Las Tres Sisters is in theaters today, and it's a must-see—touching, hilarious, and, like any movie with themes of cancer, at times heartbreaking. Facing the realities of life’s ups and downs, three estranged sisters reunite to complete their beloved grandmother’s pilgrimage through rural Mexico, with one hoping for a miracle.
With an old map, no hiking experience, bad shoes, and lives unraveling, their journey on the Talpa de Allende trail is filled with hilarious and all-too-relatable sibling moments, drama, and love. Written by Virginia Novello, Marta Méndez Cross, and Valeria Maldonado, who are also the leads in the film, along with producer Youssef Delara, it's a story that will pull at your heartstrings and make you shed a tear from both sadness and laughter.
"I lost my mom to cancer two days after we finished shooting, and this team literally held me through that night."
But beyond the humor and adventure, the film’s message runs deep, touching on themes of grief, healing, and the unexpected ways miracles appear in our lives. Valeria opened up about her personal connection to the story, sharing, “I lost my mom to cancer two days after we finished shooting, and this team literally held me through that night."
I shared how I recently lost my father to cancer, and Valeria empathized before opening up about the message of the film, "Sometimes what we think are miracles —like in our case, having our parents heal from cancer—but maybe the miracle is someplace else, maybe the miracle is in what they left you in life, is in the relationship with your siblings. For me it's in this that's happening right now."
"There are miracles all the time and I think if we sometimes let go of the expectation of what we think the miracle should be, the miracle can surprise us in a very, very different and probably better way sometimes," she continued.
"Sometimes we’re looking for a specific miracle, but the journey itself is the miracle."
Executive producer Cristo Fernández stars as Kin, a local with a dark past who joins their journey and begins his own road to healing. There is a line in the film, "lo que pasó, pasó," which means, "What happened, happened."
This Spanish saying resonates with Cristo, who joined Guadalajara's Club Deportivo Estudiantes but was forced to give up his dreams as a professional soccer player after a knee injury at the age of 15 ended his career. "Sometimes we’re looking for a specific miracle, but the journey itself is the miracle. I wanted to be a soccer player, and when injuries ended my career, it felt like the worst thing that could happen."
After finding his new love—acting, and filmmaking—he shares, "But years later, I see how that moment led me here—it's one of the reasons I’m part of Las Tres Sister, sharing this incredible journey. Sometimes the hardest moments turn out to be the best because the miracle is in the journey itself."
Bringing this story to life was a labor of love for the cast and creative team, who not only acted in the film but also co-wrote and produced it. That level of collaboration fostered an unbreakable bond. “I don’t know how to do something by myself anymore,” Marta Méndez, who plays Maria, shared in a group interview with HOLA!.
“We’ve received so much support from each other. Whether it was late-night writing sessions where my co-writers stayed up with me while I put my kids back to bed or Cristo bringing us to London for the opening of our film at Raindance, it’s been such a community effort. All I can say is love—I have so much love for this group.”
Each of the actors plays a unique character that was loosely based on their real personas, but parts of them have lingered since the movie wrapped. “I’ve become more of a natural medicine dude. I believe in plants. I believe in cold showers. And I think I’ve embraced being more chill," Cristo said.
Valeria, who plays Lucia, adds, “I’ve stopped being ashamed of my Type A tendencies and started seeing them as a superpower. It’s helped me push through and get this movie across the finish line.”
Meanwhile, Virginia found more freedom. “I love Sophia. She’s just fun. She’s carefree, and I loved tapping into that energy—just going where life takes you without overthinking everything," she shared.