ACTRESSES

Spain, 1997, 100 minutes, Colour.
Nuria Espert, Rosa Maria Sarda, Anna Lizaran, Merce Pons.
Directed by Ventura Pons.

Actresses is one of a number of films by Catalan director Ventura Pons. Award-winning in Spain and in his native Catalonia, he went on to make a number of films including Anita Takes a Chance and Food For Love.

This is a film about theatre, a young student preparing herself for her stage debut, interviews three actresses. The film offers insights into performance, insights into production, insights into the personalities of the actresses.

The film and the actresses won several Catalan prizes in 1997.

1. The impact of this drama? Catalan? Universal?

2. The prologue: the actresses, the parents, the theatre and the play? The figurines?

3. The world of the theatre, the physical reality of theatre and performance, dialogue and talk, drama – and the theatre of life? As transferred to the screen?

4. The classics and performance, the discussions, complications? Celebrities, television? Dubbing?

5. Stars, reputations? Family, relationships, the theatre? Favourites, the finale? Anna – death, competition, the results?

6. The young student, accosting each of the actresses, her manner, her hopes, her capacity for listening, puzzles, identifying issues, the theatre itself – the gift, burning, her not being part of it?

7. Gloria as an actress, personality, her career? Her haughtiness? Her reading, Anna and the interactions, melodrama? As a portrait – character and views?

8. Assumpta, the television station, her character, her manner, haughty, the theatre, the discussions, sexual relationships? Iphigeneia?

9. Maria, more pleasant, ill, more balanced in her career, performances? Deaths and the accident? Stealing the theatre? The phone call? Death?

10. The meal, the three and the plans?

11. The discussions between Gloria and Rocca? Rivalry, comparisons, the theatre, the future?

12. The issue of fire, burning, consuming? An apocalyptic touch for a drama of life?