Local Katy actor Alfred Castillo is no stranger to performing. He has appeared in many television commercials and starred in nearly 300 local/regional/national commercials, web videos and industrials.
To top off his impressive resume, Castillo has also worked as a model on more than 30 Print projects and has played roles in nearly 30 feature/short films including Walk by Faith, Closer to Home, Joy Comes in the Morning, Pastor’s Daughters and Beyond the Vows, all of which can be found on Amazon Prime.
But Castillo found it increasingly difficult to find work as an actor without compromising his Christian faith in the secular world of Hollywood, so he produced his first motion picture, “La Cadena.”
No Hollywood big budget. No big-name actors or actresses. No glamorous special effects. What La Cadena lacks in those categories, it makes up for in the beautiful and hard-hitting simplicity of the script.
La Cadena focuses on a shy and quiet Houston construction worker named Ricardo. Ricardo is a Christian who seeks to honor Christ through his faith, while enduring the small cruelties of life. He regularly experiences jabs and mocking by his co-workers, including his boss.
About halfway to a job that was over three hours away, Ricardo’s boss realized that he left the chain, or in Spanish, “la Cadena,” at their house.
No chain means no payday for Ricardo or his crew. While the rest of the crew played the blame game, Ricardo had a noble idea, “let’s pray.”
That’s enough spoilers! My kiddos hate me when I give “spoiler alerts,” so to see what happens next, you’ll just have to watch it on Amazon Prime!
What makes La Cadena so loveable is that Castillo, in his first directed motion picture, kept the script pure and uncomplicated. It’s a story of hope. You cannot feel anything but immersed in Ricardo’s life. A simple construction worker held true to his faith and values, while suffering ridicule from those he worked with. And in the end, the Lord rewarded his resilience.
La Cadena is in Spanish with English subtitles and is available on Amazon Prime. Katy Christian Magazine gives the movie five “Thumbs up.”
