In the occasion of the shooting of the film 'In The Time Of The Butterflies', which is carried out on locations like Mexico City, Veracruz and Morelos, the distributors of the film as well as the director and the producers talked about the details of this new coproduction between the United States, Canada and Mexico that will be aired on the Pay TV channel Showtime in 2001.
The film is directed by the Spanish Mariano Barroso and is the result of the participation of Mariposas Productions, Ltd., Amaranta Productions, Showtime, MGM, Phoenix Pictures, Barnstorm Films and Ventanarosa Productions. The shooting will last about six weeks.
Based on the novel of the same name by the Dominican writer, living in the United States, Julia Alvarez, In The Time Of The Butterflies narrates the story of the four Mirabal sisters, founders of the movement "14 of June", who lived during the dictatorship onf Rafael Leónidas Trujillo. Dede Mirabal, the survivor, recalls their story. A case of dictatorship in Latin America, a history of freedom and love in which these women obtained that one of most brutal regimes fell. Played by Salma Hayek (Minerva Mirabal), Edward James Olmos (the dictator Trujillo), Mia Maestro (Mate Mirabal), Demiàn Bichir (Manolo Tabares), Pilar Padilla (Dede Mirabal), and Lumi Cavazos (Patria Mirabal), this film also includes the participation of the actors Ana Martín, Pedro Armendáriz and Marc Anthony. The script was in charge of David Klass, Judy Klass, Jenny Wingfield and Rodrigo García. The cinematography is done by Xavier Perez Grobet and the executive production by Helen Bartlett, Tony Bill, Mike Medavoy and Salma Hayek.
How did you find the cast and how did you prepare the filming?
Mariano: "It took like 5 years of preparation, and like 1 year since Salma has entered the project. People like Helen Bartlett have been working on it for years. Because of the similarities between the Dominican Republic and Veracruz, I suggested to film it in Mexico."
Salma Hayek: "I came with the intention to support my state and they
surprised me with the fact that there are already 20 films being shot there.
It took us time to find a hotel."
What contact have you had with the writer?
Salma: "We have always had contact with the writer and Dede (the only survivor of the Mirabal sisters), and she has given us advice regarding the script during these years
and when we showed her the final version she was very contented."
Why not do it in Spanish, with a Mexican cast and setting?
Mariano Barroso: "There are two forms to see the things, one is to look for the problems and the other to look for the advantages.
I believe that it does not matter if it is filmed in English, Spanish or Arameo, although English is certainly not our language, it is the language of the cinema.
That is to look for the problem in it, when in fact it is a luxury that history can be seen around the world."
Salma: "The original interest came from Americans, they bought the rights of the novel and Helen (the producer) obtained the deal with Showtime. Later they showed the project to me and they asked to me if I was interested.
We know these types of history in Latin America and it seems important to me that others get to know them to find out that we Latin women are brave and we have anger."
With your projects 'No one writes to the colonel', 'Frida' and this one you have created a certain vision of Latin America?
Salma: "I would like to discover many ways to always do it like this. I try to still stay in contact with my roots."
Will they movie be shown on the big screen?
Salma: "If the possibility occurs, yes."
What kind of power do you have on American producers, Salma? Are they attracted by your sex appeal or your talent?
Salma: "I believe that I have talent to be assigned to roles, but not more talent than other actors of our cast."
