AN INTERVIEW WITH DARIO GRANDINETTI

How did you start working with Pedro?
Well, we knew each other already. I was in Barcelona shooting the sequel for "El Lado Oscuro del Corazon" when I got a call from Alsira, my agent, telling me Pedro wanted to see me. Now, that was something! So we arranged a meeting at his place and talked openly for three hours. He had sent me a copy of the script before.

You're in Argentina now, I guess you haven't had much time for rehearsals...
Well, I went to Madrid fifteen days ago to rehearse for one week with Javier and Rosario.

What is it like to rehearse with Pedro?
It's very nice, even though he's a very strict person. He's obsessive with his work, and that's something that suits me just fine. But he's also got a degree of relaxation that suits me just as well (laughter). And to be honest, I didn't expect things to be like this. I thought it would be harder, colder, but it hasn't been so at all; there's plenty of humor and Pedro knows what he wants. And as an actor, I benefit from all the information arising in the rehearsals (as well as from the script's content).

Tell us something about the screenplay and Pedro's way of writing.
Well, the script is full of directions and contributions. His is a very peculiar narrative. As he puts it, a reminescence of his former expectations as a writer (laughter). His screenplays are excellent and, together with the rehearsals, they provide me with the perfect background for approaching the character. I think I'll be much more prepared than one could expect by the time I start shooting.

Could you tell us something about your character?
Well, one of the most interesting aspects about the character is that there's not much information about him, nothing is known about his past. And this offers me the possibility of making up his previous life. It's a mysterious character, sensitive and tremendously observing. He's also a bon vivant somehow. But the most interesting thing about Marco is that he's a journalist. His occupational idiosyncracy keeps him watching, asking, sneaking... and that watching enriches the film. He's a character very much at the story's disposal and, as the film goes on, the spectator makes himself the same questions Marco does.

Are you coming to Spain soon?
The last news I have say I should be there on June 17th to rehearse one more week before the shooting begins.