5 Minutes
Adriana Paz and Agustín Pardella have been cast to headline My Life With Him, a new Latin American biographical drama that reframes the early story of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara through the eyes of his first wife, Hilda Gadea. Produced by Uruguay's Salado and Argentina's Arboleda, the film adapts Gadea’s memoirs to tell a quieter, intimate history: the political formation of a revolutionary icon and the personal sacrifices that accompanied it.
Set in the turbulent 1950s, the screenplay focuses on the encounter between a young Ernesto — not yet the international symbol known as 'Che' — and Hilda Gadea, a Peruvian economist, activist and mother whose intellectual influence on him has often been overlooked. Rather than a conventional one-man biography, the film positions Hilda’s perspective at its center, exploring her political convictions, motherhood and the wrenching choice to either stay with her daughter or follow a revolution that demanded personal surrender.
Adriana Paz, celebrated for her lead performance in Emilia Pérez, will play Hilda. Paz brings a track record of emotionally textured work and a capacity for complex, character-driven roles. Opposite her, Agustín Pardella — whose recent turn in J.A. Bayona’s Society of the Snow garnered wide attention — will portray Ernesto Guevara. Their pairing signals an intent to balance intimate performance with historical weight.
Silvina Estévez, a director best known for documentaries like Años cortos, días eternos and Me gusta cuando hablas, is attached to direct her first feature narrative adaptation here. Estévez's documentary background suggests a measured, observational approach that could emphasize archival detail and the ethical ambiguities of political life. Producers have described the project as looking for international partners to expand its production scope and reach.
The decision to tell Guevara’s life from Hilda’s vantage point follows a growing trend in global cinema to revisit well-known historical narratives through sidelined voices — particularly women whose contributions have been minimized. Films such as Frida and Jackie reframed public icons by centering intimacies and domestic politics; My Life With Him appears poised to join that lineage while remaining rooted in Latin American social history.
Comparisons to earlier Che films are inevitable. Walter Salles’ The Motorcycle Diaries and Steven Soderbergh’s Che took different tonal routes: the former a youthful travelogue, the latter a partisan epic. This new film promises something more interior and relational; it is less about battlegrounds than about the private costs of becoming an icon.
Hilda Gadea was a trained economist and a committed activist; her memoir, My Life With Che, has long been a source for historians wanting to understand the personal dimensions of Guevara's early politics. Bringing her book to the screen amplifies a voice that scholarship has recognized but popular narratives have often sidelined. For international audiences, the film could deepen understanding of the 1950s Latin American political landscape and the gendered dynamics of revolutionary movements.
Extra notes and production trivia
- Salado and Arboleda's collaboration continues a pattern of cross-border Latin American co-productions that aim to combine local authenticity with broader festival and distribution strategies.
- Estévez’s shift from documentary to narrative may mirror similar director transitions that have produced evocative historical dramas.
Cinema historian Marko Jensen commented: 'This project has the potential to reframe a familiar myth by foregrounding the intellectual partner who helped shape it. Films that revisit icons through companion perspectives often reveal new ethical and emotional dimensions.'
What to expect next
The film is currently in development and seeking co-producers and international partners. Audiences can expect a character-driven legalistic and emotional drama when the project advances into principal photography. Given the cast, director and subject, My Life With Him is likely to attract festival interest and provoke conversation about how biographies are constructed on screen.
Concluding note
My Life With Him is shaping up as a thoughtful addition to Latin American cinema's recent wave of politically engaged, character-focused films. By centering Hilda Gadea, it promises to deepen the cultural conversation about authorship, influence and the women's often-unseen work behind historic figures.
Source: variety
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