Page 30 - aruba-today-20161203

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Saturday 3 december 2016
Q&A: Sonia Braga plays

the role of her life at 66

SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS protest against the interim making of it.
Associated Press administration of Brazil’s Mi- AP: It is very refreshing to
NEW YORK (AP) — While chel Temer at Cannes. see an actress leading in
female actors are fighting Braga said she and her her 60s. Do you hope it will
for more and better roles cast-mates had no regrets open the doors to more
in Hollywood, Sonia Braga about the protest and that and better female roles?
got the part of her life at 66 she would do it over again Braga: Well, the doors are
in Kleber Mendonça Filho’s without question. As Men- there, and they closed. A
This Nov. 11, 2016 photo shows Brazilian actress Sonia Braga dur- “Aquarius”. donça Filho put it, “Aquar- reporter told me it is very
ing an interview about her new film, “Aquarius,” in New York. The Brazilian star is getting ius,” which had a limited rare to see a woman of my
Associated Press
rave reviews for her por- U.S. release in October and age in the movies. Right! In
trayal of Clara, a widow is still opening in different the movies! But they have
and retired music critic re- cities around the country, been for so long in very seri-
luctant to sell the seaside represents Brazil, regard- ous and important positions
apartment that holds her less. in life: scientists, prime min-
most cherished memories. Braga talks more about the isters, candidates to be the
“Ms. Braga is a living em- film, and her life: president. ... There is a barri-
bodiment of the glories of AP: In the film Clara has er with the languages also,
Brazilian cinema,” said The gone through a lot, includ- and with the accents as
New York Times. “A breath- ing breast cancer, yet she well. Today we find many
takingly intuitive actress, can be as subtle as strong. actors, they are Latin, they
she’s beautifully aged into How was it to play such a are Hispanic, they are living
an aristocratically sensual complex character? in the Unites States, they
physicality, and makes Braga: Clara and I would are American, but very
Clara’s firmness mingle with come from different plac- rarely you find them in a
tenderness,” said Variety. es: she is academic, I am lead role.
“When I got the screen- intuitive; she has a fam- AP: It is evident from the
play it was one of the most ily and I’m not married, I movie how comfortable
beautiful gifts I was getting don’t have kids. So we had you feel in your own skin.
in my whole life,” Braga a lot to negotiate, but the Braga: I did things in the
told The Associated Press in basics of the character, it movie that I usually don’t
a recent interview in New was there. So we’re talk- do and that had a little
York, where she lives. “I was ing, Clara and I, but at the anxiety about: I had to sing
reading the best screen- same time we are com- and I can’t sing, unfortu-
play that I ever read. Every memorating this opportu- nately. I can’t play the pia-
word made sense. Scene nity that Kleber was giving no, and I cannot swim. But
to scene made sense to us to play this for the audi- sex, I think I’ve been there
me, through the end.” ences. before (laughs.) It’s not so
On top of that, “Kleber was AP: Kleber said you were difficult to do. ... To be na-
giving me a movie that I was very generous with the ked or even making love
going to do in my mother cast and crew and that in a scene to me is very
tongue after 20 years work- you were delighted to work important if this is a movie
ing in the United States, I with non-actors. about a couple or sensual-
was going to be speaking Braga: He said, “Sonia, ity. It’s a sort of moralism to
in Portuguese again,” she there’s something that I think that this shouldn’t be
said. “I called him imme- need to tell you: sometimes seen in the film. When was
diately. Well, I didn’t call I work with non-actors”. it that people decided as a
him IMMEDIATELY because And I said, “Really? That’s society that your body is in
I had to breathe before I fantastic! Because I’m not one place and your sexual-
could call.” an actress either!” He said, ity in another place, some-
“Aquarius “ debuted last “What do you mean?” thing like a hat, or a coat,
May at the Cannes Film ‘’I’m scared of rehearsals, that when you leave home
Festival, where it was the I’m scared of doing all this you hang it and when you
only Latin American pro- because I don’t feel like I’m come back home you say,
duction competing for the an actress. I never went to “Ah! Let’s wear my sexual-
Palm d’Or, and was re- school for actors, I’m not ity! I might wear it tonight”?
cently nominated for an academic, as a matter of It is something that belongs
Independent Spirit Award. fact academic actors in- to your body. Women at
Although many considered timidate me a little bit, so my age they are making
it a natural contender for you are gonna work with love, they are feeling sen-
the foreign film Oscar, Bra- people!” The way I see it, sual, they flirt, they have
zil submitted David Schur- I belong to the film as any boyfriends, they have a
mann’s “Little Secret” in- other department. I like vi- sexual life. They are just not
stead, reportedly because sual arts, and what I love being represented in the
of the “Aquarius” cast’s doing is participating in the movies.q