During this time of unrest, with fierce political polarization, division, and uncertainty, a voice of unity, love, and peace is needed. Someone to dazzle and captivate us with a message of hope. Someone to tell us everything will be alright. Now more than ever, the world needs Walter Mercado.
As a queer man growing up in Miami, Tabsch found camradery seeing Walter on TV because it assured him he was not alone in being different. He recalls teasingly asking if Walter was a minimalist. “No,” Walter responded, “I am a maximalist!” Very proud, with his own sense of beauty, Walter was always extra. “He radiated confidence—how he felt, and how he made other people feel,” Tabsch says, “this was his way of showing admiration and respect for his audience.”
Tabsch and Costantini feel fortunate that Netflix helps amplify Latino voices. When asked what he would say to a Chicago audience, Tabsch replies, “If you want to continue seeing stories that represent you on screen, support them, watch them—this film was made by a Midwesterner, a Latino, a queer man—those are three big populations. That’s Chicago right there!”
