Varun Patel
We consume art because it mirrors human experiences in a way that nothing else can. Quality movies and television series have a knack for putting things into perspective and bringing to light feelings that are difficult to express in words. The Spanish-language movie from Chile, ‘Nobody Knows I’m Here‘ is a meditative piece-of-art that proves to be melancholic throughout, but tender and uplifting towards the end. It is one of those brooding films sporting a slow-burn tone that grows on viewers, speaking volumes in its silence.
The movie revolves around a man named Memo who lives a mostly solitary life on an island with his uncle. He is a great singer. However, as a child, a more attractive boy was marketed as the face and body of his song. Memo dreams of singing in front of a crowd, wearing a glittery dress and pretty nail polish.
The character of Memo is played effectively by Jorge Garcias. Some of the other cast members of the movie include Gastón Pauls, Luis Gnecco, Milaray Lobos, and multiple others. ‘Nobody Knows I’m Here’ is the first, full-length directorial feature of Gaspar Antillo.
Is Nobody Knows I’m Here a True Story?
Several viewers might have wondered whether ‘Nobody Knows I’m Here’ is based on a true story or not. The title of the movie is derived from the song that the protagonist had sung but did not get credit for. Due to such a premise, it would be natural for viewers to be curious about a possible true-story adaptation or inspiration. Was there actually a case similar to Memo’s? Does the music industry have any cases of a singer not actually having sung their songs and being famous just because of their physical appearance?
Well, the first thing to note is that ‘Nobody Knows I’m Here’ is completely fictional. There was no true story completely similar to Memo’s. However, singers not singing their songs has been happening in the music industry. Singers who sing songs for pop icons are known as ghost singers. There hasn’t really been any prominent, recorded case of a singer completely making their career out of ghost singers. It has mostly been limited to parts of a song being sung by ghost singers.
For instance, the chorus of Jennifer Lopez‘s ‘Play’ was actually sung by Christina Milian. According to local sources, parts of ‘Ain’t It Funny (Remix)’ and ‘Jenny From the Block’ were also sung by ghost singers. Britney Spears, TLC, and Selena Gomez have also reportedly used ghost singers. It is also interesting to note that Joe Exotic of Tiger King‘ faked his music career completely by using ghost singers.
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