With all the fuss over El Tri, it’s easy to forget that Mexico is also one of the world’s great baseball nations. Sure, they may have finished 2013’s World Baseball Classic in 11th place behind Taiwan, South Korea, and Italy, but that doesn’t detract from La Tierra del Nopal’s genuine passion for the (inter)national pastime. From the Diablos Rojos of Mexico City to the Sultanes of Monterrey, Mexico has a long history with the game, stretching back to 1925. It’s about time they get in on the beloved genre of inspirational baseball flicks.
Local production house La Fábrica de Cine thought so too, and with the help of the Mexican Film Institute, they managed to get the necessary financial backing for the upcoming feature 108 Costuras, whose title references the characteristic stitching of a baseball. Falling right in line with La Fábrica de Cine’s stated mission of creating films with a “universal, inspirational message,” 108 Costuras is a family-oriented story about “friendship and the pursuit of one’s dreams.” It was co-written and produced by certified baseball fan Gastón Pavlovich, and directed by Fernando Kalife.
The plot follows the story of two best friends who dreamt of being baseball stars since childhood, from their youth to adolescence and into adulthood. Through a winning combination of God-given talent and hard work, the two come ever closer to achieving their dream, until a secret tests the strength of their friendship.
The film’s point of departure is the 2013 Caribbean Series, when Mexico’s Yaquis de Obregón came out triumphant after slogging through a brutally competitive series that pitted them against the Domincan Republic’s perennially dominant Leones del Escogido in the finals. For MLB fans, the film will also feature L.A. Dodgers superstar and transborder Mexican-American Adrián González. Mexican audiences will also recognize actors Kuno Becker and former Miss Universe Ximena Navarrete.
It may be easy to watch, but with precedents like Angels in the Outfield, A League of Their Own, and Field of Dreams, this one’s got box-office gold written all over it. 108 Costuras should be hitting theaters in 2016.
