September 2007 – Latino heartthrob Eduardo Verástegui is no stranger to the spotlight. Having spent the early years of his career as a successful model, actor and pop star, Verástegui made ladies swoon as he garnered quite a following of fans in Mexico and the United States. The actor’s signature good looks still describe him but they no longer define him as Verástegui takes to the big screen this October as a changed man. 

Verástegui plays the role of José in Bella, an independently produced life-changing love story centered on an unwanted pregnancy. Verástegui’s life is a parallel to José’s life in that both men lost everything but wound up gaining it all. This role is one way Verástegui is telling the world that he is no longer a sex symbol but rather a sinner saved by grace. 

“He [the director] wrote this film to [fit] me because he wanted to … destroy the stereotype I had before,” Verástegui told AFA Journal during a recent trip to AFA headquarters in Tupelo, Mississippi. 

While he can’t change his past or erase the remnants of a career rooted in pop culture, Verástegui can begin anew, and he is doing just that by seeking to live a life that brings glory to Christ – right in the middle of Hollywood. 

“It is clear to me [now] that I wasn’t born to be a movie star,” Verástegui said. “I wasn’t born to be famous. I wasn’t born to be a CEO of a company. I was … born to know and to love and to serve Jesus Christ.” 

The old and the new
Verástegui grew up in a small town in Mexico, and when he was 18 he moved to Mexico City to pursue his dream of being an actor and a singer. He spent three-and-a-half years traveling all over Latin America as a member of the successful boy band Kairo. He made his debut as an actor in Mexican soap operas, which were seen in over 50 countries, according to Wikipedia.org. 

“In Mexico, if you are an actor and you want to make a living as an actor, … you either do soap operas or soap operas,” Verástegui said with a laugh. 

So that is what he did prior to coming to the U.S. where he launched his career as a solo music artist and was later cast in a 20th Century Fox film. He then moved to Los Angeles and began immersing himself in the American culture and English language. 

In a quest for success and notoriety, he did it all. 

“I started compromising all of the values that my parents taught me to the point that I lost perspective of what is good and what is bad,” Verástegui admitted. “Even though … I believed in God, I had no transformation.”

After 12 years in the entertainment industry, Verástegui realized he was empty – thanks to his English teacher whom the Lord used to change his heart.

His teacher was a devout Christian and as she taught him English, she also questioned him about the purpose of his life. 

“Why do you want to be an actor? Why are you doing what you’re doing?” she would ask Verástegui. 

After six months of conversation, God did a work in Verástegui, and he was broken over the sin in his life. He came to the stark realization that he had used his talents in projects that were poisonous to society, while hurting his family, himself and others in the process.

“But the one thing that broke my heart was when I realized that I offended God with talent that He gave me,” he added. “And it is the most painful moment in my life because I was 28 years old and handsome and I saw myself in a place where everything was so clear.

“It was a moment of grace where He revealed all the things that I was doing with my life. And thank God that He is a God of forgiveness.” 

Christ changed Verástegui’s heart and became the center of his life, which could have meant the end of his career as an entertainer. But that didn’t matter to Verástegui. 

“The price of changing my path was that I was never going to be able to work again,” he admitted. “I was at peace with that.” 

In fact, Verástegui made a commitment to never be part of a project that would compromise his faith or values. As a result, he didn’t work as an actor for four years prior to Bella because “as an actor it’s very hard to control the message [of a film] from A to Z. The only way you can do it is if you become a producer.”

So Verástegui wanted to leave Hollywood completely. He wanted to run away to the jungles of Brazil to do missionary work among the poor and to discern God’s will for his life. But he soon found he could be a missionary without skipping the country. God used a friend to convince Verástegui that Hollywood was a bigger jungle where believers are needed to share the light of Christ. 

“He convinced me to stay there even though it didn’t make any sense, …” Verástegui said. “[And] … that is when I was inspired to open up a production company to make films that will not only entertain but will make a difference … and light a candle in the hearts of people.” 

The movie and the crew
In 2004, the Three Amigos, as they call themselves – Verástegui, Alejandro Monteverde and Leo Severino, created Metanoia Films, which is now owned by these three men plus Sean Wolfington and Eustace Wolfington. 

“I didn’t know anything about the industry, I had never financed a film, I hadn’t even seen a script – but I knew within five minutes of our first meeting that we were going to give Bella a green light,” Wolfington said. “So my business partner and I put up the funding, and we all got along so well we decided to become permanent partners in Metanoia Films and to finance future projects.”

Metanoia is a Greek word that literally means conversion – “a change of heart or mind; a turning from darkness to light,” Severino said. 

“When we were thinking of names it was the perfect choice because each of us had experienced great transformations in our lives, both personally and professionally,” Serverino explained. “It also describes our mission of making quality films that not only entertain, but inspire people to live better lives, to love more and to be light in an often dark world.” 

According to Verástegui, Metanoia Films wants to use media to speak the truth. It is carrying out its mission with Bella – the first of a several films planned by the company. Bella was inspired by several true stories and was filmed in 24 days in New York on a three million dollar budget. Yet it won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival – one of the largest film festivals in the world. 

“In Toronto you have a wonderful and diverse mix of people from different backgrounds and beliefs,” Monteverde said, “and the fact that they chose Bella for the biggest award says a lot about our film’s broad appeal.” 

Other films that have received this honor have gone on to win Oscars. 

But an Oscar is not the motivation behind this film. Rather, its purpose is to change the lives of hurting souls, which has already begun happening among viewers who have screened the film. 

“But Bella is a film that appeals to everyone,” Monteverde explained. “The themes of love and sacrifice and family, the hope for a second chance in life after we’ve made mistakes – those desires are universal” and presented in a powerful way.  

Bella Review by Rebecca Grace
From Metanoia Films comes Bella, the story of José, a washed up pro athlete, who reaches out to Nina, a young waitress whose world is crashing down around her. The two spend a day together in New York, and it changes both of their lives forever as José shows Nina the importance of family, life and love while trying to come to grips with a haunting past of his own. 

It’s a story of healing as both grapple with life-changing decisions in the midst of the unexpected, while an innocent life hangs in the balance. It’s a film that defies the norms of Hollywood and is a profound illustration about the impact one life can have on another.

Bella has a Latino flare to it and delivers a realistic depiction of the close-knit Hispanic culture. The traditional family is portrayed in a very positive way as is the topic of adoption. The film is emotionally engaging and contains no sex or nudity. The timeline of the film can be confusing at times, so it’s important for viewers to see it through to the end, where it wraps up in an amazingly touching way.

It’s important to note that Bella does deal with an unwanted pregnancy and the issues that surround that – such as abortion. It is rated PG-13 for thematic elements and brief disturbing images. There is a small amount of blood shown in a scene that depicts a tragedy. 

There are elements of smoking and drinking in the film, along with one reference to drug use. The film contains two crude terms and one instance in which a profanity is implied. 

Due to the theme of the film, AFA does not think it is suitable for young children. But for those mature enough to handle the unexpected trials of life, Bella is an impressionistic film with a subtle but powerful message that will make your heart smile.

Bella is set to release in October in select theaters nationwide. More information is available at www.bellamoviesite.com.