If you’ve ever read a report that made you feel any semblance of emotion, you better believe that there is a team of Hollywood executives out there trying to turn that report into a movie. This is the case with Blue miracle, the latest Netflix movie based on a true story that began airing Thursday.

Directed by Julio Quintana (Vessel), who also co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Dowling, Blue miracle stars Jimmy Gonzales as the manager of a financially struggling orphanage in Mexico and Dennis Quaid as the cranky sea captain who takes some of these orphans out to sea to catch a big fish. It’s the kind of wellness flick that’s no doubt cheesy, but might put a smile on your family’s face this weekend.

And the movie is even more heartwarming when you know that Blue miracle is based on a true story. Here’s what we know about the real Casa Hogar orphanage.

What is the Blue miracle true story?

The Netflix movie Blue miracle is loosely based on a true story that made headlines in 2014: a group of orphans who had never fished before caught 385 pounds of marlin in a final tournament and donated their winnings.

That year, the Bisbee’s Black and Blue Fishing Tournament took place in the host city of Cabo San Lucas in Mexico, just five weeks after a hurricane ravaged the region. In an effort to keep the tournament alive and to help boost the local economy, Bisbee’s Fish & Wildlife Conservation Fund has established a “Cabo Relief Fund” and an anonymous donor has pledged to pay the registration fee of $ 5,000 for any team that agreed to hire. a local boat. Because the entry fee was waived, the boys were from the Casa Hogar babysitter organization were able to participate in the competition.

For their take, the Casa Hogar team won $ 258,325 in cash prizes, which they donated to the Casa Hogar organization. The money was used to renovate the facilities and a girls’ program was added.

Is Papa Omar a real person? Is Casa Hogar a real orphanage?

Yes and yes! Omar Venegas, aka “Papa Omar”, is the actual director of Casa Hogar, and was the one who coiled the 385-pound Blue Marlin. You can see photos of the real Omar at the end of the movie, just before the Blue miracle credits.

In an interview with Netflix for the film’s press notes, Venegas said he hopes the film version of these events will help publicize the real Casa Hogar. The organization did not receive any official compensation for the film.

“I want everyone to have the opportunity to see Casa Hogar and how God does his job,” Venegas said. You can donate to help Casa Hogar provide housing, food and supervision for children in need on the Casa Hogar website.

Although it was not included in the movie, Venegas’s real life was even more dramatic than the Hollywood movie – shortly after finding out that they would be in the tournament, he was injured in a serious car accident. . “[God] made sure I was in the tournament, ”Venegas said. “Things are going according to God’s plan. God always fully gives His blessings, He never gives more than half.

Is Captain Wade Malloy a real person?

As far as I know, Dennis Quaid’s character Captain Wade Malloy is completely fictional and was invented for the movie. Apparently this film based on a true story needed a fictional white man. Hollywood strikes again!

Watch Blue miracle on Netflix