The real deal

Paulina García on playing Gloria

by Richard Mowe

Late blooming love for Paulina García and Sergio Hernandez in Gloria
Late blooming love for Paulina García and Sergio Hernandez in Gloria
How did Chilean actress Paulina García come to grips with the omnipresent role of Gloria in Sebastián Lelio’s new film about a middle-aged woman who finds romance? She told a media gathering in Locarno that the only way was to "demonstrate complete commitment".

Locarno Film Festival star of Gloria, Paulina García - an acrobat on a thin line
Locarno Film Festival star of Gloria, Paulina García - an acrobat on a thin line
"I had to be ready to work continuously with the director: we had to become complementary. Gloria did not only need a characterisation; it was necessary to build a woman in all her aspects and complexity, especially showing what one tends to hide in life."

She did not think of her as a role model. "Women like her are here and all over the world, even if their independence and strength are often ignored. We wanted to describe a female model which is pretty widespread but also denied by everyone. It is not feminism, but reality observation."

On the subject of Hollywood's obsession with younger women she said: "Cinema is female, theatre is male. The first one travels paths that, I think, are closer to female sensitivity, while the second one especially answers to male questions. But the point is that such roles, such scripts are difficult to find not because of the gender, but the season of life which is represented: scripts like that are achievable neither by actors, nor by actresses.

"This story, these themes created a fruitful dialogue on the set, also with the other actors. It was good for the film, it gave us the opportunity to improvise: this kind of collective work helped me very much in some difficult moments, when I felt alone, when I was thinking about myself like an acrobat who has to walk on a thin line carrying a beam with two big masses. A wrong detail is enough to make your acting dull or academic. I want instead to give reality back to the audience."

Share this with others on...
News

Spotlight on forgotten history Miwa Nishikawa on telling the story of post-war street orphans in Children Untold

A compulsion for cinema Thomas Bond on the secret of being a producer, the value of flaws, and Imposters

Streaming spotlight: off with their heads! Hold onto your noggin as we reflect on characters who have lost theirs entirely

'This has to be the beginning of a conversation' Peter Brunner, Caleb Landry Jones and other cast members on the social impact of Down The Arm Of God

The image of desire Adrian Chiarella on confronting re-emerging homophobia with Leviticus

Jeremy Thomas dies at 77 Producer passes away days before premiere of latest film

More news and features

We're bringing you all the latest news and reviews from the Toronto International Film Festival.



We're looking forward to Fantastic Fest, San Sebastian and Beyond Fest.



We've recently brought you coverage of the Venice Film Festival, Frightfest, the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the Locarno Film Festival, the Fantasia International Film Festival, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the Muslim International Film Festival and Docs Ireland.



Read our full for more.


Visit our festivals section.

Interact

Don't forget that you can follow us on YouTube for trailers of festival films and more. You can also find us on Mastodon and Bluesky.


It's a busy time for festivals and here's the latest:


Venice announces winners


LFF Full programme announced


Venice Giornate degli Autori awards announce


Festival Scope Venice Sala Web offers chance to stream shorts for free


San Sebastian Naomi Watts to receive Donostia Award