Serving as his first feature-length film since 2015's The Revenant, five-time Academy Award winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu's latest feature Bardo (or False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths) will see the filmmaker trading actors and hunters for a story about a renowned Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker who returns home to work through an existential crisis amid familial relationships, personal memories, and the past of Mexico as a whole. And now, Netflix has confirmed that have acquired the film which is currently in post-production. In addition, as expected, the film is being set-up for a theatrical rollout prior to its streaming premiere so it qualifies for the 2023 Oscar season. Netflix global film head Scott Stuber had this to say:
“Alejandro is one of the greatest modern filmmakers and one of the leading visionaries in our industry. Bardo is a cinematic experience that has inspired us to create a release strategy designed for the film to penetrate culture in the biggest and widest way. We will give film lovers everywhere the opportunity to experience the film through a global theatrical release and the film’s worldwide release on Netflix.”
Written by Iñárritu and Nicolás Giacobone, who previously collaborated on the Oscar-winning script for Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) [which explains the similar title], Bardo is being marketed as a nostalgic comedy that will mark Iñárritu’s return to his home country of Mexico 20 years after shooting Amores Perros and in fact was shot in Iñárritu’s hometown of Mexico City. Starring Daniel Giménez Cacho as the eponymous filmmaker on-screen, behind-the-scenes will see cinematography rhandled by Academy Award nominee Darius Khondji (Fincher’s Seven, Gray’s The Immigrant and The Lost City of Z, Safdie Brothers’ Uncut Gems) who shot the film on 65mm. Production design is being done by Oscar-winning Mexican designer Eugenio Caballero and costume designer Anna Terrazas. Both previously were nominated for Roma, another film acquired by Netflix that went on to become the first Mexican entry to win Best Foreign Language Film.
Considering Iñárritu's history during award season, it's a strong bet we'll be hearing about Bardo quite a lot come next award season. Stay tuned!