Cartagena (French: L'homme de chevet) is a 2009 French drama film directed by Alain Monne and starring Sophie Marceau, Christopher Lambert, and Margarita Rosa de Francisco. Based on the novel L'Homme de chevet by Eric Holder, with a screenplay by Alain Monne and Nathalie Vailloud, the film is about a beautiful, free-spirited woman who becomes bedridden following a terrible accident. Against her better judgement, she hires a drunk middle-aged former boxer to cook and care for her. Although unqualified for the position, he is desperate to work, and slowly he wins the trust of the woman, who teaches him how to read by introducing him to the works of Charles Bukowski. Through his help, she is forced to consider the potential happiness that awaits her in the outside world.
Cartagena was filmed on location in Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia.
The actor Christopher Lambert spent six months in Cartagena training with coach Anibal Gonzalez during his preparation for the role.
Cast
Sophie Marceau as Muriel
Christopher Lambert as Léo
Margarita Rosa de Francisco as Lucia
Rodolfo De Souza as Valdes
Linett Hernandez Valdes as Lina
Salvatore Basile as Le kinésithérapeute
Elizabeth del Carmen Bonilla Isaza as Infirmière remplaçante
Yamile Cardenas Moreno as Fille blonde coup de poing
Hancel Gonzalez Forero as L'enfant rêve
Anibal Gonzalez Parra as Ami Léo
Diogenes Guerra Miranda as Ecrivain public
Julian Iragorri as Homme bagarre
Juliana Morales Uribe as Fille blonde
Nelson Pallares Narvaez as L'enfant crocodiles
Alberto Thiele Cenzato as Homme bagarre
Angelica Vargas as Fille blonde
Eparkio Vega as Vendeur de livres