ee TT CN rs i| ‘Ni Blanca ni negra, sino todo lo contrario. La hhemos visto desnuda con una pinza mortal en- tre sus dientes perfectos antes de clavarla des- piadadamente en el corazén de sus amantes. La hemos visto cubierta de pies a cabeza, transmu- tada en una voz espiritual. La hemos visto dan- do besos apasionados a otras mujeres o como la esposa recatada de un sabio alucinado, La he- mos visto como una amante misteriosa 0 como tuna desparpajada presentadora de tele Renacentista, barroca, contemporinea, inteligente, esplendorosa, fuerte, glamourosa, rebelde, diosa. Mujer de hierro con piel tersa. Recitando en espafol, riendo en francés, aman- do en inglés, seduciendo en italiano. UNA CHICA ALMODOVAR REBELDE / A REBELLIOUS ALMODGVAR GIRL 'ASSUMPTA SERNA She, is neither white nor black, but rather the Basal opposite. We have seen her naked with le- thal tweezers between her perfect teeth, prior to sticking them mercilessly through the hearts of her lovers. We have seen her covered from head 10 toe, transmuted into a spiritual voice. We have seen her passionately kissing other wom- en or as the prim wife of a hallucinating wise ‘man. We have seen her as a mysterious lover or as a self-confident television hostes. She has been a renaissance woman, a barogue and con- temporancous one, a diva, intelligent, splendid, strong, glamorous, a rebel and a goddes. She is «an iron woman with soft skin, reciting in Span- ish, laughing in French, loving in English and seducing in Italian. “Panorama de las Américas” had the opportunity to conduct an exclusive interview with Assumpta Serna, the main character in “Matador”, a film that has become a true 189) fetish in European cinema. “Panorama de las Américas” hablé, én exclusiva con Assumpta Serna, protagonista de “Matador”, Cer eae I) Cope NNZOOBde la mujer en el cine, ¥ todas ‘las voces. ¥ todos los planos, ‘Assumpta Serna has worn all the’ faces UR IRL ee NE NMC all the voices and all the roles as well. 190 Assumpta Serna ha tenido todas las caras de la iiujer en el cine. Y todas las voces. Y todos los planos. Cien peliculas, veinte paises, sci idio mas, son apenas las cifras de la vida intensa, de tuna mujer intensa que ha probado lo que le ha sgustado, de lo bueno y de lo malo. Ha sido chica Almodévar, madre esquiva con Saura, fetiche sexual con Mickey Rourke, sabia con Marfa Lui- sa Bemberg, Figura central del cine internacio- nal de las tiltimas décadas, se ha permitido todas las facetas, todos los deslices, todos los triunfos. Matador, Dulces Horas, Nostradamus, Yo, la peor de sodas, Orquidea Salvaje, Falcon Crest... han sido apenas algunas de las estaciones de su vida donde su cuerpo ha gozado y caldo, donde su mente ha volado. Assumpta Serna has worn all the faces of women in cine @Fa, She has also had all the voices and all the roles as well. One hundred films, ewenty countries, sc lan: guages; all shese are only numbers in the intense life of «an intense woman who has tried what she has liked, the good and the bad. She has been an Almodévar girl Almodévar is a famous Spanish film producer), an evasive mother with Saura (a well-known director), a sexual fetish with Mickey Rourke, a wise woman with Maria Luisa Bemberg. As a central figure in interna- tional cinema for the past few decades, she has allowed berelf all the facets, all the slipups, all the triumphs Matador, Dulces Horas, Nostradamus, Yo, la peor de todas, Orquidea Salvaje, Falcon Crest... these have been just some of the stages of her life where her body has enjoyed and fallen, where her mind has taken fightra demuestea que hay vida 1és de los cincuenta, una vida igual de intensa, en a que no hay que arrepentirse de nada sino seguie apurindola hasta la Uilkima gota, filmando peliculas en Francia o en Espafia, haciendo de argentina en Nueva York en su Gikima cinta, preparindose para producir una pelicula con Omar Shariff este afio. O dando clases en exclusivos seminarios alrede- dor del mundo como los que aca- ba de oftecer en Bolivia, Argent nay Colombia, La vimos ll en la Casa Ensamble de Bogotd, con su personalidad arrolladora, sus ojos Inquietos, sus rasgos seguros, sus hhuesos fuertes. Luminosa, frené- tica, sigue haciendo las cosas a mil desde la posicién privilegiada que le ha ofrecido por aftos el ojo del cine. Un ojo por el que més que ser mirada no se ha cansado de mirar. Assumpta, indomable, le hha dado la forma exacta que ella hha querido. ‘Alguna vez dijste “los actores somos el ‘mejor efecto especial”. Lo cual es toda ‘ura dectaracién de princpis frente a tu protesién. .. Los directoreshan aprendido a ha- cer efectos especiales en sus orde- nadores, peto se han olvidado del principal transmisor que somos los actores. Cuando descubren el poder que tiene el primer plano, ‘cuando encuentran el gusto por cl actos, éste les convence més que un efecto especial Now, she is proving shat chere is life after fifty, an equally intense lif, where she does not need tobe sorry for anything at all but rather enjoy things to she last drop, filming mov- ies in France or Spain, playing the role of an Argentinean ‘woman in New York in her last movie, preparing herself to produce a film with Omar Shariff this year. Or giving clases «at exclusive seminars around the world, suchas the ones she ‘bas just conducted in Bolivia, Argentina and Colombia. We saw her at Casa Ensamble de Bogotd, with her overwhelm- ing personality, her restless eyes, her marked features, her strong bones. Luminous and frenetic, she continues doing things at full speed from the privileged postion that for years she has been seen with through the eye of the flm industry. This is an eye through which more than being looked at, she ‘bas not gotten tired to look shrough. Assumpta, indomitable, dhas given it the exact shape that she has wanted to give it ‘Once you said that “actors are the best special effect.” This is a total ‘declaration of principles vis-a-vis your profession... Directors have learned to create special effects in their com puters, but they have forgotten the main transmitter repre- sented by us, the actors. When they discover the power they have before them, when they discover their taste for actors, the latter are more convincing to them than any special ef fect would be.INTERVIEW ENTREVISTA 192 ‘Cémo has podido librarte del rétlo de exotismo al que parecen ‘condenades los actores espafioles y latinos en la escena internacional y moverte a tus anchas en las pantallas de veinte paises? Yo he ido a donde he podido aprender, como cuando ex- ploré el cine americano. También ayudé el que hablara scis lengua. Has sido muy radical en no permitir que te doblen en las peliculas, Exacto, ese fue un motor por el cual yo aprendi los idi mas. No me gusta porque pienso que en el trabajo de la voz el actor pone el 60% de su esfuerzo ‘Hablanos de una de tus peliculas embleméticas “Yo, la peor de todas”, ‘£Gémo se reunieron todas esas luminarias femeninas: una actriz es~ paiiola, una directora argentina y una sabia mexicana? Marfa Luisa Bemberg me fue a ver a un rodaje en Nueva York. Ella me mostré la obra de Octavio Paz sobre Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, y de repente me encontré con un mundo absolutamente fascinante. Estoy muy orgullosa de esa pelicula porque es un ejemplo de la sabiduria que habia en México en esa época, pero también del ascuran- tismo que terminé causando la desgracia de Sor Juana. Billa es un reference, por su fuerza y por ser una de las ‘grandes plumas de nuestra lieracura How have you been able to free yourself from ‘he exotic classification that Spanish and La- tin actors onthe international scene seem to ‘be condemned to overcome, and move with complete freedom on the screens in twenty bounties? T have gone where I have been able 10 learn, such as when I explored the American filmmaking industry. It also hrelped that I speak sic languages. You have been very adamant in not allowing ‘to be dubbed in movies, Exactly, movies were the engine through which Iwas able to learn shose Languages. Ido not lke it when they do that (dubbing), because I think that as actors we invest 60% of our effort on the work we put in our voices. Talk to us about one of your emblematic films “Yo, la peor de todas”. How did all that female talent get together: a Spanish actress, an Argentinean director and an ‘orudite Mexican? Maria Luisa Bemberg went 10 see me during filming in New York. She showed me the work by Octavio Paz about Sor Juana Inés dela Cruz, and I suddenly found myself in an absolutely fascinating world. Lam very proud of shat movie because itis an example of the erudition in Mexico during that time but alo of the obscurantism that ended up causing the disgrace af Sor Juana. She is an important character, both because of ber own strength as well as due to the fact that she was one of the great figures sn our literature.‘Sin embargo fue una experiencia conflctiva. .. Cuando se hace una biogra fa, el director siempre quiere resaltar ciertos aspectos. Pero el actor tiene la responsabilidad de encarnar ese personaje y debe defender lo que piensa. Ahi se dio nuestro primer encuentro de posiciones, Yo querfa desarrollar un personaje con mas ca- pas, y ella finalmente lo reconocié, También hubo un problema con el doblaj... Si, ella queria doblarme con acento argentino. Pero yo pensaba que Sor Juana cra una mexi cana de ascendencia espafiola en primera gene- racién y que posiblemente hasta cierto acento espaol debja tener. Finalmente en mi pals se ppas6 con mi voz, pero en el Festival de Venecia me doblaron. Esto me afecté profundamente, porque fue un trabajo que tomé muy en serio y asf se echaba a perder la poesfa que quise darle a mi interpretacién Nevertheless, twas a cofictve experienc When work is done on a biography, the director al- sways wants to highlight certain aspects. Bus the actor bears the responsibility of reincarnating that individ- sual and must defend what he or she shinks. That was cour first difference of opinions. I wanted to develop a character with more layers, and she finally gave in to my poins of view. There was also a dubhing problem. Yes, she wanted 10 dub me with an Argentinean ac- cent, Bus my shongh t was that Sor Juana was a first generation Mexican of Spanish ancestry and that she ‘mast probably must have had some kind of a Spanish accent. In the end, the movie ran in my coun ing with my voice, but at the Venice Festival, t was dubbed. This affected me deeply, because this was a job that Thad taken very seriously and by dubbing me and using someone ele’ voice, the level of poetry that I wanted to give to my interpretation was spoiled. 193INTERVIEW ENTREVISTA Sor Juana en un extremo, en el otro la asesina erética de “Matador”, £Cémo has logrado que no te encasilen? Muchisimas gracias por interpretarlo asi, porque realmente fue un esfuerzo personal. Cuando un actor tiene un trabajo detris de sus espaldas tiene también una responsabilidad en cuanto a la elec- cidn de las obras que va a interpreta. Aunque es complicado, lo he podido hacer trabajando no so- lamente en mi pais. Eso me ha dado esa libertad para salir de ese encasillamiento que a veces produ- ce el haber actuado con un director. Por ejemplo, ‘en Francia me ven como actriz. cémica, cosa que en Espafta no pasa. No hay nada en blanco y negro, sino todo lo contrario. Y no te has dejado poner el seo de nadie, a pesar de haber pasado por drectores muy eres... Si, pero hay una pena que tengo. Mi carrera ha te- nido tal dispersién que en ningtin pais se ha visto todo mi trabajo. Aunque esta diversidad es intere- sante, también es un camino que debes tomar en solitario. Siempre he sido pionera. Cuando fui a Estados Unidos en los afios 80 no habia nadie alli Personalmente, aprendes mucho pero también al ser pionero no recoges todos las beneffcios. Sor Juana on the one end, and on the other the erotic ‘murderess of Matador, How have you managed not to be pigeontoted? I really appreciate your reading the situation this way, because it was a very personal effort ‘on my part. When an actor bas a job under his or her belt, he or she is also responsible as 10 the election of the works he or she will be interpreting. Even shough isis complicated, I have been able to achieve my goal by not only tworking in my country but in other countries «as well. That has given me the freedom to es- cape that pigeonholing resulting from having acted under any given director. For example, in France, Lam seen asa comic actres, some- shing that is not the case in Spain. There is nothing white or black, but rather the total opposite. ‘And you have not allowed anybody's seal to be put on you, notwithstanding the fact that you have worked under very strong-willed directors. . Yes, but Ihave one regret. My carcer has been s0 spread out that no country has seen all my work. Even though this diversity is interest- ing, itis also a road that one has to take by oneself I have always been a pioneer When I went to the United States in the 1980s, there was no one (like me) there, At a personal evel, you learn a lot but ali, while being a pioneer, you ‘are not able to receive all the benefINTERVIEW EANET RE Vi 1S. Tea 196 ‘cCémo fue tu legada a Estados Unidos? Después de rodar Matador, decid! en- contrar una casa en Los Angeles. Fue un poco arriesgado pero tuve suerte. Es que en ese momento el cine espafiol no tenia la fuerza de hoy; sin embargo, cuando Hlegué pude trabajar en Faleon Crest, una de las series mas vistas del mundo, don- de interpreté a una italiana, How was it that you ended up going to the United States? After filming Matador, I decided to find a ‘house in Los Angeles. It was a bit risky but 1 was lucky. At that point in time, Spanish ‘movie making did not have the strength it enjoys today: nevertheles, after I arrived, Twas able to work in Falcon Crest, one of the most watched series in the world, where I played the role ofan Italian woman.INTERVIEW ENTREVISTA Has pasado por casi todos los roles femeninos ‘concebides por la industria, pero dcrees que ‘se han escrito todos los papeles para la mujer en el cine? Hay muchisimas cosas que no estén contadas. Su faceta profesional, por «jemplo, Todavia es una cosa pendien- te para mostrar en el cine a mujeres que trabajen, que mantengan su familia. Las mujeres todavia tienen que ser o las esposas de o las amantes de. El rol de Ja mujer después de los cuarenta aiios tampoco esté explorado, parece que es solamente el objeto del deseo el que le interesa al cine. ‘You have played almost all the roles conceived ty the industry for women but... do you believe ‘that all female roles in film have already been written? There are many things yet to be delved in. One of them is women’s profesional face, ‘for example, Iris still something to be done jin movies, showing women who work, those who support their families. It seems shat women are still shown only as wives or lovers. The role of women over forty has ‘not been exploited ether... it seems that the flm industry is only interested in the object of desire.INTERVIEW ENTREVISTA ‘Potrias definir a algunos de los directores gi- antes con los que has trabajado, como Carlos Saura? Un gran conocedor de la técnica ci- nematogréfica y generoso en el querer censefiarlo a los demas, un ser eminen Pedro Amodvar,obviamente Un director genial, un gran comuni- cador y un gran trabajador del cine. ‘éGémo se ve la vida cuando se decide miraria deste el cine? Se la ve como apasionante, siempre cambiante, con una fuente inagotable de aprendizaje sobre lo que es uno mis- ‘mo y sobre las acciones de los demés. Es una gran suerte el haberme tocado esta profesién, Za4 a 0 NW beR VIE W EN IRV ES TA Could you define some of the giant directors you have worked with, such as Carlos Saura? He isa great connoisseur of cinematographic techniques and generous in the sense of wanting to show them to others, an eminently creative being. Paco Almodvr, obvious He isa genius of a director, a great communicator and a great promoter of cinematography. How does lif look when one decides to look att from a cinematic point of view? It is seen as something passionate, always changing, with aan endless source of learning about ourseles as wel as about the actions of others. Ihave been extremely lucky to have chosen this profession. ZA