Along with her colleague Ray Cruz, Yaremis Pérez has been the face of the “Let's Go to the Movies” campaign, which aimed to revitalize these cultural spaces in Cuba. Now she extends a very special invitation to attend screenings, on screens throughout the country, of the film Five Love Stories and a Desperate Bolero, directed by Arturo Santana, where the talented actress also served as casting director:

“It's a complex film, several stories, several main characters, an ensemble piece. Each story was different, but at the same time they had points of contact in the themes, in love, in the passion for life, and also in the star who, in some way, connected the narrative and came from another previous film, just like the character in La Santiaguera, played by Jenny Soria. That is, when we started the casting, we did have that as a guideline: we had to start with characters who had continuity and therefore already had defined characteristics, and then insert these new ones we were taking on within that process and the casting.”

Yaremis already has several experiences in casting and directing actors and is grateful for this opportunity to work with Santana and his team:

“Santi has something important, which is that he has things very clear. Sometimes, even if you don't know for sure what you want, because this is a job that ultimately grows during the creative process itself, he did know what he didn't want. And that makes things much easier. His way of writing, of working, is very particular; it's very different from many other Cuban filmmakers. He's very cosmopolitan, and that, in a way, also teaches you; you learn a lot.” So I think it was a constant feedback loop, a beautiful creative process, supported, of course, by the entire production team, who had all the logistics and everything covered, and that makes things flow so you don't have to think about anything else, just creating.

“It really was a process that started one way and grew tremendously, even while we were filming there were things So many times I thought, 'And Santi, how do I want to do this?' Because he explains it to you, of course, but there were things that were deep inside him, and then when you saw him on camera, you understood everything.”

Despite the blackouts, the lack of transportation, and all the difficulties we're currently experiencing, she recommends taking a break from daily life to go to the movies, “because art always nourishes you, it fills you up. And I think this film is precisely about love. I was saying the other day that Santana's films transport me to tranquility; I enjoy them, I'm go out for a while and I disconnect…”

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff