Spain, 1937. A young republican officer named Ramon Mercader is recruited by the Soviet espionage service to participate in a top secret mission ordered by Stalin himself to assassinate Leon Trotsky who he considers a traitor.
After a time of preparation in Russia, Ramón leaves his current life and travels to Paris under the new identity of a wealthy Belgian named Jacques Mornard. In Paris he meets Sylvia, a young Trotskyist who will soon be seduced by Jacques.
In 1940, they join in Mexico, country where Trotsky lives exiled. Ramón argues he refuges in Mexico from the War in Europe. Sylvia works as Trotsky’s secretary. Not knowing the true plans of her beloved, Sylvia introduces Jacques to her inner circle.
“The Chosen” is an exciting story of espionage, betrayal and suspense that takes place in one of the most convulsive periods of the Twentieth Century. The film tells the conspiracy plotted by Stalin to destroy the only man who could change the course of the Revolution.
My relationship with Mexico started producing “Aro Tolbukhin” in 2002 followed by other Monica Lozano mexican co-productions.-We thought of a topic that could involve both countries.
There emerged the story of Ramon Mercader, a young spanish comunist. In 1937 his mother forced him to abandon the front lines . A year later he appeared in Paris working for the soviet GPU as a spy. This start point of the story became an obsession for both producers.
The time chosen was clue. At the begining of 1940 the War caused destruction and millions of deads. At the same time, some dreamed of ideals to be part of all. One of them was certainly Mercader.
This story remarks the power of the protagonists causes, so much so, that they are ready to carry out the most evil things to get their goals. Dogmatism is the engine and the killer of individuals.
Nevertheless, I think few times human factor intervenes so decisively in the events. It is also important for the story a possessive mother flashed by glory as well as the enloved trusted lover Silvia Ageloff. The great paradoxe is that a cold planned conspiration in the end depended on purely human and emotional reactions.
I have always recognised that the protagonists of the film are the real writers of it. They choose the path and make it next or distant, believable or false…This is the reason why the correct selection of the right actors and actresses is so decisive and delicate to me. That is why we made an extensive search troughout countries an cities to get the most convincing ones.
Certainly, the most difficult choise was the spy Mercader. Alfonso Herrera has both body and charm as well as force and intuition to create a very complex Mercader. Another discovery for me was Hanna Murray. Behind a fragile appearance there was a strong temper tragic character that sensibly depicted the opposite sides of a world of treasons and honesty .
The rest of the staff came from different places. Elvira Minguez recreates a perfect and complex mother. I also had the privilege of working with the british Henry Goodman, Emilio Echevarria, Roger Casamajor and Julian Sands.
Their great interpretations made the film alive.
After months of searching and weeks of rehearsals finally we started shooting the film… One day of August of 1940 an unknown young coming from Barcelona put an end to the life of the man with enough prestige and authority to face Stalin. That death closed both any possibility for the Soviet Union to change her destiny as well as History real events developed afterwards.
