The 83rd Venice Film Festival has brought together an extraordinary convergence of international cinematic talent, and among the standout arrivals is Puerto Rican global superstar Ricky Martin. Traveling to the prestigious Mostra—which runs from September 2nd through September 12th—Martin stepped onto the festival circuit as a member of the ensemble cast for Hombre al agua. The new feature film is directed by acclaimed Mexican actor and filmmaker Gael García Bernal and is screening out of competition at the historic Italian event.
Speaking with the international news agency EFE on the sidelines of the festival, Martin discussed his creative life with a striking level of candor. Now 54 years old, the singer, songwriter, and actor reflected on a career that has spanned more than three decades across multiple languages, continents, and mediums. During the conversation, he described storytelling as his ultimate refuge—the fundamental space where he feels most authentically himself, regardless of whether he is expressing that narrative through music, theater, television, or film.
Hombre al agua features a narrative rich in irony, identity, and psychological layers. The film tells the story of a Cuban lifeguard whose life undergoes an abrupt and radical transformation after he rescues a wealthy Mexican businessman. Following the rescue, the lifeguard goes to work for the businessman and eventually marries his daughter, only to discover that the luxurious new reality he has stepped into is not what it appears to be on the surface. Gael García Bernal steps in front of the camera to play the central role of the lifeguard, grounding the picture with his characteristic intensity.
Meanwhile, Martin takes on a fascinating supporting role as an actor who is hired by the protagonist’s wife to portray her husband in a biographical production. Operating as a film within a film, the concept introduces a meta-narrative structure that immediately caught Martin’s attention. The layered premise aligns seamlessly with the performer’s long-standing appetite for creative projects that allow him to simultaneously play with themes of identity, performance, and illusion.
The timing of the film’s presence at the Venice Film Festival also places Martin alongside other major Spanish-speaking cinematic heavyweights. Fellow international stars Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem are also present at the same festival, competing with their film Bunker. The strong Latin American and Spanish-language representation at this year’s Mostra highlights the growing global reach and critical weight of stories originating from or featuring talent from the region.
The Role That Only Took One Day to Film
Despite the intricate conceptual layers of Hombre al agua, Martin’s actual time on set was remarkably concise. The artist revealed that his scenes for the film were completed in just a single day of shooting. Rather than diminishing his connection to the project, the brevity of the schedule seemed to amplify his enthusiasm. He described the entire filmmaking process as genuinely fun, reserving high praise for Gael García Bernal’s directorial style.
According to Martin, working under García Bernal was an exceptionally enjoyable experience because of the director’s collaborative approach. He credited the filmmaker with establishing a clear, efficient production structure while simultaneously granting his actors the freedom to play, experiment, and contribute their own creative instincts to the scenes. When asked what prompted him to accept the role, Martin noted that the decision was never in doubt. It was an opportunity he stated he would never have considered turning down.
Furthermore, Martin expressed a deep appreciation for the finished product, noting that the film continues to reveal new facets and meanings every time he watches it. This layered complexity, he suggested, rewards repeated viewing in a way that simpler, more conventional productions rarely manage. For an artist who has spent thirty years navigating the rigorous demands of pop stardom, television, and film across global markets, the ability to instantly recognize a project with lasting artistic integrity is a skill he has carefully cultivated throughout his professional life.
Storytelling as the Thread That Runs Through Everything
To truly understand Martin’s diverse and enduring career, one must examine his perspective on storytelling as the unifying thread of his professional identity. During his conversation with EFE, he emphasized that discovering vulnerability is the key to convincing an audience of any lived or witnessed experience. Rather than aiming purely to entertain, Martin expressed a desire to spark genuine conversations through that vulnerability, using his art to connect with people on a deeper human level.
As the voice behind monumental global pop anthems such as “María,” “La Copa de la Vida,” and “Livin’ la Vida Loca,” Martin has spent decades demonstrating that his creative ambitions extend far beyond the boundaries of traditional pop music. His appearance at the Venice Film Festival alongside Gael García Bernal serves as yet another clear data point in that ongoing artistic evolution.
Martin elaborated on his desire to continuously seek out new stories, create his own narratives, and adopt the stories of others as his own. He views music, film, theater, and literature not as separate, isolated silos, but as equally valid containers for the exact same creative impulse. Whether he is publishing books, performing on theatrical stages, or accepting select film roles, every endeavor feeds the same underlying artistic hunger. Martin speaks about this remarkable continuity with an ease that suggests he stopped needing to justify the expansive range of his interests a long time ago.
On Parenthood and Staying Open
One of the most reflective and personal moments of Martin’s interview with EFE centered on the profound influence of parenthood in his life and work. He discussed how raising his children has played a vital role in keeping him both intellectually and emotionally open to the world around him. Reflecting on his own personal growth, Martin noted that the decisions he made a decade ago bear little resemblance to the choices he makes today, attributing much of that internal shift to the daily recalibration required by fatherhood.
He explained that his children regularly present him with fresh perspectives, unexpected questions, and novel stories that challenge his existing assumptions. Rather than resisting these challenges, Martin embraces them as essential catalysts for personal and intellectual growth. He observed that artists can frequently fall into the trap of extreme rigidity, making the conscious choice to stay open both a creative and a personal necessity.
The 83rd Venice Film Festival—showcasing some of the most anticipated and critically acclaimed films of the year—provides an ideal backdrop for Martin to articulate these values. His willingness to dedicate a single day to filming a supporting role in a peer’s independent project simply because the creative invitation felt right is a living expression of that openness. As Hombre al agua makes its rounds at the Mostra, the conversations surrounding Martin’s performance and his artistic priorities suggest that his creative instincts remain as sharp and deliberate as ever.
