Filming has begun on Am I The Wave?, a screen adaptation of Francisco Goldman’s acclaimed memoir-novel Say Her Name that follows a transnational love story cut short by a sudden tragedy. The production promises a literary, emotionally intense drama that ties together Brooklyn and Mexico City — and arrives at a moment when audiences and awards voters are increasingly attentive to cross-border storytelling.
Directed by Mexican auteur Alejandra Márquez Abella, the English-language feature casts Manuel García‑Rulfo and Renata Vaca in the lead roles. García‑Rulfo, known for The Lincoln Lawyer and recent studio work, and Vaca, whose profile rose with K‑POP: The Debut, play the writers at the heart of Goldman’s narrative.
The project dramatizes Goldman’s real-life relationship with Mexican writer Aura Estrada, following two novelists whose lives intersect across New York and Mexico before a single incident on an Oaxacan beach changes everything. Márquez Abella co-wrote the script with Academy Award nominee Scott B. Smith and Goldman himself.
- Title: Am I The Wave?
- Source material: Say Her Name by Francisco Goldman
- Director / co-writer: Alejandra Márquez Abella
- Screenplay: Scott B. Smith, Alejandra Márquez Abella, Francisco Goldman
- Leads: Manuel García‑Rulfo, Renata Vaca
- Locations: Brooklyn and Mexico City (with key scenes set on Oaxaca’s coast)
- Financing & support: EFICINE grant, Jalisco state tax incentives, arranged by UTA Independent Film Group
- Sales: UTA handling domestic sales; FilmNation Entertainment managing international rights
Márquez Abella arrives with a strong festival track record: her earlier films premiered at Toronto and Berlin and received multiple Ariel Award nominations and wins — credentials that help position Am I The Wave? as both an intimate drama and a title with festival potential.
The producing team brings international experience. Producers include Juan de Dios Larraín of Fabula Films, William Horberg of Wonderful Films and Zak Kilberg, with executive producers from Fabula, Foton Pictures and Irreversible Pictures among others. Obsidian Creek is also attached in an executive capacity.
Producers and the director emphasize the film’s cultural bridging: it’s being developed as a story about love, grief and mutual understanding between two creative communities. In public comments, Márquez Abella framed the film as an attempt to reclaim emotional connection in polarizing times and to tell a romance that links two distinct cultural worlds without flattening either one.
From an industry perspective, the project is notable for its mix of American and Mexican creative leadership, its public funding through EFICINE, and the use of state tax credits — a financing model increasingly common for bilingual, cross-border productions. That structure could make the film an important case study in how literary adaptations secure international financing and distribution today.
Why this matters to viewers: the story pairs a high-profile literary origin with filmmakers who have both festival credibility and mainstream experience, suggesting the finished film could reach cinephile audiences while attracting broader attention through streaming or theatrical release. For Mexican cinema, the collaboration further highlights how local incentives and international partnerships are fueling projects with global reach.
Practical details for the trade and press:
- Lead representation: Talent and creative reps for principal players are handled by several major agencies and management firms across the U.S. and Mexico.
- Distribution path: Domestic sales through UTA; FilmNation holds international sales rights.
- Current status: Principal photography is underway; no release date has been announced.
As production progresses, the film will be one to watch for those tracking literary adaptations, Mexican filmmaking on the international stage, and the evolving partnerships that bring bilingual, transnational stories to global audiences.
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Hello, I’m Declan. I share my film reviews and discoveries with you to enrich your moviegoing experience.