Spanish actress and director Paz Vega (Spanglish, Sex and Lucia, Rambo: Last Blood, The OA, Netflix heist drama Kaleidoscope), who wrote and stepped behind the camera for her directorial debut Rita, which world premiered during the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival this summer, enjoys writing and directing, adding another layer to her creative endeavors. And she thinks more actors should feel empowered to direct.
She made the comments during a Tuesday keynote interview at the Iberseries & Platino Industria conference and market in Madrid that was titled “Changing Roles: Paz Vega and Her Transition From the Art of Acting to the Art of Directing.” She recently said in a THR interview that Billy Wilder, Francis Ford Coppola, and Federico Fellini were among her role models.
Vega wrote, directed and executive produced Rita and also plays a small part in it. “In some way, I had the idea to become a director when I first went onto a shooting set,” she told Iberseries on Tuesday. Now, “I’m ready because I have something to tell.”
Asked about balancing the roles of actress and director, Vega described her role as Rita’s mother a “small” one. In comparison, “the kids are in every scene,” she said but knew that having her name in the cast would be “very convenient” when selling the movie.
“Seville, summer of 1984. Rita and Lolo are brother and sister, seven and five years old, and live at the heart of a humble working-class family,” reads the film’s plot description. “Rita dreams of going to the beach, but at home, her father’s word is law, always. For the first time, Rita starts to question why things are like this. She also starts to realize that her home is becoming less and less safe, especially for her mother.”
Vega previously lauded her young star Sofía Allepuz who plays Rita in her THR interview. On Tuesday, she touted her skills, comparing the now-eight-year-old to a sports car. “Sofía has a natural talent. It is because she’s a girl that listens. She’s present there. She trusts you,” Vega said. “And luckily, I’ve been able to shoot with her. I’ve been able to shoot with a Ferrari. I mean, she’s like a Ferrari. It’s amazing.”
How easy was switching between the dual roles of director and actor on set? “I was never able to take off the director hat,” but she also had to work with the character she acted on 22 out of 28 shooting days, Vega shared.
And she said that this may be too much for her for future projects. “Maybe I won’t do this again. I won’t be in front of the camera and behind the camera at the same time, because I think that it’s too demanding,” Vega told Iberseries. “And I think that there’s something that really doesn’t help us get there.”
With limited time for shooting, especially with kids, Vega shared that she often had to think through scenes at home ahead of time to be fully ready for all the next shooting day would bring.
Vega on Tuesday encouraged fellow actors to follow her lead and try sitting down in the director’s chair. “We don’t have to be afraid of an actor who says they are ready to direct,” she explained. “We have something to contribute.” She also said that she enjoys directing fellow actors and feels that actors who direct can ensure at least solid acting performances. “So many hours on a set…you need to adapt, and that really gives you important experience. I have an advantage over any rookie director,” Vega concluded.
The star also provided some behind-the-scenes insight into her acting career in her Iberseries appearance during which she was interviewed by Televisa journalist Omar Reyes. “I have always questioned the director’s decisions,” with some directors picking up on her ideas or, otherwise, her having an internal dialog as an actress, Vega said, concluding: “I have always had a director in me.”
She previously told THR that she was writing a script for a film set in the Dominican Republic. “It’s a very Dominican story,” Vega said. “And I’m not going to play any of the characters.”
Rita
Courtesy of Locarno Film Festival
