Jonás Trueba had already competed in this same competition with “La reconquista” in ; film whose setting had also been Madrid and in which Itsaso Arana in the role of Manuela had shared the leading role with Francesco Carril. In “The Virgin of August” Arana is Eva a thirty-three-year-old woman who decides to spend August in the hot Spanish capital to discover between parties and festivals that summer is a time of opportunity. But Itsaso Arana not only faced the challenge of being the first actress to play a leading role in Jonás Trueba's filmography because she also co-wrote the script with the Madrid director.
After the official showing of the film Jonás and Itsaso spoke with Nuevatribuna
In “La Reconquista” you opted for Itsaso. Now you turn to her again but this time with the responsibility of a leading role... Have you found your own Anna Karina?
JT Well yes of course. I think so. I'm interested in being able to choose CXB Directory the actors and the people you want to film those you want to portray. Perhaps that is the fundamental desire what motivates the engine of any film I make. And in this case I think it is very evident that after “La Reconquista” I wanted more Itsaso. So well I've filled everything with it. And yes many of the filmmakers I admire have made their best films when they have been in some way in love with their actors or actresses. And I say in love in every way.
Itsaso how was Eva built behind and in front of the camera? How did you combine script and acting taking into account that your female gaze was going to be fundamental?
IA For me it was trying to portray a moment with all the honesty and simplicity without avoiding the big issues but in a light way. So it was like a mixture of forces that I had previously seen in the Jonah films. In this case obviously since I was there from the beginning of the project it was a privileged place for me to later act. Because I knew it was a super responsibility since it was the first film starring a woman in Jonás' filmography. But having written it and having witnessed the birth of the film from the beginning for me the work of creation was much easier because I looked after the film in a different way. And with my acting work I was not trying to defend myself but to defend the film which made the view a little broader and more generous.
Had you previously spent any August in Madrid?
IA Yes and I love Madrid in summer. Far from thinking that it is a disgrace to stay it seems to me that everything depends on the attitude but I love it. In fact I had already met Jonás in the summer in Madrid. And I always say that I had my own “August virgin” summer two summers before where I stopped for a bit and wanted to change some things. And I had had that same psychophysical experience of heat and also of wanting to change to be a little better than I was until then.