Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes
“I find myself remembering that my father used to say that everyone has three lives: the public, the private, and the secret.”
On a weekday morning in March 2014, Gabriel García Márquez, one of the most acclaimed writers of the twentieth century, came down with a cold.
In this intimate and honest account on grief and death, Rodrigo Garcia not only contemplates his father’s mortality and remarkable humanity, but also his mother’s tremendous charm and tenderness. Mercedes Barcha, Gabo’s constant companion and creative muse, was one of the foremost influences on his life and art.
A Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes is a revelatory portrait of a family coping with loss and a rich depiction of a son’s love.
Rodrigo Garcia was born in Colombia, grew up in Mexico City, and now lives in Los Angeles with his family. He studied history at Harvard University before becoming a screenwriter and director. His theatrical films include Nine Lives, Albert Nobbs, and Last Days in the Desert, and he has directed episodes of Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, and the pilot of Big Love, for which he received an Emmy nomination. He was a writer, executive producer, and series showrunner for HBO’s In Treatment, and directed several of the series’ episodes.