Gael García Bernal as Sebastián, a Mexican filmmaker, teams up with his Spanish executive producer Luis Tosar as Costa to bring a bold project to life in Cochabamba, Bolivia. They set out to shoot a historical drama about Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to the New World, the brutal imposition of Spanish rule over the natives of Hispaniola, and the indigenous rebellion led by Hatuey. Faced with a tight budget, Costa chooses Bolivia—the poorest country in South America—to stretch every dollar. An open casting pamphlet draws hundreds of Bolivian locals who line up for hours, hungry for a chance at work on the set. Costa imagines saving thousands by letting underpaid extras perform tasks that would normally require trained engineers, turning the production into a night-and-day effort to squeeze production value from scarcity.
Sebastián casts Juan Carlos Aduviri as Daniel / Hatuey, a local man whose fieriness and humanity make him an ideal fit for the rebel Taíno leader. Daniel’s daughter Belén is cast in a pivotal role, portrayed by Milena Soliz. Their first encounter happens during casting, when Daniel’s insistence that everyone deserve a chance clashes with the producers’ screening process. The shoot begins with surprising smoothness, even as the set wrestles with Anton’s on-set alcoholism; Anton is the actor playing Columbus, interpreted by Karra Elejalde. Costa remains wary of Daniel’s influence, while Sebastián sees in him the vitality that could elevate the film above its budget constraints.
As filming progresses, Costa’s simmering disapproval softens only slightly; he voices scorn for the natives in English, unaware that Daniel understands the language. This knowing moment sharpens Daniel’s awareness of the exploitation behind the production, and it also nudges Costa toward a grudging, dawning guilt about how the crew is treating the local people. Meanwhile, the natives’ patience wears thin, and a wave of protests begins to spill into Cochabamba as demands for water rights intensify.
The conflict comes to a head when Daniel leads demonstrations against the new water company, even as Costa tries to keep the film afloat. He first tries to keep Daniel quiet with money, offering a hefty pay raise to stay out of trouble; Daniel accepts the money but uses it to fund the protesters and remain actively involved, which leads to his arrest. Sebastián is torn, doubting whether the movie can be finished, but Costa reassures him by bribing the police to secure Daniel’s temporary release so they can shoot a crucial scene in which Columbus and his conquistadors execute Hatuey and his rebels. The police arrest Daniel again soon after, yet a riotous crowd of extras helps him slip away.
That night, news footage shows the unrest spreading. In a tense moment, Raúl Arévalo as Juan and Carlos Santos as Alberto—two members of the cast—watch the newscasts with growing concern, worried about the safety of the project and the people involved, and they consider leaving. The next morning, Costa is approached by Daniel’s wife, Teresa, who pleads with him to help locate Belén, who has vanished into the protests and is believed to be wounded and needing hospitalization. Costa is initially resistant, but Teresa’s persistence, paired with Sebastián’s impassioned appeal, persuades him to join the search.
Costa’s decision to accompany Teresa winds him through the wrecked streets of Cochabamba, where the scale of the upheaval finally sinks in. Belén’s life is saved, but she suffers a severe leg injury that may never fully heal. The rest of the crew is halted by a military blockade, and all but Antón leave Sebastián to return home. The revolution eventually ends with the multinational water company withdrawing, leaving Cochabamba scarred by the conflict. In a final turn of hope, Costa—moved by the upheaval and Daniel’s perseverance—expresses optimism that the film can still be completed. Daniel, in a quiet moment of gratitude, presents him with a vial of Bolivian water as a solemn tribute to the courage and resilience of the people who fed the story with its truth.
