Stepping into Barbara’s shoes
Mexican actor Barbara Mori confesses that her looks have played a double role of sorts in her career. “It may have opened doors for me but to meet the expectations as an actor has been twice as hard,” says Mori. However, the 47-year-old actor proves naysayers wrong with her performance as a mother, challenging the odds in Mariana Chennillo’s Lucca’s World on Netflix.
Mori steps into the shoes of Argentinian journalist and activist Barbara Anderson, whose unwavering determination and pursuit in seeking treatment for her son suffering from cerebral palsy was chronicled in the self-authored Lucca’s World.
The film recounts Anderson and her family’s many challenges and eventual trip to India to seek experimental therapy for their son Lucca. Calling the role and the film a big responsibility, Mori recalls meeting the real-life Barbara Anderson on several occasions to get to know the extraordinary woman.
“I wanted to understand and grasp her drive. What made Anderson do what she does and not give up even when everyone else, including the doctors, told her she cannot imagine a future with Lucca? But there is something that drives her to believe in the impossible. Anderson’s journey is as powerful as it is inspiring,” she says.
Anderson and her husband (played by American actor Juan Pedro Medina) had spared no costs when it came to the treatment of their son. In 2016, Anderson learnt about Indian scientist Rajah Kumar and his development of a neurogenetic treatment using Crytotron.
Even as doctors back home called Lucca’s situation irreversible, Anderson sought Kumar to treat her son. Lucca became one of the first children to get treated by Kumar in 2017 and 2019. Not stopping at Lucca’s treatment, Anderson championed bringing Crytotron to Mexico and is now an advocate for people suffering from disabilities.
Mori says she found resonance with her namesake, having battled early-stage cancer herself. “Here was a woman who had immense self-belief, even when faced with the most challenging of situations. She believed in seeing the light beyond the tunnel and that’s one thing that I have always done in my life.” Mori had spoken about her battle against cancer in the American documentary drama 1 a Minute, along with several other survivors.
Lucca’s World also brought her back to India, a dozen years after her Bollywood debut opposite Hrithik Roshan in Kites. The film’s massive box office failure in 2010 may have marked the end of her rather brief innings in Hindi cinema, but Barbara says she is game for another shot in B-town.
“It felt incredible being back; a delightful experience shooting this movie and visiting India again. I would love to do a Bollywood film if there is an opportunity. Please call me,” she says with a smile.
Making her debut as a model at the age of 14, Barbara became a prolific name in Latin telenovelas through the late 90s and early 2000s. However, she chose to step away from television, focus on building her career in films, and diversify as an actor.
“I stopped doing television because the focus was always on my looks. It was a real struggle to prove my credentials as an actor. I wanted to be as distant from the sexy image that I was known for,” she adds.