Among the activities in Laredo commemorating June as Gay Pride Month, the Laredo Film Society and the Drag Haus are hosting a June 13 screening of Cassandro, the 2023 Amazon Prime original in which Gael García Bernal charts the meteoric morph of gay amateur wrestler Saúl Armendáriz into an international wrestling star.
It is the true story of the 5’5” El Paso luchador/drag queen who once went by the name El Topo (The Mouse), but then catapulted himself to fame thanks to the rigors of a new trainer, Sabrina (Roberta Colindrez), who encouraged a name change and an image as an “exotico,” a wrestler in drag.
García Bernal’s portrayal of Cassandro, who became known as the Liberace of wrestling, is considered among the actor’s finest performances. The film is layered with depths of humanity.
Bad Bunny is in the cast of characters.
Doors open at 7 p.m. at the Laredo Film Society’s HQ (510 San Agustin Ave Suite B) for the 8 p.m. screening. A Q&A follows the film as does a drag performance.
