21 Grams
An Alejandro González Iñárritu Film
A Focus Features Release
Production Notes
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21 Grams
Synopsis
21 Grams is the new film from the Academy Award-nominated director of Amores perros,
Alejandro González Iñárritu. It is a story of hope and humanity, of resilience and survival.
Whether you fear death or not, it comes, and at that moment your body becomes twenty-one
grams lighter. Is it a person’s soul that constitutes those twenty-one grams? Is that weight carried
by those who survive us?
The lead actors in 21 Grams are three-time Academy Award nominee Sean Penn, Academy
Award winner Benicio Del Toro, and award-winning actress Naomi Watts. The actors were all
honored at the film’s world premiere at the 2003 Venice International Film Festival, where Sean
Penn won Best Actor and Benicio Del Toro and Naomi Watts earned the Audience Awards for
Best Actor and Actress.
21 Grams, written by Guillermo Arriaga (Amores perros), explores the emotionally and
physically charged existences of three people over a period of several months. An accident
unexpectedly throws their lives and destinies together, in a story that will take them to the heights
of love, the depths of revenge, and the promise of redemption.
College professor Paul Rivers (Sean Penn) and his wife Mary (Charlotte Gainsbourg) find their
union precariously balanced between life and death. He is mortally ill and awaiting a heart
transplant, while she hopes to become pregnant with his child through artificial insemination.
Cristina Peck (Naomi Watts), having matured since her reckless past, is a beloved older sister to
Claudia (Clea DuVall), a good wife to Michael (Danny Huston) and loving mother to two little
girls. Her family radiates hope and joy. Much farther down the socioeconomic scale, ex-con Jack
Jordan (Benicio Del Toro) and his wife Marianne (Melissa Leo) struggle to provide for their two
children while Jack reaffirms his commitment to religion.
A tragic accident that claims several lives places these couples in each other’s orbit. In the
aftermath, Paul confronts his own mortality, Cristina takes action to come to terms with her
present and perhaps her future, and Jack’s faith is put to the test. If spiritual equilibrium is to be
regained by any one of them, it could come at great cost to the others. Yet the will to live, and the
instinct to reach out to another person for support, remains ever-present among them all.
A Focus Features presentation of a This is that production, a Y Productions production. An
Alejandro González Iñárritu Film. Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Naomi Watts. 21 Grams.
Charlotte Gainsbourg, Melissa Leo. Associate Producer, Guillermo Arriaga. Casting by Francine
Maisler, C.S.A. Music by Gustavo Santaolalla. Costume Designer, Marlene Stewart. Edited by
Stephen Mirrione, A.C.E. Production Designer, Brigitte Broch. Director of Photography, Rodrigo
Prieto, A.S.C., A.M.C. Executive Producer, Ted Hope. Produced by Alejandro González Iñárritu,
Robert Salerno. Written by Guillermo Arriaga. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu.
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21 Grams
About the Production
They say 21 grams is the weight we lose when we die. The weight of five nickels, of a
hummingbird, of a chocolate bar – and perhaps also of a human soul.
21 Grams is the new film from the Academy Award-nominated director of Amores
perros, Alejandro González Iñárritu. As with his previous feature, time warps the
narrative structure. The storytelling moves fluidly through past and present, but always en
route to the promise of redemption in the future. Viewers are active participants from the
first frame. “The audience figures out as we go along what is happening and how it fits
together,” says producer Robert Salerno.
Reuniting with Amores perros screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga, Iñárritu once again
combines unflinching gritty realism with complete faith in life’s possibilities. The new
film is, he says, “a meditation that explores some of the things in our complex lives: loss,
addiction, love, guilt, coincidence, vengeance, obligation, faith, hope, and redemption. I
like multi-dimensional and contradictory characters, as I am and as, I guess, are all
human beings that I know. No one is simply good or bad. We are just floating in an
immense universe of circumstances. I like to show their weaknesses and their strengths
without judging them, because only then can they reveal things about our human
condition.”
His collaborator Arriaga adds, “There is always a moral issue in all of my work; moral in
the sense that decisions have consequences. Almost all of my work is about the dead
influencing the living.”
The 21 Grams script, originally conceived and written in Spanish and initially
envisioned but not written for a Mexico City setting, evolved through dozens of drafts
into one unfolding in a Middle American landscape that would encompass universal
truths. However, Iñárritu notes that “there was never a preconceived concept. I wanted to
tell the story in the best way I could. It was a long process of almost three years for
Guillermo and I, as was Amores perros.” As in Amores perros, three individual people
are linked by one accident and the narrative moves through different stages of their
internal – and external – evolutions.
Many of those who worked with the director on Amores perros, such as production
designer Brigitte Broch and composer Gustavo Santaolalla, were aboard the new film
from early on. Iñárritu muses, “I felt like we were a rock-‘n’-roll band, touring through
the United States and playing a universal song.”
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Another returning core member of the filmmaking team is cinematographer Rodrigo
Prieto, who has shot 21 Grams in what he calls an “absolutely realistic” style befitting
a film whose subjects are “birth, living, and dying.”
There was never any question that Prieto would not do the film. “Alejandro is like
family,” notes Prieto. “We’ve developed not only a very good working relationship but
also a friendship – and, fortunately, there’s no sense of competition,” he laughs.
“I admire and respect Alejandro. If there’s something in particular he wants in a scene,
and he feels he has to get it, I know we have to get it; I know he’s right and I’ll do
whatever it takes, because I trust his vision. He’s a risk-taker and he encourages his team
to take risks. He’s not afraid of mistakes because even in making them you are exploring
alternatives. He and I like to plan things out – we shot list, not storyboard – but when
we’re on the set and the actors do a different thing, we adjust.”
Nearly every shot in 21 Grams was done with a hand-held camera, resulting in a
heightened sense of tension that will be deeply felt by audiences. Prieto, who operated his
own camera on the film, prefers the hand-held method because of its “immediacy, the
sense of ‘anything can happen.’ I react to what the actors are doing – I mostly know
what’s going to happen, but I try to forget about that and just feel ‘in the moment.’ I try
to be empathetic for what the actors are feeling. As a DP, you risk breaking an actor’s
particular concentration or mood by walking in with an exposure meter and giving
instructions. I try to be sensitive to that as much as possible. The camera is also a witness
to what’s happening to these characters. When the camera is rolling, I’m right in there
and I get close and intimate, and the actors have to feel comfortable with that.
“On 21 Grams, with the caliber of actors we had, it was incredible to see them perform
and be the closest to them as they were doing it. I got really involved in some of the
scenes and emotions, and cried once or twice.”
Iñárritu notes, “We’re using hand-held again [as on Amores perros] but in a different
way. It gives the freedom to be more flexible in the narrative and in the style of the film.
Sometimes the camera is just an observer, breathing with the scene and being very
passive; other times, it can be descriptive and very active. I tried to use the camera as a
painter uses his brush.”
Prieto adds that the titular 21 grams “is not represented visually. Yet the characters in the
movie are all close to dying, or people close to them have died. It’s death that pushes
things forward in their lives. Through death, they discover life.
“The story itself is shocking. Yet the images aren’t screaming out at you. The overall
look of the film is textured – realism, but with an edge. Life has beauty even in its
roughness.”
Salerno notes, “Collaborating with Alejandro means high energy. He likes to hear from
everybody – his DP, his costume designer, his production designer, whoever – and then
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puts the pieces together. He is passionate about everything that goes into a script and a
film. That energy and passion inspire the crew and the actors.”
A few weeks of rehearsals preceded the start of production, and exhaustive research was
the key element in both character construction and pre-production. Background research
was required for every profession that appeared in the script, so hundreds of hours were
spent interviewing doctors, professors, and ministers. Extras were, whenever possible,
what they appeared to be; cardiologists played cardiologists, nurses were nurses. Even
restaurant patrons were corralled from regulars at the eatery location. Workout
enthusiasts appeared in the swimming pool and community center scenes.
Cast as Jack, an ex-con now on the straight-and-narrow for his family’s sake (if not his
own), Academy Award winner Benicio Del Toro first met with Iñárritu after having seen
and admired Amores perros. He laughingly recalls that they initially “spoke in Spanglish.
We talked about movies, directors – a lot of gossip.”
From the start, Del Toro felt that the screenplay for 21 Grams “was superb. It has a lot
of soul. It digs deep as drama, and it’s three very human stories.” Once on the set, he
found the director to be “encouraging. He was like the father of our family – a good
father. He got everybody together. We’d talk things through, and if he didn’t understand
something he’d ask.”
As for his fellow actors, Del Toro notes, “When you’re working with actors like Sean
Penn and Naomi Watts, it makes it easier for you. Seeing Sean and Naomi do scenes
while I was off-camera was never dull – I was front row at a great show.”
Del Toro had worked with Penn before – though not on-screen, having been directed by
Penn in two movies. He says, “Sean is great to work with as director and actor. He
understands not only his character but all the characters. And with Naomi, it was like
communicating without words. We all got to explore emotions.”
The actor sees his own character as “a good soul who’s banking on religion to secure his
destiny in some ways. Some people turn to alcohol, some people turn to drugs; Jack
Jordan turns to his faith. In everyone’s life, there are moments that you wish you could
erase, and in 21 Grams, Jack has that moment. Then he starts questioning his faith, and
everywhere he turns, he’s not getting the right answer. He has to re-evaluate everything
he believed in.”
Iñárritu notes that, similarly, Del Toro himself “questioned and analyzed every bit of the
script and his character. He wanted to know a reason for everything before the shooting
starts. He wants to know the character in every aspect you could possibly imagine. I
began working with him five months before we started shooting.
“One of the most important things in an actor is their interior life, and Benicio has a deep
one. You can see a lot of things going on in him just by putting the camera in front of his
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face. By doing nothing, he speaks with his eyes and a lot of things are going on. He is a
cinematic animal.”
Taking on the film’s lead female role, Naomi Watts is Cristina, a now-affluent wife and
mother who has overcome a drug-dependent past but now faces a devastated present and
an uncertain future. As one of the many who had been “blown away” by Amores perros,
Watts states, “Alejandro was the main draw. He and Guillermo came to see me while I
was shooting The Ring. The 21 Grams script was still being worked on, but I said,
‘Sight unseen, I will commit to it now. Count me in.’
“When I later got the script, I read it and thought, ‘This is the second brilliant role of my
life,’ after Mulholland Drive. It’s a very difficult journey that the characters go through,
there is suffering but also the realization of how valuable our lives are; we only have this
one, now. Cristina goes through so many emotions. I loved her right away; she’s a
beautiful soul.”
Watts also immediately took to Iñárritu’s mandates of authenticity, research, and
preparation. “I trusted Alejandro. He wants to see what’s possible. It was challenging
every day; the emotional stakes were so high, and I wanted to create a character with real
backbone. I developed Cristina during the rehearsal period and with my own research.
“I found my way into group therapy meetings of parents who have lost children, where I
deeply connected with one woman. I feel I was able to come a little bit close with my
portrayal, but that pain remains unimaginable…”
“It was like working with an open heart,” Iñárritu remembers. “Naomi lost her voice a
couple of times during the shoot. She gave her all in every take. She has an amazing
range, and can improvise with the material expertly.”
Of working with her fellow actors for the first time Watts notes, “We had a great
rehearsal period. Benicio is fantastic and I respect his work. We both understood each
other’s process; given the state of our characters, we didn’t hang out so much together.
“I’ve admired Sean’s work for 20 years. His role is more reactive than mine, so there was
an intense dynamic. Working together, I felt I could rely on him.”
Penn stars as Paul Rivers, a mathematician who is grappling with – all at once – his
marriage and his mortality until a new lease on life radically redirects his priorities.
Iñárritu enthuses, “Working with Sean Penn is like playing soccer with David Beckham
or riding a bicycle with Lance Armstrong – the level of the game is immediately raised or
is above your expectations. He doesn’t rationalize; he’s just intuition and pure emotion.
We read, discussed, and rehearsed a couple of times and he got and absorbed everything.
“He gives it life right in front of your eyes, like a magician. He has a unique, quiet, and
internal process; he doesn’t like to rehearse or think too much in advance. He’s one of the
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most sensitive, intelligent, genuine, and generous guys that I have ever known. That kind
of integrity is a very strange thing to find in this business.”
When asked what drew him to 21 Grams, Penn responds, “It’s as simple as this: a very
adventurous narrative, very human characters, and a director whose first film had struck a
very serious chord with me. The aggressive nature of Alejandro’s filmmaking, in the way
that it harmonizes with very real characters and circumstances, really gets me going.”
Penn adds, of the actor he’d directed prior, “Benicio is one of my favorite actors working
today. He has so much weight and soul on-screen. He’s endlessly inventive, a gem.”
Of Watts, with whom he has since completed a second movie, Penn states, “I loved
working with Naomi. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. She’s spontaneous, smart, hugely
talented, and totally devoted to her work. A bar raiser (and a bar raiser).”
21 Grams commenced 11 weeks of principal photography in December 2002.
Shooting took place primarily in Memphis, Tennessee, although no specific city is cited
in the final script or the finished film. Prieto explains, “We didn’t want this to be
‘Memphis, Tennessee’ where the story is happening, but any place in America – or in the
world, even. The script is these characters and what they’re living.”
Although not specified on-screen, all filming was done in actual locations and places.
Among the Memphis locations that were used in the film were the Grace-St. Luke’s
Episcopal School’s gymnasium (for the swimming pool sequences), Windyke Country
Club, the North End restaurant, and the upscale Chickasaw Gardens neighborhood.
The real-life locales’ wintry authenticity impacted the actors from the moment they
arrived to begin work. “It started to get cold when I was there, but when Naomi and Sean
began shooting their stories, it got really cold,” laughs Del Toro.
Watts says, “Memphis was great. It was a beautiful backdrop for our film. Alejandro
wanted a sparseness that wouldn’t interfere with the story.”
Salerno explains, “All these practical locations gave our actors a sense of where they
were and allowed them to feel reality and presence. It was very much about creating an
environment for them – and for Alejandro, who likes to feel the energy of where he’s at.
We could have built a set for the funeral home, for instance, but there is a vibe when you
walk into the actual funeral home we shot in – which we wanted, and got.”
Given the movie’s Middle American setting, Memphis provided the necessary diversity
of people and locale to color every frame of 21 Grams. Iñárritu found it to be “unique,
and quite different from all the cities in the United States that I’ve known and visited. It
reminds me a little bit of a Latin American city. Memphis has a strong personality and
the people there still have their feet on the ground. It’s the heart of America, with a
nostalgic sad feeling. You can hear the blues in the air, plus the strength of the
Mississippi River.”
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Prieto notes that the movie came to inevitably reflect “the atmosphere and the texture of
the city. We show its character. I fell in love with the city, its great visuals, and also its
people. There are all levels of social classes in Memphis, and in this movie. It has
contemporary buildings yet it feels like an old city.”
Screenwriter Arriaga cites William Faulkner as a profound influence, one whose works
he has taught. While on location in Memphis, Arriaga took the time and opportunity to
make a pilgrimage to the famous writer’s home/shrine in Oxford, Mississippi.
For production designer Brigitte Broch, another collaborator on Amores perros who
rejoined the creative team for 21 Grams, Memphis “is history, authenticity, and soul.
Based on a gut feeling from Alejandro, Rodrigo, and myself, we chose Memphis. There
were different architectural styles here that offered us a lot of possibilities, different
layers of textures. The houses are not generic; at every social level, we wanted the
environments of each character to talk for them, and Memphis had what we needed. 21
Grams gets down to the roots of human suffering and resurrection – the scenes are so
intense – and that’s this city.”
The final two weeks of the shoot took place near Albuquerque, New Mexico. An entire
week was spent in and around a bare-bones motel in the town of Grants, a narrow, onestreet settlement. Another Albuquerque location was on the Zia Pueblo territory, a
bramble bush-and-scrub grass wasteland of surprising majesty. Salerno notes that the
New Mexico locales offered “a desert starkness, which was the big contrast from
Memphis that we wanted and needed at that point in the story.”
As for the interiors, the filmmakers’ mandates of research and authenticity meant that if a
scene unfolded in an office, and there is a desk whose drawers would never be open oncamera, Broch and her team still filled them with objects pertinent to the officeholder’s
profession and personality. “There is a total base of confidence between Alejandro and
myself. If there is no back story provided for the character, I create it myself,” she notes.
“I know – ‘method actors’ work the same way.”
For Broch, each set’s design, furniture, and props “all have to have a reason to be there.
That reason translates as the reality of the person who will occupy it. Alejandro, Rodrigo,
and I work closely together. I prepare a presentation, and the three of us go through the
material. We talk about the colors. We talk about the moods and textures. Ours is the
teamwork of three people who will ultimately agree on what the final product should look
like by taking an overall view.”
Prieto adds, “Brigitte incorporated colors that we talked about into the set designs. The
visuals change to correspond to the emotional arc of each story and its characters – and
they help you see where you are in the overall story. We divide the three stories colorwise because of the structure of the movie. There are subtle cues for the audience to
know; this is Paul’s world – a cooler blue; this is Jack’s world – a yellow red; and this is
Cristina’s world – sort of in-between, with red and golden but mixed with some of the
blue of Paul’s world.”
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“The different stocks of film give different textures to the characters, depending on their
emotional stage at that point in the film,” notes Iñárritu.
Prieto elaborates, “When things start to get more difficult for our characters, we’d go to a
grainier stock When things feel a little cleaner or better, the stock isn’t as grainy. The
framing and camera work reflect that, too – when things are in balance for the characters,
we use more traditional framing.”
But the overall visual palate is also unified by a bleach-bypass process deployed in the
development of the film’s negative. “It’s the way I grew up seeing the colors of my
country,” explains Iñárritu. “Rodrigo and I discussed this before filming began. There
were some still photographs that we saw which inspired us, too.”
As this approach was factored in early on, notes Broch, the team made allowances that
“our purples went into brown, or our reds went into black. Rodrigo is fantastic to work
with, and it’s obvious that it’s more important that I adapt my work to his – what he
needs for his lighting.”
Costume designer Marlene Stewart adds that since 21 Grams required “very specific
color requirements for the way the film stock was processed, that took precedence in my
choices. The processing was very high contrast, so it was better to have colors in a
medium range – as if for a black-and-white movie.”
Stewart accommodated the shifting styles of the story’s characters. Costume choices were
made more along the way in the dramatic and filmmaking processes, rather than being set
in pre-production. She notes, “If you come to the table with preset ideas, a lot of the time
you are going to get frustrated. You need to discuss visions with the director and the
actors – and, in terms of color requirements, the production designer and the
cinematographer. The creative process gets everybody’s ideas together.
“Alejandro stressed creating looks for the characters that didn’t overwhelm the viewer,
that didn’t force the viewer to jump too quickly to conclusions about the characters. This
helps make the story applicable to everyone.”
Stewart was regularly called upon to present the actors with a variety of clothes choices
as they reached each new level of dramatic character development, since their tastes
evolved over the course of the portrayal. This was another benefit of the chronological
shooting schedule that afforded the cast and filmmakers the creative opportunity to start
at the beginning and grow together. “This was a different kind of movie for me,” admits
Stewart. “A lot came together at the last moment; I’d create right there on the spot. The
director and I always tried to make the actors feel comfortable. That worked particularly
well on 21 Grams, where everybody made suggestions and worked it out together.”
Salerno says, “When shooting, Alejandro will keep working with the actor and do a
bunch of takes. Together, they get to the point where he has what he wants – he doesn’t
settle – and the crew and the actors have gone beyond what they might normally do. All
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of these actors were dynamic; I considered it a privilege to be able to watch them in their
processes.”
Operating the camera throughout, Prieto found the actors’ respective approaches to their
roles never less than fascinating. “Sean is always interested in and aware of what we’re
doing with the camera. He needs quiet and complete concentration for his character and
the moment. He’s amazing – and also very generous to everybody.”
Watts comments, “Rodrigo’s camera is like another character in 21 Grams. He is
moving the camera the whole time, and it’s incredibly liberating for an actor to not have
to concentrate on focus marks.”
Prieto confides, “Naomi is very sweet – and she never had any complaints about the
camera. I don’t know how she does it, but you don’t see her working. She becomes the
character – she’d step in front of the camera and it wasn’t Naomi, it was Cristina.”
Salerno adds, “It’s unbelievable what she pulls out. She’s wrenching in this film.”
As for Del Toro, Prieto echoes Iñárritu in praising the actor for “finding and exploring
things that are not written. He’s very subtle. He gives the characters he plays lives of their
own. It’s great to look into his eyes – lighting his eyes was something I enjoyed doing,
and when we were able to put that glint into his eyes, things came out that projected
incredibly. Benicio knows how to project – how to balance when the camera is further
away, but when you get close enough there’s an intensity that far away you wouldn’t
notice…”
On board early on, as a self-described “observer” during production, the film editor of
21 Grams is Stephen Mirrione – who, as an Oscar winner for his work on Traffic, was
already well-versed in shaping a compelling narrative with Benicio Del Toro portraying
one of the central characters. But, as Mirrione says, “21 Grams is an emotional
narrative driven by what’s going on within the characters – passions and emotions –
rather than a plot-driven narrative.
“I’m pretty comfortable with that type of storytelling; it gives me the freedom not to be a
slave to the plot, so I’m able to focus on capturing one particular emotion in a scene, to
zero in on moments. I put myself into the characters’ heads. That makes it interesting for
me as an editor. I do watch the dailies and make sure I don’t forget certain things.
Alejandro doesn’t want a single moment in the movie wasted; he was constantly letting
me know what he was going for and what he was looking for. He puts himself into
everything. Scenes were shot in every setup you could imagine, so we had a lot of
options. I took my cues from what the actors and the camera were doing – Rodrigo also
puts a lot of himself into it.”
Mirrione notes, “The challenge to editing a movie like this is that everyone is going to
watch this and initially react in a different way. But they won’t have to know or be
expecting this or that to happen, because this movie will pull you along. It’s going to
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impact everyone a little differently. You are feeling 21 Grams as it’s happening. Then,
at the end, when it’s over, there will be the same overall emotional impact – it hits you.”
Prieto says, “21 Grams is the kind of film that you think about for days after you see it.
It’s about subjects that we all ponder, and this movie shows them in a very immediate
way.”
“21 Grams is about how we find hope, forgiveness, and redemption,” states Del Toro.
“Everyone – in every culture – experiences these basic human emotions and dilemmas,”
comments Stewart. “That’s the door to this movie.”
Broch adds, “We all put our hearts into making 21 Grams. We knew we were doing
something special.”
Watts says, “21 Grams takes you to a place of hope. There is hope even in the most
trying circumstances.”
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21 Grams
About the Cast
SEAN PENN (Paul Rivers)
In a career spanning over two decades, Sean Penn has become an American film icon. At
the 2003 Venice International Film Festival, he was named Best Actor for his
performance in 21 Grams.
He has been nominated three times for the Best Actor Academy Award, for his
performances in Jessie Nelson’s I am Sam, Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown, and Tim
Robbins’ Dead Man Walking. The latter two performances also earned him Golden
Globe Award nominations, and he received a third Golden Globe Award nomination for
his work in Brian De Palma’s Carlito’s Way. He has also received two SAG Award
nominations (for I am Sam and Dead Man Walking).
Mr. Penn made his feature film acting debut in 1981 in Harold Becker’s Taps. In 1982,
he entered the pop-culture lexicon with his portrayal of Jeff Spicoli in Amy Heckerling’s
Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
He went on to appear in memorable roles in such films as John Schlesinger’s The Falcon
and the Snowman, James Foley’s At Close Range, Dennis Hopper’s Colors, Brian De
Palma’s Casualties of War Phil Joanou’s State of Grace, David Fincher’s The Game, and
Anthony Drazan’s screen version of hurlyburly (for which he was named Best Actor at
the 1998 Venice International Film Festival).
Mr. Penn expanded his role in the filmmaking process with the creation of his own
production company, Clyde Is Hungry Films. Through this company, he has produced
and costarred in Erin Dignam’s Loved, executive-produced and starred in Nick
Cassavetes’ She’s So Lovely (for which he was named Best Actor at the 1997 Cannes
International Film Festival), starred in Oliver Stone’s U Turn, and produced and directed
the critically acclaimed The Pledge, starring Jack Nicholson.
His feature film directorial debut was 1991’s The Indian Runner, which he also wrote and
produced. His next film as director, 1995’s The Crossing Guard, featured acclaimed
portrayals by Jack Nicholson, David Morse, and Anjelica Huston (who received Golden
Globe Award and SAG Award nominations for her performance). His fellow 21
Grams actor Benicio Del Toro appeared in both The Indian Runner and The Pledge.
Most recently, Mr. Penn wrote and directed the United States’ contribution to the
multipart feature 11’09”01. The project brought together 11 directors from around the
world (among them 21 Grams director Alejandro González Iñárritu) to create short
films in response to the horrific events of September 11th, 2001.
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He has appeared onstage in productions of Alfred Hayes’ Girl on the Via Flamina and
Albert Innaurato’s Earthworms in Los Angeles. On Broadway, he performed in Kevin
Heelan’s Heartland and John Byrne’s Slab Boys. He appeared in David Rabe’s
hurlyburly (at the Westwood Playhouse) and Goose and Tom-Tom (at Lincoln Center),
directed by the author in both productions. More recently, Mr. Penn starred opposite Nick
Nolte and Woody Harrelson in The Late Henry Moss, written and directed by Pulitzer
Prize-winning writer Sam Shepard.
In 2002, he was presented with the Modern Master Award at the Santa Barbara
International Film Festival.
He will soon be seen in Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River (which world-premiered at the
2003 Cannes International Film Festival). Mr. Penn recently completed filming Niels
Mueller’s The Assassination of Richard Nixon (again starring opposite his fellow 21
Grams actor Naomi Watts).
BENICIO DEL TORO (Jack Jordan)
At the 2003 Venice International Film Festival, Benicio Del Toro won the Audience
Award [Lion of the Public] for Best Actor (in a tie) for his performance in 21 Grams.
His performance as Javier Rodriguez in Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic earned him an
Academy Award, as well as Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA, New York
Film Critics Circle, National Society of Film Critics, Chicago Film Critics Association,
and Silver Bear [Berlin International Film Festival] Awards. He has also received two
Independent Spirit Awards for Best Supporting Actor: first as Fred Fenster in Bryan
Singer’s The Usual Suspects, and then as Benny Dalmau in Julian Schnabel’s Basquiat.
Born in Puerto Rico, Mr. Del Toro grew up in Pennsylvania. He later attended the
University of California at San Diego, where he divided his time between painting and
acting classes. He appeared in numerous student productions, one of which led to his
performing at a drama festival at the Lafayette Theatre in New York.
He remained in New York to study acting at The Circle in the Square Acting School, and
won a scholarship to the Stella Adler Conservatory. He later moved to Los Angeles and
studied at the Actors Circle Theater, which in turn led to guest-starring roles on various
television series. His television credits include the Emmy Award-winning NBC
miniseries Drug Wars: The Camarena Story (directed by Brian Gibson).
Mr. Del Toro made his motion picture debut in John Glen’s Licence to Kill (opposite
Timothy Dalton as James Bond). His subsequent films include Peter Weir’s Fearless,
George Huang’s Swimming with Sharks, Abel Ferrara’s The Funeral, Marco Brambilla’s
Excess Baggage, Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Christopher
McQuarrie’s The Way of the Gun, Guy Ritchie’s Snatch, William Friedkin’s The Hunted,
and The Indian Runner and The Pledge (both directed by his fellow 21 Grams actor,
Sean Penn).
13
NAOMI WATTS (Cristina Peck)
At the 2003 Venice International Film Festival, Naomi Watts won the Audience Award
[Lion of the Public] for Best Actress for her performance in 21 Grams.
She earned global acclaim for her lead performance in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive,
which world-premiered at the 2001 Cannes International Film Festival. The portrayal
earned her Best Actress awards from a number of critics’ groups, including the National
Society of Film Critics and the Chicago Film Critics Association. She was named the
Female Star of Tomorrow at the ShoWest film industry honors, and received the
Hollywood Discovery Award for Breakthrough Acting at the Hollywood Film Festival.
Ms. Watts’ subsequent films have included Gore Verbinski’s blockbuster hit The Ring,
the Merchant Ivory production of Le Divorce, and (for Focus Features release) Gregor
Jordan’s Ned Kelly (with Heath Ledger).
She will soon be seen starring alongside Laura Dern, Peter Krause, and Mark Ruffalo in
the independent feature We Don’t Live Here Anymore, which she also produced. Among
her other upcoming movies are Niels Mueller’s The Assassination of Richard Nixon
(again starring opposite her fellow 21 Grams actor, Sean Penn), David O. Russell’s I
Heart Huckabees (with Jude Law and Dustin Hoffman) and Marc Forster’s Stay (with
Ewan McGregor).
Born in England, Ms. Watts moved to Australia at the age of 14. Her first major film role
came in Flirting, directed by John Duigan.
She produced and starred in the short film Ellie Parker, which screened in competition at
the 2001 Sundance Film Festival.
CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG (Mary Rivers)
Charlotte Gainsbourg has starred in movies for many of Europe’s preeminent filmmakers.
She has twice won the César Award, her native France’s equivalent of the Academy
Award. Her first César win came at the age of 15, in Claude Miller’s L’effrontée, for
Most Promsing Actress. Her subsequent reteaming with the filmmaker on La petite
voleuse (The Little Thief) brought her a César nomination for Best Actress. She was later
nominated in the category again for her performance in Marion Vernoux’ Love, etc. Most
recently, her work in Danièle Thompson’s La Bûche earned her the César for Best
Supporting Actress.
She starred for her father, composer/filmmaker Serge Gainsbourg, in Charlotte for Ever;
and starred with her mother, actress Jane Birkin, in Agnès Varda’s Kung-Fu master
(cowritten by her mother). Under the direction of her uncle Andrew Birkin, Ms.
Gainsbourg starred in The Cement Garden, which the director adapted from Ian
McEwan’s novel. The feature won several awards, including a Silver Bear Award at the
Berlin International Film Festival for Best Director; the top prize at the Dinard [, France]
14
British Film Festival in Dinard, France; and, for Ms. Gainsbourg, the Best Actress Award
at the 1994 Festival Scrittura e Immagine.
Her other films include Elie Chouraqui’s Paroles et Musique, Jacques Doillon’s La
Tentation d’Isabelle and Amoureuse, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani’s Il sole anche di Notte,
Bertrand Blier’s Merci la vie, Eric Rochant’s Aux yeux du monde and Anna Oz, Michel
Blanc’s Grosse fatigue, Franco Zeffirelli’s Jane Eyre, David Bailey’s The Intruder,
Bruno Nyutten’s Passionnément, Patrice Leconte’s Felix et Lola, and her husband Yvan
Attal’s Ma Femme est une Actrice (My Wife is an Actress).
Ms. Gainsbourg has starred in the TNT miniseries Nuremberg (directed by Yves
Simoneau), and as Fantine in the 2000 miniseries remake of Les Misérables (directed by
Josée Dayan and broadcast in the U.S. on A&E).
On stage, she starred in the title role of David Mamet’s Oleanna (directed by Maurice
Benichou).
MELISSA LEO (Marianne Jordan)
Melissa Leo is best known for her starring role as Detective Kay Howard on the awardwinning NBC series Homicide: Life on the Street. She was nominated for a Daytime
Emmy Award for her role as Linda Warner on ABC’s All My Children.
Her other television credits include the starring role of Emma on the ABC series The
Young Riders. She has guest-starred on numerous television series, including Law &
Order, Legacy, The Equalizer, Miami Vice, and Spenser: For Hire. She also starred in the
telefilm Carolina Skeletons and the miniseries Scarlett, both for director John Erman.
Among Ms. Leo’s feature credits are three movies for Henry Jaglom: Always,
Venice/Venice, and Last Summer in the Hamptons. Her other films include Nancy
Savoca’s The 24-Hour Woman, Maggie Greenwald’s The Ballad of Little Jo, Jamil
Dehlavi’s Immaculate Conception, Gregory Nava’s A Time of Destiny, and Joan
Freeman’s Streetwalkin’. She recently completed filming Barry Strugatz’ From Other
Worlds.
She performed in the New York City production of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina
Monologues, as well as with the national tour. Among her many other stage credits are A
Touch of the Poet, Out of Gas on Lover’s Leap, The Hurdy Gurdy Man at New York
Stage & Film at Vassar College, the New York Shakespeare Festival productions of Don
Juan and Cinders, and Tongue of the Bird at the Public Theatre. She also created the role
of Gloria in the world premiere staging of Tennessee Williams’ Will Mr. Meriwether
Return from Memphis?
15
CLEA DuVALL (Claudia Williams)
Throughout the fall of 2003, Clea DuVall will be seen starring in HBO’s newest original
series, Carnivàle, opposite Nick Stahl. Directors of individual episodes include Rodrigo
Garcia.
She was most recently seen starring in James Mangold’s hit thriller Identity, after
previously working with the director on the award-winning Girl, Interrupted. Her other
films include Alex and Andrew Smith’s The Slaughter Rule, Jill Sprecher’s Thirteen
Conversations About One Thing, John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars, Jamie Babbit’s But
I’m a Cheerleader, Rand Ravich’s The Astronaut’s Wife, Robert Iscove’s She’s All That,
Robert Rodriguez’ The Faculty (for which she received Blockbuster Entertainment
Award and Teen Choice Award nominations), and Kip Koenig’s How to Make the
Cruelest Month.
Ms. DuVall’s television work includes Moisés Kaufman’s HBO feature The Laramie
Project, the Showtime telefilm The Defenders: Payback (directed by Andy Wolk), and
guest appearances on such popular series as ER and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, she first became interested in acting while attending the
Los Angeles High School of the Arts. While at school, she performed in theater
productions and took outside acting classes. Upon graduation, she began working in film
and television.
16
21 Grams
About the Filmmakers
ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ IÑARRITU (Director/Producer)
Alejandro González Iñárritu’s first feature film, Amores perros, world-premiered at the
2000 Cannes International Film Festival. There, the film was honored with the Grand
Prix among the Critics’ Week selections that year. As director of the film, he was
nominated for an Academy Award when the film became a Best Foreign-Language Film
nominee the following year.
Among the other honors that he and the film received were a BAFTA Award for Best
Foreign-Language Film; a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Foreign-Language
Film; the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign-Language Film; the
London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director; and awards from the Bogota,
Chicago, Cuba, Edinburgh, Flanders, Moscow, San Sebastian, Sao Paulo, Toronto, and
Tokyo International Film Festivals. In addition, the film swept the Mexican Academy of
Cinematographic Arts and Sciences’ Silver Ariel Awards (Mexico’s equivalent of the
Oscars) with 13 wins.
In 2001, he produced and directed Powder Keg, a short film for the BMW series that also
featured new works from Wong Kar-wai, Ang Lee, Guy Ritchie, and the late John
Frankenheimer, among others. Powder Keg won three Clio Awards and ranked #2 on
Time Magazine’s list of best advertising films.
In 2002, Mr. Iñárritu directed a short film for inclusion in the multipart feature 11’09”01,
which received a César Award nomination. The other filmmakers from around the world
who responded to the horrific events of September 11th, 2001 by contributing to the
project were 21 Grams star Sean Penn, Youssef Chahine, Amos Gitai, Shohei
Imamura, Claude Lelouch, Ken Loach, Samira Makhmalbaf, Mira Nair, Idrissa
Ouedraogo, and Danis Tanovic.
GUILLERMO ARRIAGA (Screenwriter)
Guillermo Arriaga first collaborated with Alejandro González Iñárritu as the screenwriter
of the award-winning Amores perros. They worked together again on the short film
Powder Keg.
A genuine Renaissance man of letters, Mr. Arriaga is not only a screenwriter but also a
critically praised novelist, a television documentary director, a radio and television
producer, and for more than twenty years a college professor. He has also directed short
films, among them Rogelio (which screened at several film festivals).
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His three novels (The Sweet Scent of Death, Guillotine Squad, and Buffalo of the Night)
and book of short stories (Retorno 201) have been particularly praised for his command
of dialogue, his use of narrative structures, the complexity of his characters and his
themes. They deal with human contradictions, the power of life, the strength of love, and
the constant presence of death. His books have been translated into several languages and
sold in more than thirty countries. He is finishing a fourth novel, Little Toads.
Mr. Arriaga is also currently at work on three screenplays: one for Tommy Lee Jones,
entitled Looking for Jimenez, which the actor will direct; Dallas Buyers Club, to be
directed by Marc Forster; and a third screenplay that he himself hopes to direct in 2004.
He is also the author of the screenplays Upon Open Sky and Slow Fire; the co-writer,
with Rafael Azcona, of the screenplay adaptation of his novel Guillotine Squad; and the
producer of a film version of his novel Buffalo of the Night.
ROBERT SALERNO (Producer)
Robert Salerno began a longtime association with actor/filmmaker Billy Bob Thornton at
The Shooting Gallery (TSG), the New York-based independent production and
distribution company, resulting in creative partnerships on several feature films. Their
collaboration began with Mr. Salerno’s work on the Academy Award-winning Sling
Blade and continued with his producing Daddy and Them and All the Pretty Horses
(starring Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz). Mr. Salerno also produced Waking Up in
Reno, in which the actor was directed by Jordan Brady.
Among the other movies he has produced are Chinese Coffee, directed by and starring Al
Pacino (adapted by Ira Lewis from his play of the same name); and Hype Williams’
Belly, starring DMX and Method Man.
Mr. Salerno’s early features as producer included Nell Cox’ Hudson River Blues, Steven
Pearl’s The Substitute 2: School’s Out (starring Treat Williams), and Gary Winick’s The
Tic Code (starring Gregory Hines; as co-producer).
He began his producing career in 1991 in the music industry, working with such artists as
Mariah Carey, Bon Jovi, The Spin Doctors, Aaliyah, and Sinéad O’Connor; and in the
commercials industry, working with such clients as Coca-Cola, Revlon, Sony, and IBM.
Mr. Salerno is currently working with director Rand Ravich on the upcoming New
Regency feature Position.
TED HOPE (Executive Producer)
Ted Hope, together with partners Anthony Bregman and Anne Carey, runs the
independent New York-based feature film production company This is that. This is that
develops and produces a handful of really good projects with very talented writers and
directors.
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This is that was co-founded by Mr. Hope and was formed in the summer of 2002 out of
the production and development arms of the groundbreaking independent film company
Good Machine, which Mr. Hope had co-founded in 1991 with James Schamus.
In its first year, the company has produced, for release by Focus Features, 21 Grams;
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, directed by Michel Gondry, written by Charlie
Kaufman, and starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, and Kirsten Dunst; and The Door in the
Floor, written and directed by Tod Williams (whose screenplay is adapted from John
Irving’s best-selling novel A Widow for One Year), and starring Jeff Bridges, Kim
Basinger, and Jon Foster.
Next up for This is that is Mike Mills’ feature directorial debut, Thumbsucker. Tilda
Swinton, Keanu Reeves, and Vincent D’Onofrio star in Mills’ adaptation of Walter
Kirn’s novel of the same name. Production began in Portland, Oregon in July 2003.
Thumbsucker tells the story of an orally fixated young man and his misadventures with
his family.
Mr. Hope also produced the recently released American Splendor, written and directed by
Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman, and starring Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis.
The feature earned the Grand Jury Prize at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival and
subsequently screened to further acclaim at the 2003 Cannes International Film Festival.
American Splendor marked the 14th of Mr. Hope’s productions to play as Official
Selections at Sundance. The prior year (2002), he had three productions there: Human
Nature, directed by Michel Gondry and written by Charlie Kaufman; Todd Solondz’
Storytelling; and Moisés Kaufman’s Emmy Award-nominated The Laramie Project.
His production of Nicole Holofcener’s Lovely & Amazing earned six Independent Spirit
Award nominations, more than any other 2002 release. He was executive producer of
Todd Field’s In the Bedroom, which earned five Academy Award nominations, including
Best Picture, and numerous other awards and honors.
Mr. Hope has produced, with James Schamus, many of Ang Lee’s films, including Ride
with the Devil, The Ice Storm, Pushing Hands, and the Academy Award-nominated Eat
Drink Man Woman and The Wedding Banquet. He also produced Todd Solondz’ awardwinning Happiness, which he and his Good Machine partners self-distributed.
He was executive producer of two past Grand Jury Prize winners at Sundance, Edward
Burns’ The Brothers McMullen (1995) and Tom Noonan’s What Happened Was…(1994).
He got his start as producer on Hal Hartley’s movies; among the eight features they
collaborated on together were Amateur, Simple Men, and Trust.
During Mr. Hope’s 11 years with Good Machine, the company made over 50 feature and
short films. Good Machine was recently honored with a 10-year retrospective at the
Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
19
His career honors include the 2001 NYC Crystal Apple Award, the 2001 Provincetown
Filmmaker On the Edge Award, the Gotham Producer of the Year Award, and the IFP
Award for Outstanding Achievement in Producing.
Mr. Hope’s proudest accomplishment and production remains Michael Herbert Hope,
who is almost three years old.
RODRIGO PRIETO, A.S.C., A.M.C. (Director of Photography)
Amores perros brought cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto to the attention of the world film
community. His work with director Alejandro González Iñárritu on the feature brought
him several honors, including the Silver Ariel Award (Mexico’s equivalent of the
Academy Award) and the Golden Frog Award at the Camerimage International Film
Festival of the Art of Cinematography.
His subsequent films as cinematographer have included Michael Cristofer’s Original Sin,
Julie Taymor’s Frida (for which he was nominated by his peers, for the American
Society of Cinematographers Award), Curtis Hanson’s 8 Mile, and Spike Lee’s 25th
Hour.
Mr. Prieto traveled to Cuba with director Oliver Stone to shoot Comandante, the
documentary on Fidel Castro. The two next went to the Middle East to film a
documentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Persona Non Grata. Their next project
together is the epic feature Alexander.
He studied at Mexico City’s Centro de Capacitacion Cinematografica. Prior to Amores
perros, he shot 12 Mexican feature films in a decade, winning two previous Silver Ariel
Awards for his work on Carlos Carrera’s Un Embrujo and Daniel Gruener’s
Sobrenatural.
BRIGITTE BROCH (Production Designer)
For her work as set decorator on Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge!, Brigitte Broch won the
Academy Award, shared with art director Catherine Martin. The duo had previously been
jointly Oscar-nominated in the same capacities for their work on the director’s William
Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo + Juliet.’
21 Grams marks Ms. Broch’s third collaboration with Alejandro González Iñárritu,
following their work together on Amores perros and the short film Powder Keg. Her
work on the former brought her a Silver Ariel Award (Mexico’s equivalent of the
Academy Award).
Born in Germany, she emigrated to Mexico in 1968. Her career in art direction began
when she was hired by Mexican director Luis Mandoki to work as production manager
on a documentary for Mexico’s Indigeneous Institute. Her next feature work was on
Guita Schyfter’s Los Caminos de Graham Greene, which led to a dozen more Mexican
20
movies, including Guillermo del Toro’s critically acclaimed Cronos and Alfonso
Cuáron’s debut feature Sólo con tu pareja (a.k.a. Love in the Time of Hysteria). Among
her other credits as production designer are Antonio Serrano’s Sexo, pudor y lágrimas
(for which she also won a Silver Ariel Award) and La Hija del cannibal (a.k.a. Lucia,
Lucia) and Patricia Cardoso’s Real Women Have Curves.
STEPHEN MIRRIONE, A.C.E. (Editor)
Stephen Mirrione won the Academy Award for his work on Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic.
His other feature credits as editor include George Clooney’s Confessions of a Dangerous
Mind, Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven, Jill Sprecher’s Thirteen Conversations
About One Thing and Clockwatchers, and Doug Liman’s Go and Swingers. He is
currently at work on Gregory Jacobs’ Criminal.
MARLENE STEWART (Costume Designer)
Marlene Stewart has been the costume designer for such features as Mary Lambert’s
Siesta, Oliver Stone’s The Doors and JFK, James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment
Day and True Lies, Joel Schumacher’s Falling Down, James L. Brooks’ I’ll Do Anything,
Curtis Hanson’s The River Wild, Beeban Kidron’s To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything,
Julie Newmar, Joe Pytka’s Space Jam, Rob Bowman’s The X-Files, Tony Scott’s Enemy
of the State, Dominic Sena’s Gone in Sixty Seconds, David McNally’s Coyote Ugly,
Michael Mann’s Ali, and Antoine Fuqua’s Tears of the Sun.
She began her career designing women’s clothing and had her own label, Covers. Her
work took her all over Europe. After meeting Madonna, she was invited to design outfits
for several of the singer’s most popular and influential music videos, including “Vogue,”
“Material Girl,” “Like a Prayer,” and “Express Yourself.” She also worked with
Madonna on two movies, Alek Keshishian’s Truth or Dare and Abel Ferrara’s
Dangerous Game.
Ms. Stewart has designed the costumes for concert tours of Cher, Paula Abdul, and
Gloria Estefan. Other performers with whom she has worked, on music videos, include
Janet Jackson, Rod Stewart, Bette Midler, Debbie Harry, Smashing Pumpkins, the
Bangles, and Eurythmics.
She has also designed the costumes for several television commercials, working with
Tony Scott, Mary Lambert, David Bailey, and Joe Pytka, among other directors.
Ms. Stewart has been honored with the Bob Mackie Award for Design.
GUSTAVO SANTAOLALLA (Music)
Gustavo Santaolalla previously collaborated with Alejandro González Iñárritu on Amores
perros, for which he composed the original score (receiving a Silver Ariel Award
21
[Mexico’s equivalent of the Oscar] nomination), and on Mr. Iñárritu’s segment of the
multipart feature 11’9”01.
In 1967, he founded the legendary Arco Iris, the Argentine band that pioneered the fusion
of rock and Latin American folk. In 1981, he released his first solo album, “Santaolalla,”
followed by two more solo projects: 1995’s powerful “GAS” (which featured the hit
“Todo Vale”) and 1998’s instrumental “Ronroco.”
As a producer, Mr. Santaolalla has worked with and developed some of the most
important musical talents in Latin America. If “rock-en-español” is now a Pan-American
global movement, credit is due the top-selling albums that he has produced with Anibal
Kerpel. Through their Surco Records, they have overseen albums by artists including
Molotov, Café Tacuba, Caifanes, Maldita Vecindad, Divididos, Bersuit, La Vela Puerca,
Puya, Arbol, El Otro Yo, Fiebre, Dracma, and Juanes.
A Latin Grammy Award winner in the awards’ inaugural year (in 2000, for producing
Café Tacuba’s “Revés/Yo soy”), he has been nominated several times since, winning
three more in 2003 (including album of the year, for “Un Dia Normal”).
Mr. Santaolalla’s other film work includes advising director Miguel Arteta on the Star
Maps music selections.
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21 Grams
A María Eladia,
Pues cuando ardió la pérdida
Reverdecieron sus maizales
[To María Eladia,
When what was lost was burned,
the corn fields became green again]
The Cast (in order of appearance)
Paul
Cristina
Michael
Katie
Laura
Jack
Boy
Mary
Gynecologist
Rev. John
Fat Man
Basketball Guy
Marianne
Freddy
Gina
Guard
Guard #2
Inmate #1
Inmate #2
Claudia
Caddie #1
Caddie #2
Caddie #3
Al
Brown
Dr. Rothberg
Dolores
Lucio
Cashier
Trish
Receptionist
Cristina’s Father
Sean Penn
Naomi Watts
Danny Huston
Carly Nahon
Claire Pakis
Benicio Del Toro
Nick Nichols
Charlotte Gainsbourg
John Rubinstein
Eddie Marsan
Loyd Keith Salter
Antef A. Harris
Melissa Leo
Marc Thomas Musso
Teresa Delgado
Terry Dee Draper
Tony Guyton
Wayne E. Beech Jr.
Keith Lamont Johnson
Clea DuVall
David Chattam Jr.
John Boyd West
Jeff Schmidt
Tony Vaughn
Paul Calderon
Denis O’Hare
Anastasia Herin
Carlo Alban
Hai Quang Tran
Annie Corley
Sharon Bishop
Jerry Chipman
23
Dr. Jones
Dr. Molina
Dr. Badnews
Barman
Ana
Alan
Friend #1
Friend #2
Female Friend #1
Male Friend #1
Wife
P.I.
Fat Prisoner
Valet
Night Guard
Young Doctor
Doctor
Nurse
County Sheriff
Skinny Woman
Tom Irwin
Roberto Medina
Arita Trahan
Rodney Ingle
Catherine Dent
Kevin H. Chapman
Randall Hartzog
Verda Davenport-Booher
Dorothy Armstrong Miles
Barclay Roberts
Lisa Sanchez
Stephen Bridgewater
Michael Finnell
Juan Corrigan
Charlie B. Brown
Arron Shiver
Pamela Blair
Jennifer Pfalzgraff
Lew Temple
Tricia Branch
Stunt Coordinator
Stunts
Spiro Razatos
Peewee Piemonte
Chris Durand
Chandra Dealessandro
David Graves
Andy Gill
Gilbert Combs
The Crew
Directed by
Written by
Produced by
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Guillermo Arriaga
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Robert Salerno
Ted Hope
Rodrigo Prieto, A.S.C., A.M.C.
Brigitte Broch
Stephen Mirrione, A.C.E.
Marlene Stewart
Gustavo Santaolalla
Francine Maisler, C.S.A.
Guillermo Arriaga
Guillermo Arriaga
in collaboration with
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Executive Producer
Director of Photography
Production Designer
Edited by
Costume Designer
Music by
Casting by
Associate Producer
Story by
24
Unit Production Manager
First Assistant Directors
Robert Salerno
James Hensz
Michael Steele
Kenneth B. Roth
Kiersten Miller
Diane Sabatini
Martin Hernandez
Tim Pedegana
Deborah Riley
Thomas Betts
Eva Z. Cabrera
Diego Quemada-Diez
Second Assistant Directors
Production Supervisor
Supervising Sound Editor
Post-Production Supervisor
Art Director
Set Designer
Script Supervisor
Camera Operator
Second Unit Director of Photography/
Camera Operator
First Assistant “A” Camera
First Assistant “B” Camera
Second Assistant Camera
Loader
Intern – Camera Department
Steadicam Operators
Xavier Perez Grobet
Jay Levy
Glenn D. Kaplan
Lisa Guerriero
Michael Cruickshank
Eduardo Mayen
Mark Karavite
Dave Thompson
Paul Murphey
José A. García
Jonathan Fuh
Andrew Brokmeyer
Robert A. Baumgartner
Peter Walts
Chris Milani
Michael Kelly
Dave Lukasik
David Duren
Anthony Simms
Bradley A. Knopf
Michael Jacobson
Joshua T. Malloy
Joseph Dianda
Bobby Anzures
Dana Anderson
John Farmer
Ted Kennedy
Steve Anderson
Lee T. McLemore
Robert Feldmann
Riki Sabusawa
Mark A. Peterson
Video Assist Operator
Sound Mixer
Boom Operator
Cableman
Gaffer
Best Boy Electric
Lamp Operators
Rigging Gaffer
Rigging Best Boy Electric
Rigging Third Electrics
Key Grip
Best Boy Grip
Grips
Rigging Key Grip
Rigging Best Boy Grip
Costume Supervisors
25
Key Costumer
Costumer
Set Costumers
Holly Davis
Ira M. Hammons
Nancy Collini
Phillip Howard
Brenda Anderson
Luisa Abel
Seamstress
Department Head Makeup Artist
Key Makeup Artist &
Benicio Del Toro Prosthetics
Department Head Hairstylist
Hairstylist
Assistant Editors
Recording Engineer & Music Editor
Music Supervisor
Music Clearance by
Property Master
Assistant Property Master
Props
Animal Wrangler
Special Effects Foreman
Special Effects Technicians
Supervising Production Coordinator
Production Coordinator
Assistant Production Coordinator
Production Secretaries
Location Casting
Location Manager
Assistant Location Manager
Location Assistant
Location Coordinator
Location Scout
Assistant to Mr. González Iñárritu
Research Assistant to Mr. González Iñárritu
Assistant to Mr. Salerno
Assistants to Mr. Penn
Assistant to Ms. Watts
Assistants to Mr. Del Toro
Office Production Assistants
Second Second Assistant Director
26
Vivian Baker
Gail Ryan
Laurel Van Dyke
Douglas Crise
Keith Sauter
Brian Ufberg
Anibal Kerpel
Lynn Fainchtein
Christine Bergren
Cynthia Nibler
Allison Gross
Ed Fitzgerald
Birds & Animals
Kathleen Tonkin
Thomas Kittle
Gary L. Pilkinton
Jennifer Campbell
Steve Cainas
Day Permuy
J. Elizabeth Ingram
Robyn Adams
Sarah Tackett
Len Murach
Damon Gordon
Tony Hernandez
Melinka Thompson-Godoy
Alex Blagg
Corinne Golden Weber
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Megan Moran
Sato Masuzawa
Tyrel Ventura
Annaliese Levy
Jeanett Agaronoff
Janey Bergam
Josh Goode
Robert Saba
Nick Case
Kevin Turley
Key Set Production Assistant
Set Production Assistants
Lynne Martin
Kim McCray
Michele Cusick
Payton Dunham
Matt Weatherly
Mark Norris
Meg Everist
Troy Borisy
Cindy LaJeunesse
Elizabeth Keenan
Tom Gilbert
Kaleo Quenzer
Spencer H. Register
Shan K. Sanford
David Weathers
Joseph Magid
Andria Lisle
Martin Hernández
Roland Thai
Sergio Diaz
Michael Hertlein
Michael Mullane
Robert Getty
Alejandro Quevedo
Christopher Sidor
Un Sung Song
Nerses “Auguste” Gezalyan
Jeffrey Wilhoit
James Moriana
Samuel Mendoza
Ron Bedrosian
Julio Carmona
Barbara Harris
Jon Taylor
Brad Sherman
Matt Colleran
Steve Bartkowicz
Todd –AO Studios Radford
Duke Lim,
Cast Assistant
Production Interns
Set Decorator
Leadman
Buyer
On-Set Dresser
Swing Gang
Art Department Coordinator
Art Department Assistant
Sound Design
Sound Editors
Sound FX Recordist
Sound Recordists
Foley Mixer
Foley Artists
ADR Mixer
ADR Recordist
ADR Voice Casting
Re-Recording Mixers
Recordist
Dubbing Engineer
Re-Recorded Sound at
Post Sound Facility Coordinator
Executive in Charge of Production
Executive in Charge of Post-Production
Construction Coordinator
General Foreman
Shop Foreman
Propmakers
Amy Kaufman
Jeff Roth
Jeffrey Schlatter
Thomas Michael Ryan
Arthur E. Stapleton
Kurt Blondis
Kenneth R. Cole
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Paul R. Lightell
Tommy C. Starkey
Robert Tilson
Roger W. Evans
Paul W. Oliver
Sheila R. Bartlett
George M. Finney
Victor Cook
Gary A. Hardy
Anita Tracy
Tim Dingle
Sherry Trippett
Chris Zimmerman
Sheppard, Mullin,
Richter & Hampton –
Robert Darwell
Epstein, Levinsohn, Bodine,
Hurwitz & Weinstein –
Alison Cohen
Film Finances, LLC
AON/Albert G. Ruben
Mary Sunshine
Jill Rosenblatt
Jennifer Pedevilla
Teresa Lester
Julia Cranston
R.C. Baral & Associates
Paul Murphey
Quentin Donoghue
Jim Sheldon
Merrick Morton, S.M.P.S.P.
Amanda Blackburn
Robert Kyle
Lucas Moore
Jerry Jackson
Tom Moore
Brian Kay
Vicki R. Lybrand
Utility
Charge Painter
Paint Foreman
Paint Gangboss
Painters
Sign Painter
Utility Painter
Standby Painter
Legal Services provided by
Completion Bond provided by
Insurance provided by
Production Accountant
First Assistant Accountant
Payroll Accountant
Second Assistant Accountant
Post-Production Accountant
Video Assist Operator
Unit Publicist
Still Photographers
“Cristina” Stand-In
“Jack” Stand-In
Studio Teacher
Transportation Coordinator
Transportation Captain
L.A. Transportation Captain
Transportation Dispatcher
Drivers
Deborah Bowden
M. Drew Clarke
Russell Davis
Andrew Fiero
William Girard
Walter R. Holmes Jr.
Wende L. Martin
Walker L. Chaney Jr.
Arthur B. Crutcher, Jr.
Steve Driggers
John Anthony Ford
Clark R. Holmes
John Lybrand
Steve Moffitt
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Carole Nance
Margaret Parker
Thurston Prewitt
Candice Rans
Jerry T. Shelton
Robert Nickelberry
Julia P. Prewitt
Eugene Purcell
Walter Reece
Daniel Wiseman
Harold L.Woods
NEW MEXICO CREW
Production Liaison
Office Production Assistant
General Foreman
Propmakers
Delayne Rasmussen
Rachel Srigley
Emanuele Corso
Stephen Bradley
Patrick French
Robert A. House
Billy W. Ray
Asa-Luke Twocrow
James Walton
Daniela Moore
Barbara Lee Brice
Lee Nakagawa
Lou Nelson
John Stearns
Theodore Y. Bott
Hawk Herrera
Josh Steinberg
Lawrence Steinberg
Michael Warren
Lawrence B. McIver
Doug Neal Acton
Dave L. Bethel
Judith H. Jenner
Ulrike Auer-Erdoes
Gustav Alsina
Mona Hamilton
Dan Miller
Michael Nichols
Mark Alan Duran
Mark Hansen
Benjamin Lowney
Katheryn Czark
Johnny Long
Costume Dyer/Distresser
Seamstress
Lamp Operators
Grips
Location Assistant
Medics
Paint Gangbosses
Props
Set Decoration Gang Boss
Swing Gang
Greens
Drivers
Gregory M. Bronner
Ymelda De Vargas
Al Cantu
Jerry Gardner
George A. LeBow
Bill A. Lopez
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James E. Christian
Wayne Elliott
Jesse Esquibel
David Florio
Chris I. Quintana
Kino Quintana
Jesse Romano
Teri Romero
Chris L.Gallegos
Casting Associates
Main and End Credits
Negative Cutter
Stock Footage provided by
Digital Intermediate Sequences by
VP of Technology
Colorist
Digital Intermediate Producer
Manager of Operations
Digital Colorist Assist
Digital Opticals & Visual Effects by
Deluxe Color Timer
Dolby Sound Consultant
Kathy Driscoll-Mohler
Pamela Thomas
Ben Hynum
Susan Van Apeldoorn
Stephanie Beman
Tony Kerum
Tony’s Food Service
Ivan Kerum
Neda Kerum
Miguel M. Perez
Marty Westenburg
David Westenburg
Title House Digital
Paul Tanzillo
Corbis Motion, LLC
EFilm
Bill Feightner
Steve Bowen
Hilda Saffari
Chris Edwards
Ben Estrada
The Howard Anderson Company
Kenny Becker
Trevor Ward
Violin
Bandoneon
Remixes by
Recorded at
Score Produced by
Javier Casalla
Jorge Trivissonno
Sebastian Escofet
La Casa, Los Angeles
Gustavo Santaolalla
Location Casting Assistant
Craft Service
Craft Service Assistant
Caterer
Cook/Drivers
Catering Assistants
SONGS
Can We Get Together
Written by Renee Funderburgh, Anson Funderburgh, and John Street
Performed by Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets
Licensed courtesy of Bullseye Blues & Jazz, a Rounder Records Group label
By arrangement with Ocean Park Music Group
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Back There In My Mind
Written by Marty Jensen
Performed by Scott Eversoll
Courtesy of Marc Ferrari/MasterSource
Low Rider
Written by Sylvester Allen, Harold R. Brown, Morris D. Dickerson, Leroy L. Jordan,
Charles W. Miller, Lee Oskar, Howard Scott, and Harry Goldstein
Performed by WAR
Courtesy of Avenue Records
Cut Chemist Suite
Written by Charles Stewart, Ulises Baldomero Bella, Willy Abers, Jose Ines Espinosa,
William Marrufo, Raul Pacheco, Jr., Justin Poree, Asdrubal Sierra, Jiro Yamaguchi,
Pablo Castorena, Alfredo Ortiz, and Lucas Christian MacFadden
Performed by Ozomatli
Courtesy of Almo Sounds, Inc.
By arrangement with Natural Energy Lab
Cumbia De Los Muertos
Written by Asdrubal Sierra, Charles Stewart, Willy Abers, Raul Pacheco, Jr., Ulises
Baldomero Bella, Jose Ines Espinosa, William Marrufo, Justin Poree, Jiro Yamaguchi,
and Lucas Christian MacFadden
Performed by Ozomatli
Courtesy of Almo Sounds, Inc.
By arrangement with Natural Energy Lab
You’re Losing Me
Written by Ann Sexton
Performed by Ann Sexton
Licensed by Licensemusic.com Aps
Courtesy of Excel Music Inc.
Some Devil
Music and Lyrics by David J. Matthews
Performed by Dave Matthews
Courtesy of The RCA Records Label, a unit of BMG
Under License from BMG Film & Television Music
“La Tierra Giro Para Acercarnos”
Poem by Eugenio Montejo
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Thank you, thank you, thank you,
John Lesher
Los amo siempre um pelo más…
María Eladia “Chiquiuiui” González
Eliseo “Peter Parker” González
Ernesto Bolio, gracias siempre
Special Thanks
David Linde
James Schamus
Stacey Snider
Raul Olvera
Thanks
Pelayo Guttierez
Bruce Ramer
Dave Matthews
Modi Wiczyk
Christopher Donnelly
Patrick Whitesell
Adriene Bowles
Ilene Feldman
Rick Yorn
Rick Nicita
Kathy Nelson
Alfonso Cuáron
Rodrigo Garcia
Carlos Hagerman
Ricardo Hagerman
Mickey Rutman
Tina Chew
Myles Bender
Armando Iñárritu
Maru Arriaga
Santiago Arriaga
Steve Golin
Jeff Mandell
Corinne Golden Weber
Tom McGuire
Ariel Emanuel
Elyse Scherz
David Brooks
Bryan Lourd
Brian Gersh
Jason Weinberg
Carlos Cuáron
Eliseo Alberto
Antonio Urrútia
Jose Luis García Agraz
María Eladia González
Tammy Anderson
Dave Morrison
Blair Green
Jose Ibarra
Marianna Arriaga
Pablo Collado
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Joaquin González
Pedro Rosenbleuth
Lucero Gutierrez
Mimi Gitlin
Walter Bailey
Scott Blake
Bo Hyde
Dr. Susan Murrmann
Robyn Tucker
Sharon Fox O’Guin
Sarah Biondi
Adam Friedman
Lorenzo Vigas
Patricio Saiz
Amelia Arriaga
Carolina Rivera
Endeavor
Pablo Rovalo
Rosalba Nogueda
Jules Daly
Thom Baker
D’Army Bailey
Todd Carter
Dr. Raymon Ke
Dr. Phillip Schoettle
Lucinda Williams
Linn Sitler
Manuel Teil
Patricia Arriaga
Monica Abin
Carlos Arriaga
Lorena Perez Jacome
Anonymous Content
Universal
Z Film
The Memphis Film Commission
The New Mexico Film Commission
The City of Albuquerque Police Department
And last but not least…
Luz Maria Iñárritu
Hector González Gama
Digital Motion Picture Laboratory Services by
LaserPacific
Color by
Camera and Lenses by
Deluxe Laboratories
Rocky Mountain Motion Pictures
Running Time: 125 minutes
Dolby SR/SRD/DTS, in selected theaters
Aspect Ratio: 1:85/1 [Flat]
MPAA Rating: R (for language, sexuality, some violence, and drug use)
www.21-grams.com
A Focus Features Release
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