Victoria Alonso is the most powerful Argentine woman in Hollywood. She is executive president of physical production at Marvel Studios – her name is always seen prominently in Marvel films – and one of the producers of Argentina, 1985., the film by Santiago Miter, with Ricardo Darin and Peter Lanzani, who can now win the Oscar for best international film.
He arrived at the London Hollywood Hotel, in West Hollywood, together with actor Alejo García Pintos (The Night of the Pencils), who has a small role in the film, as one of the judges in the Trial of the Juntas. They have known each other since they were 6 years old. “Alejo is like my third leg. I didn’t bring this return, it has arrived. He got on the plane and said “Let’s go”. García Pintos stops at Victoria’s house.
It was not an easy task to interview Victoria. She shows me her cell phone: in a single day, at four in the afternoon, she has 1,658 messages to which she has neither answered nor opened.
-How many Oscar ceremonies have you attended?
I’ve been there more than ten times. Ten or twelve. And I collected the winner. With Black Panther we won the best music, costumes and set design.
-There is no three without four…
–I am convinced that we will win. I’m sorry, I don’t know how I can be convinced without knowing. That’s how I feel, from then on… Tomorrow at the ceremony, if we win I will jump off my seat and run on stage. So what happens, only God knows… We will see, we will see, I guess Santiago will speak, that he will represent us all. But I’m going to have a blue dress, with a cape, so if you see a cape flying down the aisle, that’s me.
-How long ago did you choose your wardrobe?
-I’ve decided… Oh, I’ve tried so many, I’ve tried three red, one black, one purple and two blue ones. But I wanted something with blue and white. And blue, this one, is beautiful. Well, I like it and it fits me too, and there are many hours. You went to the Oscars, I’ve been waiting for a long time…
-They’ve moved a lot in the promotion this awards season.
-Very. Also, the beauty of all this is that the world has opened its doors to us, not only in Argentina, not only in South America or here, in the United States, but in Europe, in the places where you say our Latin American films stay in Latin America . Not this movie.
-Did you get any kind of license from Marvel to be able to follow “Argentina, 1985” all over the world?
-The beauty of these awards is that they usually take place on Saturdays, if I leave on Friday evening I arrive and return on Sunday. Yes, I don’t sleep much…
-What do you think international audiences were attracted to by the film?
It’s hard to say that it’s a movie that people like, because what it’s about isn’t something they might like, but I think what reaches people, which is the most important thing of all, is that…
Look, there are a lot of people who don’t know this part of our story. The new generations, not only from Argentina, but from anywhere in the world, have the opportunity to see something that happened in a country that has reported a lot of news about something else and, suddenly, they see that there is systematic violence , oppressive, which is faced thanks to a group of people, starting with Strassera and Moreno Ocampo, and those guys, the little prosecutors…
-I think it captivates people a lot…
-Of course, because this is the idea of the screenplay, based on the fact that the future belongs to young people. The present belongs to everyone, but the future belongs to the young. And if we don’t bet on that young man, the future could be another future. I think that’s what makes people passionate about it. In a way, a little bit of that little superhero that we all have inside, that you don’t need cape, hammer or shield. Sometimes the law is your greatest tool.
-How did you come to this project?
-Through Axel Kuschevatzky, who had wanted to work with me for a long time, and when he told me he was doing it, he asked me if I wanted to be a part of it, and I had to ask permission. Of course they gave it to me and we did.
Do you want to continue producing Argentine cinema?
-I love cinema.
-I intend to produce films in Argentina.
-I love Argentine cinema, I’m interested in the stories they promote, human rights, stories that promote women, that deal with all those who feel that, in one way or another, either by their own right or a political moment , they need someone to give them the “Yes we can” banner. This is what moves me.
-Do you have something in mind?
-At the moment I don’t have any plans. Do you have any? Hahaha.
-You told me on other occasions that you wanted to shoot a Marvel production there, in Argentina.
-I’d like to shoot in Argentina, it’s a matter of when. We are everywhere. We’re in Atlanta, we’re in London, a lot, and it’s hard sometimes. We shot at Iguazu Falls when we were shooting Black PantherEven if we haven’t done the streets of Buenos Aires, or the streets of Mendoza, or Patagonia…
-What do you miss about La Plata?
-My family is here, I miss my friends, but as you can see Alejo is always half close, so today I feel like I have my family here.
– As if you were in Buenos Aires. Besides, you’re surrounded by Argentines these days…
-And last night I ate a Havannet, because Alejo brought me. What do you think, that we will win?
Let me tell you, it caught my attention that the Academy released two lists of presenters for the ceremony before voting closed, which was on Tuesday. And on Thursday, they added Chilean-nationalized American Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, The Last of Us), which was at the premiere of Argentina, 1985 in Venice, and is enthusiastic about the film…
-He moderated the presentation of the film at the American Cinematheque, which was the last press conference we did with Argentina, 1985.
-And why would they have called him now?
-Hahaha. You say that Peter is our…
-If you see that Pedro will announce the best international film, get ready to run on stage.
-I love it. Well I love Pedro, he’s a great friend, a great friend.
-How did you meet?
-We know each other through what you are doing The Mandalorian.
-I thought of it as it is Star Warsalso from Disney, and you’re from Marvel, they didn’t cross…
-And since he is the brother of Javiera Balmaceda (she is responsible for the original content of the Amazon Studios streaming platform, which co-produced Argentina, 1985, for the Latin America region, Canada, Australia and New Zealand). Pedro is a wonderful being, Pedro is beautiful.
-Ask now, with your cell phone…
-But he doesn’t know, he doesn’t know what he will present. Well, he didn’t tell us … More: I prefer not to know anything. I prefer not to know.
Wonder Challenges
-Any new challenges in Marvel?
-Every day is a challenge. Everyday. We are doing a lot, I am very happy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. IIIwhich comes out now in May, it’s a very, very good film.
-Director James Gunn retires with this Marvel film. Disney fired him, rehired him, and…
-James has another job (he says, referring to the fact that he is now Co-President and CEO of DC Studios), but this one is running out, just a few weeks away, and that’s it.
-I like James, he’s a revolutionary guy, in the sense that he goes against the tide in everything, he’s politically incorrect, things that aren’t common in Hollywood at all.
– Being politically incorrect?
-And be successful.
-If it can be.
-The “Peacemaker” series was one thing…
– (interrupts) Yes, different. He’s a very knowledgeable director, very knowledgeable, which is very important. When the directors or conductors are ready, everything changes.
-Returning to the Oscar ceremony, it is not known in which order the award for best international film will be awarded.
-I have no idea. I just know that Rihanna will sing (one of the songs of Black Panther: Wakanda ForeverMarvel production), we have already announced it.
-Of course, today you can retire from Dolby Theater with more than one award.
-I have six nominations, five for wakanda forever, and this. But this one has my name on it. It’s an honor to be nominated. An honour. Moreover, it remains in history. From now on, you are not Doe, you are the Doe candidate.
The Angels. Special delivery
Source: Clarin
