Mexico’s Barbara Mori and Peru’s Christian Meier and helmer-scribe Ricardo de Montreuil are reuniting for culinary drama “Mistura,” some 17 years after their 2005 box office hit “La Mujer de Mi Hermano” (“My Brother’s Wife”).
Joining them are Magaly Solier, best known for her lead role in Peru’s Oscar-nominated and 2009 Berlinale Golden Bear winner, “The Milk of Sorrow.”
“Mistura,” which means mixture or blend, takes place in 1960s Peru where Mori plays Norma who, after being ditched by her husband (played by Meier), must face the scorn of Lima’s elitist high society. She reinvents herself by teaming up with people from the communities she previously ignored to launch a restaurant that helps her rediscover Peru, its cultural diversity and its spectacular cuisine.
Peru’s gastronomy has always been a huge draw for culinary enthusiasts and serious food critics. Three Lima restaurants made the cut in the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, with chef Virgilio Martinez’s Central ranking number two. The winning combination of “Mistura’s” popular cast and Peruvian cuisine could only raise the drama’s international appeal.
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Meier (Fox’s “El General Naranjo”) also reunites with his “Magallanes” co-star Solier, who plays Norma’s Andean home cook. Marco Zunino, whose credits include “Chicago,” “West Side Story,” “Rent,” “Cabaret” and Javier Fuentes-Leon’s “Las mejores familias,” takes on the role of a legendary TV host.
“Mistura” is produced by Peru’s Ivan Orlic, founder of Seine Pictures, which produced biopic “Pele: Birth of a Legend,” “Larry Flynt for President” and comedy “The Space Between,” starring Kelsey Grammer and released by Paramount Pictures in 2021.
Seine Pictures’ most recent production, “Eating our Way to Extinction” is narrated by Academy Award winner Kate Winslet, and is also the recent recipient of the best documentary feature award at the 2022 Environmental Media Awards.
Mori is best known for her career-launching role in global hit telenovela “Rubi,” among other shows. Aside from “La mujer de mi hermano,” which enjoyed a wide release in the U.S. by Lionsgate and Fox in Latin-America, Mori has starred in a number of films including “Dolor, amor y viceversa,” “Cometas” and “Cantinflas.”
She launched her production outfit, Lua Producciones, in 2012 and has since produced such films as “Alicia in Marialandia,” “Treinta soltera y fantástica” and the television series “Dos Lunas.”
Both Mori and Meier serve as executive producers on “Mistura.”
De Montreuil also directed the 2008 Sundance official selection “Mancora” and Universal Studios’ “Lowriders,” produced by Imagine Entertainment and Blumhouse. Most recently, he wrapped production on the pilot episode of Amazon’s newest drama, “Once Upon A Time in Aztlan,” from George Lopez. De Montreuil is represented by Brett Etre at Untitled.
DOP Karina Silva, who also served as 1st camera operator on the Disney+ Lucasfilm series “The Mandalorian” and was the 2016 recipient of the Emerging Cinematographer award for her work on “Doble 9,” is attached to film the drama, with principal photography slated for 2023.
