‘Bless Me, Ultima’ novel to be made into movie in New Mexico; filming to start in October

New Mexico novel headed to big screen

SANTA FE, N.M. — A film based on New Mexico author Rudolfo Anaya’s novel, “Bless Me, Ultima” will shoot in the Santa Fe area beginning in October.

The production is expected to hire 150 New Mexico residents for the cast and crew.

“Bless Me, Ultima” chronicles the coming-of-age story of Antonio, a young boy growing up in New Mexico during World War II, and his relationship with Ultima, an elderly traditional Hispanic healer, or curandera.

The novel was one of 30 books selected for The Big Read, a National Endowment for the Arts initiative designed to revitalize the role of literary reading in American popular culture. It also was selected to be included in the 2009 United States Academic Decathlon.

Gov. Bill Richardson announced the film last week.