“Buffalo Kids” is a whimsical turn-of-the-century movie about two Irish orphans, Mary and Tom, who travel across America in search of their uncle, meeting heroes and villains along the way. Their adventures also bring them into contact with Nick, an orphan with cerebral palsy, and they soon embrace each other as surrogate siblings.
This is surprising, especially since the relationship between Nick and Mary is the heart of this film, based on the real sibling bond between co-director Pedro Solis García’s daughter Alejandra and her also-born son Nicolas. That may not be the case. with cerebral palsy.
Sadly, Nicholas never got to see the film that inspired him. In an interview with varietyThe film’s co-writer and producer, Jordi Gassle, revealed that a 16-year-old boy died shortly before production began on Buffalo Kids.
After spending a lot of time trying to get the film financed by the same creative team behind “The Mummies,” Ghassoul told Solis-Garcia that he was happy the project was finally moving forward. “I told him, ‘You’ve got the green light!'” And 15 days later, Nicholas passed away,” Gastle recalled, tearing up as he spoke. But the director (who co-directed the film with Juan Jesús García Garrocha) had the opportunity to tell his son that it was going to happen. “When Pedro said to Nico, “I’m going to make your movie,” Nico looked happy,” says Gasle. “It was very emotional and we have a lot of gratitude.” [the film] To Nicholas and all children with cerebral palsy. ”
The film, produced by Spain’s Four Cats Pictures and Core Animation, is primarily inspired by Nicolas, but it also draws from history as well as Gassul’s own experiences (he once had a real-life run-in with a buffalo). There is. Buffalo Kids, which topped the box office in its home country of Spain, was released in the UK and Ireland this weekend (distributed by Warner Bros. Discovery). Speaking ahead of the launch, Gasl said: variety He talked about the idea and production of the film, and his hopes for a North American release.
Where did the idea for “Buffalo Kids” come from?
Pedro said to me, “I want to turn a children’s story into a feature film.” I told him that I really liked the idea, but that he had to find a story for the character. He sent me something like “Home Alone” in an orphanage, but it didn’t really work. Then a friend told me about a book about orphans in 19th century New York. I read that and thought, “Oh my god, there’s a story here.” So I started researching real orphans and real stories from the wild frontier. And then I felt that there was something.
What was it like writing the real Nicholas, who doesn’t speak, into the script? [which Gasull wrote alongside his longtime co-writer Javier López Barreira]?
After a lot of work, we delivered the first script in which Nick speaks, and I remember Pedro saying to us, “You know what? My child couldn’t speak. You have to write a character who speaks with his eyes. ‘So I did some research, talked to Pedro, and watched videos of the real Nick. Then I rewrote the script so he wouldn’t speak. Then we sent it to Pedro and he said, “This is my son.”
Have you encountered ableism when pitching your film to investors or distributors?
No, it was the opposite. Everyone said it was a very simple but well-written story with really strong characters. It was considered a risk for viewers, but no one said, “This character is not a likable character.” In fact, it was the opposite. They said the script was great.
Did you expect success in Spain?
I didn’t expect much success. I mean, I thought it was going to go well, but I thought the attendance would be 600,000 people and it would be around 4 million euros. [the film has since grossed almost $5.5 million domestically]. To be honest, I don’t think the numbers will be close to those of The Mummy. Because this movie is more complex and has a more serious subject matter. It was a really pleasant surprise for us.
What was the most emotional scene you experienced while making the film?
When they met the buffalo. Because a few years ago I had a car accident with a real buffalo in Yellowstone. The second son had a broken nose and was crying, while the first son approached the dying buffalo, touched it, and stayed with it for a while. That was the inspiration for that scene. I cried when I saw the dance scene [with Nick and Mary]. When I saw it, I said to Pedro and Gallo, “You guys are great coaches. You made me cry like a muffin, as they say in Spain.” I was really impressed. They did a great job because it was very difficult. In other words, it was a very simple story on a small budget, yet delivered a lot of quality and emotion.
What was the reaction from viewers?
Many people have written to us, sent us messages, and tried to get in touch with us through Facebook, the 4 Cats Pictures and Core Animation web pages. It was wonderful. I have never received this level of response to any of my films. This was unusual. They are mainly impressed by the way Nick is portrayed. They said they were really impressed.
Given its success in Europe, is it a shame that “Buffalo Kids” hasn’t been picked up in the U.S. yet?
I mean, I’m a dreamer, so I hope this film does well in the UK and that it might inspire Anglo-Saxon audiences. Because I feel this movie will be well received by American audiences. Because this story is based on truth and not fiction. It’s not, “Okay, I’ll get the message across.” no. The message is from: [authenticity of the] I think the story is very unique. And when I show this movie to American audiences and American friends, they are completely emotionally engaged. So I dream of doing something there.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.