An earth-shattering performance We spoke to Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro about his role in The 33.
Local boy Rodrigo Santoro has been a big name here in Brazil for almost two decades, as well as a constant supporter of both national cinema and the Festival do Rio. In 2003 he shot to international fame when he starred opposite Laura Linney as exotic love-interest Karl in Richard Curtis’ iconic romcom Love Actually. His other acclaimed roles have seen him ruling empires in 2007 as Xerxes in block-buster 300, and leading revolutions as Raúl Castro in the 2008 film Che.
Santoro’s latest film deals with an equally momentous occurrence in more recent history. In 2010, the world watched with their hearts in their mouths as 33 men were successfully pulled up from the depths of the earth just outside the Atacama Desert in Chile. The 33 (Los 33) directed by Patricia Riggen, recounts the earth-shattering story of the Chilean miners who spent a total of 69 days trapped inside a mine in San José, some 700 metres underground. Santoro joins a star-studded cast – including Antonio Banderas and Juliette Binoche – to play the part of Laurence Golborne, minister for mines for the Chilean government.
Exhausting, eye-opening and unforgettable: he tells us about his experiences on the set of The 33.
What drew you to this movie?
When the accident happened in 2010 I followed it anxiously, along with the rest of the world. So when I found out there was going to be a movie about it, I was immediately interested in seeing the script. And I liked it. It drew on testimonies from the miners, which gave the writing an element of intimacy, humanity. The script talked about hope in a believable way: it didn’t just throw the concept around. It talked about hope as a concrete idea, overcoming a challenge, finding a solution. After reading the script, I knew I wanted to be involved.
And what drew you to this role?
Well, actually, when the project finally got the green light, the dates didn’t work with my schedule. I was so disappointed! Then, a couple of weeks later, I got a phone call offering me the role of Laurence, starting filming later on, and I was thrilled to be able to do it. The character was an extremely interesting one to play. He’s got this immense pressure resting on his shoulders the whole time, this responsibility for so many lives, but he’s not allowed to show it, he can’t let it get to him. Laurence Golborne was new to the job, he had practically no mining knowledge, and, I mean, the rescue mission seemed impossible. People, right left and centre, are telling him to stop, to give up. But, he speaks to the local community, to the miners’ families and he sees that all their hopes are resting on him. And – it’s true, it’s in all the miners’ testimonies – he keeps faith and perseveres.
Can you comment on the challenges you faced working in the middle of the desert?
The desert – wow, that was an experience. We filmed in a mine a few kilometres away from the San José mine were the accident took place. The setting really helped everyone get into character. It’s amazing: isolated, powerful, but with a stillness, a silence, that’s truly inspiring. The atmosphere in the desert allowed me to prepare for the role in a way I’ve never done before. The daily lifestyle there was extremely tough. Every scene we shot brought some new kind of challenge. We didn’t have a day off, a day where the director would say, “Oh, you can relax for this scene.” We also used a lot of handheld camera, which brought a kind of documentary-style feel to the film, and there wasn’t much time for rehearsing so everyone had to stay alert and on their toes. All in all, it was extremely dramatic, intense, and at times, very difficult.
What was it like to work with Juliette Binoche?
Juliette is absolutely extraordinary. I’ve seen almost all of her films. I was lucky enough to get to know her during the month and a half we spent in the desert. She is one-of-a-kind: generous, intelligent, gracious, funny. She is currently touring Europe, playing Antigone – she’s a true artist! It was amazing working with her, not just because she’s a huge name in the business, but because she transforms the whole acting process into something organic. Acting stops being something artificial, something put on, and becomes as if it were something innate.
At the end of the film we are told that the Chilean miners have still not been financially compensated for what happened. What do you think the impact of the film will be for those personally involved? Do you think the film might bring about any changes?
I don’t know for sure, but what I can say, is that the film has been – and will be – extremely impactful. At the premiere in Chile, the miners came with their families, and every one of them was overwhelmed by the final product. It must be extremely emotional to relive something like that. Regarding their financial situation, these men are still fighting for justice, it’s terrible. However, I do think the film will help, certainly with raising awareness. I mean, in Chile the film was at number one for many weeks. I’m very proud to have been part of a project that will have an impact. We wanted to make people think, reflect on what had happened, without being moralistic or self-righteous. We just really wanted to tell this story in a sincere way, to express the truth.
By Gill Harris
Photo: Stucky
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