Campeón Gabacho: Behind the Scenes with Jonás Cuarón, Alfonso Cuarón, and Gabriela Rodríguez on Their Migrant Boxer Film at SXSW

Jonás Cuarón Premieres Campeón Gabacho at SXSW

Filmmaker Jonás Cuarón debuted his latest film, Campeón Gabacho, at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival on Tuesday. Based on Aura Xilonen’s 2015 novel, the film follows a young man named Liborio who crosses the Rio Grande from Mexico, navigating life in a Latino neighborhood in New York City.

In the film, Liborio, portrayed by Juan Daniel García Treviño, becomes immersed in a world filled with gangs and eccentric figures, including a tabloid reporter played by Rosario Dawson, a grumpy bookstore owner portrayed by Eddie Marsan, and an older man, played by Rubén Blades, who manages a makeshift orphanage. Along the way, Liborio discovers love and resilience, illustrating his journey as an outsider facing adversity. The narrative shifts when he is discovered by a boxing promoter after defending himself from thugs, leading the community to see him as an unexpected hero. "Campeón means ‘champion,’ and gabacho is slang for someone from the United States," Cuarón explained.

Much like last year’s SXSW premiere for Andrew Patterson’s The Rivals of Amziah King, the premise of Campeón Gabacho only hints at its deeper visual and thematic layers. Cuarón crafted a romantic aesthetic, drawing on Treviño’s performance which he first noticed in the Oscar-shortlisted film I’m No Longer Here. He adapted the screenplay in collaboration with Xilonen, ensuring a cinematic style that married his vision with the novel’s essence. Some viewers at an early Los Angeles screening even noted resemblances to Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing.

Cuarón’s production company, Esperanto Filmoj, secured financing for the project through a tight 40-day shoot, with Mexico doubling for New York City. At SXSW, the film is set to screen its world premiere at the Zach Theater at 5:15 p.m. local time.

In a recent interview, Cuarón shared insights about his journey to adapt Xilonen’s novel. He noted the challenge of translating the book’s rich, lyrical language into a visual medium: "I wanted the characters to feel like they were in a grounded reality but also allow the audience to enter Liborio’s mind."

Cuarón’s collaborator, Gaby Rodríguez, highlighted the long development process, revealing that both had explored separate projects before reuniting for this film. "It had so much heart… It addresses topics that are both interesting and timeless," Rodríguez stated.

As the discussions turned to the current state of Mexican cinema, Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás’s father and co-writer of Gravity, reflected on the changing landscape of filmmaking. He acknowledged both the struggles and the opportunities that have emerged from this evolution. “Cinema will prevail,” he asserted, emphasizing the significant role of young filmmakers in shaping the industry’s future.

With Campeón Gabacho debuting amid increasing scrutiny on Latino immigrants in the U.S., Jonás Cuarón remarked on the importance of the film’s themes of humanity and community. "It’s a movie where Liborio finds his place through the community he builds along the way," he noted, underscoring its relevance in today’s socio-political climate.

The film aims to humanize the immigrant experience against a backdrop of societal challenges, creating a poignant narrative that resonates deeply with contemporary issues.