Based on the best-selling novel by Rodolfo Anaya, Bless Me, Ultima, tells the story of Antonio Márez, a six-year-old boy who is growing up in New Mexico during World War II. The chaotic times and circumstances that surround him bring questions about life and spirituality. When the elderly curandera, Ultima, arrives into his world they have an immediate connection and she becomes his mentor. Even though he is a child, he struggles between the strict catholic doctrine taught by his parents and the ancestral wisdom of nature represented by Ultima’s knowledge of folk magic.

The production team got Carl Franklin on board, to direct and adapt the film. “I think Carl is a very spiritual man and he thinks profoundly. He was the perfect choice to write and direct this movie” says producer, Mark Johnson. On the process of directing this literary classic, Franklin explains, “there are challenges in adapting a novel. In a novel the conflicts are within the characters and in film it is between the characters.  So, trying to find a way to visualize those very internal themes is always hard.”

Bless me, Ultima exists in a multifaceted universe that goes back and forth between the divine and the mundane. The characters that make this story are portrayed by a diverse group of actors, which come from very different acting backgrounds. For the role of Antonio Márez it was important to find a young actor who could take the challenge of embodying such a complex character. After a long search Luke Ganalon got cast in the part, achieving with his performance Antonio’s innocence and solemnity. Veteran actor Miriam Colón portrays Ultima. Colón exudes wisdom and a great understanding of life, as does her character. Dolores Heredia and Benito Martinez are María Luna and Gabriel Márez, Antonio’s parents. Castulo Guerra, Joaquin Cosio and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo are also part of this ensemble that, in the words of Martínez and Ganalon, “were like a real family.”

This tempestuous coming of age story is a very important part of the Chicano literary tradition. Since its publication it has been widely read and has become a critically acclaimed classic. Finally Anaya’s 1972 controversial book finds its way to the big screen. The movie Bless Me, Ultima brings to the table the complexities of Chicano culture in a turbulent era and at the same time explores universal issues such as: family, life and death, good and evil, fear to the unknown and war among others.  The vast landscapes of New Mexico set the perfect scenario for this magical coming of age journey through the contradiction of human spirituality.

Bless Me, Ultima opens nationwide in theaters tomorrow, Feb. 22.