The biopic film follows the early years of Che Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado during the time the two spent traveling through Latin America as medical students finishing up their studies. Directed by Walter Salles, the film stars Gael García Bernal as Che Guevara and Rodrigo de la Serna as Granado.
It was a period in Guevara's life that greatly influenced his later decisions and actions. The poverty that he encountered opened his eyes to the widespread suffering that was going on among South America's indigenous and peasant people and the experience sparked his passion to fight for those in need. The film's screenplay was created using the diary kept by Che Guevara during his journey.
The story follows the duo's quest to see as much of Latin America as they can in four months. They travel the coast of Chile from the Andes but their mode of transport breaks down, leaving them to travel by foot in a longer journey than originally intended. The light-hearted tone early on in the film is flipped as they meet more people and learn more about the social injustices plaguing the continent. Their views and beliefs are totally transformed and we watch as the famous revolutionary Che Guevara emerges from what, at the beginning of the trip, was a carefree young student.