When “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker considered buying popular Denver restaurant Casa Bonita, the first place they turned to was director Arthur Bradford. The two Comedy Central stars have worked with the filmmaker for nearly a decade and a half, dating back to when he directed their 2011 making-of documentary “Six Days to Air.”

“Whenever they had a new project or just something that seemed interesting to film, I always wanted them to let me do it,” Bradford told TheWrap. The director is currently on the set of Stone and Parker’s upcoming live-action comedy starring Kendrick Lamar and is working on another making-of film.

Initially called “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!”, it was intended as an “online marketing video” that could be shown while people waited for their food. But as Bradford and his long-time photography director PH O’Brien worked on the project, it became clear there was more to the story.

“With Trey, there was an emotional aspect. “His obsession with (Casa Bonita) was so great that it actually had the depth that a true documentary required,” Bradford said. “But we didn’t know that until we were editing.”

The film premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Festival, where it won the Audience Award and was screened at the 51st Telluride Film Festival. After a limited theatrical run, the documentary from MTV Documentary Films and Sweet Relief Productions is now available to stream on Paramount+.

Parker and Stone’s love for Casa Bonita is well documented. In 2003, South Park released an episode about the Denver restaurant that became one of the long-running series’ most iconic episodes (essentially a love letter to the Mexican-themed restaurant that Cartman makes his way into). to score an invitation to Kyle’s birthday by convincing Butters that the world has ended and he must remain hidden. When it finally comes to light that Cartman is responsible for the missing child saga, he does a Casa Bonita speed run, devouring tacos, jogging through Black Bart’s Cave, and finally jumping off the restaurant’s cliffs). When the iconic attraction became available again after bankruptcy in 2021, Stone and Parker stepped in and took it over.

While Bradford was filming, the online marketing video initially morphed into a documentary about Casa Bonita’s extensive renovation in the same vein as “Kitchen Nightmares” or an HGTV show. Although Stone and Parker originally planned to spend $6 million on the restaurant, the budget exceeded $40 million. Bradford and his team even edited a version of the project that focused more on the logistics of the repair, consisting of three 45-minute episodes. But when Stone and Parker were shown this version, Stone intervened and suggested a new direction.

“Just watching it, it was really clear that Trey was the most interesting thing,” Bradford explained. “Honestly, this documentary is really about Trey and his obsession with Casa Bonita.”

“¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” explores why this unusual restaurant means so much to Parker and the people of Colorado. After this new focus was established, Parker stayed out of the creative process, although Stone remained “very involved.” Bradford praised both Parker and Stone for never portraying them as controlling. If Stone ever took notes, it was often to include more scenes in which they looked “stupid or silly.”

“Most people don’t have the confidence to leave a note like that,” Bradford said. “The most important thing for them is to tell a good story and for it to be compelling.”

However, there was one important moment in which Parker had a creative hand: the conclusion of the documentary. During one of his final interviews with Parker, Bradford told the showrunner that he wanted to end the film in the same way as the famous “South Park” episode. Although Cartman’s wish to go to Casa Bonita comes true in Season 7, he is ultimately banned from his favorite restaurant for life. When Bradford said this, Parker’s eyes “lit up.”

“¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” ends on a surprisingly dark note. In an intimate interview, Parker reveals that despite investing so much time and money into preserving the place he loves, he can no longer be just another patron. He’s an attraction now. He wistfully admits that he can never return.

“I feel like Trey wrote that ending himself. “He knew it was a cool ending and he did it spontaneously,” Bradford said, before clarifying that Parker’s insistence that he couldn’t return was more of an emotional observation than an actual one. In reality, Parker remains a virtual co-owner.

“The truth is that he can no longer enjoy Casa Bonita as much as he used to as a child,” the documentary filmmaker noted. “For Trey, it’s all about childhood. “South Park” focuses on kids and he just loves that world. It’s this deep realization that he can’t go back, which I find kind of sad but also beautiful.”

When asked if there was anything left from the first three-episode part of the project, the director mentioned some favorite moments. Standouts included a deep dive into Casa Bonita’s puppet show, an interview with one of the cliff divers who left an Amazon warehouse to join the staff, and a particularly disgusting shot of raw sewage. “Maybe we’ll put them online or something,” Bradford said of the interviews with employees.

But ultimately he’s happy with how “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” turned out and praised the documentary’s editorial team of Chad Beck, Devin Concannon, Paul Frost and Bret Granato.

“I’m very proud that it’s only 88 minutes. I don’t think it’s too long, it’s a very exciting film. So I don’t really wish the film was longer,” Bradford said. “To be honest, a lot of documentaries are depressing. They are about problems in the world and this is a documentary that is not depressing at all. It’s fun and light, maybe that’s why people watch it.”

“¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” is now available to stream on Paramount+.

The post “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!”: How Trey Parker’s Obsession Turned an “Online Marketing Video” Into a True Documentary appeared first on TheWrap.