Paco León is more awake than and just as charismatic as the Luisma, character he played in over 200 chapters for ten years in the popular Spanish series Aida. Carmina and amen, his second film, released in Spain on April 30 this year arrives in Havana. He dyed his hair black and keeps his curls crowning his ever smiling face and expressive turquoise eyes. Everyone wants to be photographed with him and he agrees to please their fans, even if he is about to leave the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, headquarters of the film event, to know the city from which, as he admits, live in love for some years .
For those who met the Luisma, a former junkie who “used so many things he became dumb” it is almost impossible to see Paco de León as someone serious. He claims to have always preferred being silly than too smart, it’s a good strategy and has worked. He is still surprised that everyone, or almost everyone in Cuba, knows him and demonstrates him their affection and admiration. “I knew that here people watched Aida but I never imagined it was so popular ” he laughed. He says that he went to dinner at a restaurant and the owner didn’t allow him to pay the bill, “I did not know what to do, I was speechless but we took several pictures”.
OnCuba spoke with Paco but hides behind Luisma; sometimes the boundaries between the two are blurred, but now is the filmmaker who talks.
You have stated that it is more complex to make people laugh rather than directing a couple of films. How has the way from comedian to director?
I have always been characterized my concern and experience. This has led me to write, dance, sing, act and direct. The experience behind the camera began with Carmina or Blow Up, a sort of experiment in which I address my mother and works as a mockumentary, is a family project that exceeded our expectations and due to its success I ventured to perform Carmina and amen, I came to share with the Cubans. What began as an after-school project has become one of my passions, and I am now preparing my third film.
What expectations do you have when exhibiting your film in Havana?
I hope that Cubans understand the humor in Carmina and amen. This second film, better thought, is made with more craft and I want them to enjoy it as I enjoyed making it.
Due to your restless personality, how did you manage not to get bored of Luisma in ten years?
The successes on television are a very rare alchemy, magic is this fate and with Aida it worked. It was a race to the bottom ten years going to shoot Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 19:00, there are days when you have a good time, others you hate Luisma and others that you love him. I am very proud of my character and all my colleagues who took the series to the end and nobody got bored. It was a little grotesque setting up a show like this, with a prostitute, a former junkie, a gay child, but in the end a good portrait of Spanish society was achieved because Spain is told in the cartoon better than realism. The Luisma did more for the fight against drugs than all government campaigns, because if you do drugs you stay dumb as Luisma and that is very clear and even children understand it. It is a simple message that gets to people.
Would you like acting or filming in Cuba?
Enchanted to do any of those things, I’m waiting for a good project with Cuba.
As a director, what topics inspire you?
I am an amateur director and major reference and inspiration is always the reality.
Have you considered giving up acting and devote yourself entirely to directing?
No, I want it all. I organize myself and I know I cannot have everything, but well, almost everything. Directing is something I’m going to do, I’m going to combine with acting, because that tell stories from behind the scenes is something that seduced me and I don’t think it will leave me. But I am primarily a comedian.
What is the opinion do in Europe of Latin cinema?
The eyes of Europe are set in Latin America, the hotbed of creativity is in this continent and the Latino market is very interesting for its diversity. It is events like this that give voice to new filmmakers.
What do you take from the Festival of New Latin American Cinema?
I’m enjoying very much this experience, I didn’t know the Festival beforehand but now, by intuition, I realize its quality, many movies and a varied professional program are proof of this and that suits me. I also took the affection of Cubans.
