In the world of Mexican wrestling, particularly in the eighties, wrestlers or “luchadores” traditionally dressed in drag and portrayed gay caricatures. As a result, they were often the butt of jokes and were not allowed to win matches. That all changed when Saul Armendariz, known as “Cassandro”, charmed crowds and won matches across Mexico and South Texas. His story is told in the upcoming film Cassandro, which just released its first trailer ahead of its forthcoming one-week theatrical engagement.
Gael Garcia Bernal plays the titular character, a man from El Paso that not only finds his career in Lucha Libre, but finds acceptance and pride in his own life. The trailer showcases some of Cassandro’s stage exuberance, and some of the challenges he faced off stage.
Directed by Academy Award winner Roger Ross Williams, Cassandro is written by Williams and David Teague and co-stars Roberta Colindrez, Perla De La Rosa, Joaquin Cosio, and Raul Castillo. Originally debuting last January at the Sundance Film Festival, Cassandro will make its way to select theaters on September 15 before hitting Prime Video on September 22.
