which the story was recorded, um, living with Eugenio, his humor, his characteristic aspects, I think it is still something I never imagined for me. And I continue trying to send that message to my students, that they believe that everything is possible, believe in their dreams, believe that they can achieve many things, so that they do not stay stagnant. So that they believe in their potential.
Jennifer, Mia, and Danilo. Now that the film has been released, what has been the experience of working on it?
Mia Fernanda Solis
Well, I think it’s like a dream come true, because since I was little I always dreamed of being in a movie, being on a red carpet. I was very excited because I saw all the people with their lights, lamps, videos and I always dreamed of being in an auditorium there and presenting a film that carries such a beautiful message. It’s very beautiful and very, very exciting.
Danilo Guardiola
Honestly, it feels incredible. It is a very nice experience. And seeing myself, for example, on the big screen, I looked at myself and said, “it can’t be that that’s me!” It was very exciting. And also on the red carpet, for example, when we were leaving after seeing the movie, we were walking, I was walking normally when they shouted “Nico!”, I turned around subsequently. It was, very nice, very incredible indeed.
Jennifer Trejo
I feel that it is something very beautiful and more than anything the reaction of the people when they saw Radical at the premiere, which was here in Mexico, I remember perfectly when we were before passing the carpet, being together with Danilo and being like that, all nervous that we were seeing actors that we saw or continue to see on the screen whom in our lives we could not imagine knowing and that they were there and that they knew who we were. I feel that it is something very nice that I take away from all this that is happening to us.
This film highlights educational inequality, which is something that is obviously seen in the film in Mexico, but all over the world there are these problems. Why do you think it is important that a film like this exists to draw attention to these problems and perhaps give a little bit of a possible solution?
Sergio Juárez
Consider that it is a story that is universal, just as you mention, that can reach many places and can inspire. As long as there is the will to do something, in this case the will shown by the teacher and the students who are excited about what they are doing is how they manage to get ahead.
Even despite obstacles such as crime, poverty, um, without resources, because there were not enough resources either. Just by interacting with them, how could they achieve things? So it is a story that will reach many places and that will inspire them. I think that is the essential part for me, because it brings humor, it brings situations that sometimes touch sensitive chords, but at the same time it helps you overcome those obstacles in the best way. So that’s what the story shows us.
Eugenio Derbez
I agree with Sergio, what he says is a story that inspires many teachers around the world, not just in Mexico, and many children understand that it is possible, despite having shortcomings, despite not having resources, despite the fact that there is so much violence in the world, you can get ahead whenever you are willing to.
And that was Sergio’s focus and the film too, because we wanted to do it just like Sergio. It is not about criticizing, pointing out, dividing, it is about adding, making proposals and saying well, if there are deficiencies, the educational system is not that good, but with the desire to move forward and searching with ingenuity and creativity. Like Sergio did. The children can be brought forward.
I wanted to ask the three boys if there is a person or people in their lives that remind them of the type of person Sergio is and his approach to teachings and life.
Mia Fernanda Solis
My math teacher reminds me a lot of Sergio because he is also very interactive and makes classes more fun and then I like learning more.
Danilo Guardiola
I think that in my life those who are most similar to Sergio could be, for example, my arts and English teacher, who are quite funny, they know how to teach you the topics in a fun way and so on. And I think that the one who most influences my life and well, it’s daily, is my dad, I learn a lot from him and I think he is the closest thing I have to Sergio.
Jennifer Trejo
Also for me my parents are like my Sergio. And I even have two teachers at school, chemistry and history, who are like Sergio. They teach us in different ways and in fact those are my two favorite classes. And I have also always said that, like Sergio, he changed Paloma’s life, Eugenio changed my life. So I feel like Sergio has been like this great inspiration that I’ve had to find someone like him.
Eugenio, what was it like to play this character of Sergio and be able to have Sergio so close and be able to talk to him and get his opinion on things?
Eugenio Derbez
It’s good and bad. It was hard because every time you play someone, you have to make your research. It’s complicated. It’s not easy. But when you play someone who’s still alive, it’s not only hard but very intimidating. That’s the risk. It’s a challenge. Knowing that the person is alive and he will see you and your work, you feel watched, you feel judged.
But on the other hand, the good part is that I had the chance to ask Sergio, to tell him ‘all right, how was your technique, how were you with the kids, your relationship with them, how was your interaction with the kids?’
Sergio visited us on set. He went to check everything was in order, and I asked him continuously, ‘hey, am I telling this the right way? I don’t want to exaggerate, but also don’t want to be short’, so having his guidance and his voice, having him close to tell us how to tell the story was very important to us.
Sergio Juárez
I’d also like to mention my experience with Mr. Eugenio. First thing, I thought I wanted to take a picture with him. But no, my experience was very cool because I got to meet him. I grew up with him, with his characters. So for me that was a very cool experience that still motivates me today when people ask me ‘hey, how does it feel to know Eugenio Derbez?’ So I say ‘that to me, is already a win’.
And last question. Thank you very much Eugenio, Sergio, Jennifer, Nico and Mia. Why would you recommend people to watch Radical and what do you want them to take from the movie?
Danilo Guardiola
Well, I highly recommend people to watch Radical because it’s a pretty inspiring film, with a beautiful message about discovering your potential and about hope. It’s just a movie that you can’t miss. It’s very emotional and moving, like a rollercoaster of emotions and so on. Super recommended.
Jennifer Trejo
Yes, I also feel like we have this great opportunity us three as Mexicans to raise our voice, the opportunity to communicate the message inside Radical and not only for the youth, which are very important, but also for the older people.
Mia Fernanda Solis
Yes, as they say, it will touch your heart, it will make you laugh, it will also make you cry, it will let you know you have potential.
Sergio Juárez
Look there are so many thing people can take away from this movie. To begin with, things regardless of how difficult they are, you have to take them with humor. You also have to try, even when everything seems impossible or that everything seems to be an obstacle. You have to dream that it is possible.
Perseverance is another thing they can get to learn. It’s something you can see in the characters and in the story, even when they see that this happens, that happens, they keep believing it’s possible. And that’s what the people will take, a very moving story that will inspire them and could be useful for all kind of situations, not just educational, but also for any hard situation that they are currently living. Knowing that you can and you have the potential to succeed.
Eugenio Derbez
Yes, it’s a story that you will have fun with. It’s a fun story. People laugh, cry, and get mad. It has all kind of emotions. The fact that it has won six awards as the favorite film on six festivals, the fact that it made the gross it made, which is the most grossing Mexican film since the pandemic, says that it connected very well to the people and the good mouth to mouth recommendation. So I think this is a movie that inspires, entertains, moves your heart, it has it all, so you can’t miss it. You can watch it in your home starting on January 26th through VIX platform.
