Photo: Apple TV + / Courtesy
We are used to seeing Eugenio Derbez in comedy roles, but recently a beautiful movie in which he plays a dramatic role has been released. We are talking about “ CODA “, one of the most interesting films of the year, which swept the last festival from Sundance and is now available in theaters and on Apple TV +.
“CODA ”Tells the story of the Rossi, a deaf family who run a fishing boat in Gloucester, Massachusetts . The only hearing-able person in the family is Ruby (played by Emilia Jones), from 17 years, who dedicates most of his life to be an interpreter for his parents and his brother in the day to day. But at High School, Ruby discovers her love for music and singing. The choir director (Derbez) encourages her to study music at the most prestigious school in Boston. Ruby will have to decide between continuing to help her family or pursuing her dreams.
“It’s a different movie, on a subject that I practically didn’t have. viewed. But he also has a lot of heart. And lots of humor, because there are times when you laugh ”, Eugenio Derbez tells us in an interview for LA OPINIÓN.
“The script made me cry when I read it… It’s one of those movies that are like a roller coaster: that make you think, that make you laugh, that make you cry … It’s the kind of movie that I would like to see it as a public, “says the Mexican actor, who also highlights that a film to see with the family.
” Now everything is violence, sex … This is not for young children, but you can see it with a son of 10 or 12 years ”, he points out.
The actors who play the Rossi are deaf, which meant a n work situation. ovedosa for Derbez . To communicate with them, the film’s production hired interpreters CODA (acronym for Child of deaf adult, that is, son of the deaf).
“All the interpreters were CODAs. And they told us: ‘How good that they are finally opening this door so that these stories are known.’ Because it is very hard for them. The children of deaf parents dedicate their entire lives to interpreting, to translating, because they are the only link between the world and the family ”, explains Derbez.
“At the moment when they have to continue their life and pursue their dreams, they find themselves at this crossroads and feel guilty about abandoning the family to make their life,” he adds.
Eugenio Derbez in another genre
Although it has humorous strokes, the film and the character that Derbez plays are definitely dramatic, another first for the actor who has just turned 60 years and is back a long career as a comedian, especially in Mexico and Latin America.
“This is one of the few dramatic projects I have done in my career . Love it. I like as an actor to try different things. But it is also that comedians do not take us seriously ”, explains Derbez.
“They say that it is more difficult to make people laugh than to make people cry. However, people do not understand what is behind a comedy. Now that I see the relevance of a dramatic film, I love it. That’s why I think a lot of comedy actors like Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, and others jump from comedy to drama. In drama you have the opportunity to be nominated for an award ”, he adds.
Precisely “CODA” was the most outstanding film at the last Sundance Film Festival , where it became the first in the history of the contest to win the three main awards: that of the jury, that of the audience, and that of Best Direction, which went to the director and screenwriter of the film, Sian Heder .
Heder adapted the script for the French film “La Famille Bélier”, by 2014. The filmmaker learned American Sign Language for this project and promised to include deaf actors in the cast, including Marlee Matlin (winner of the Oscar for Best Actress in 1987 by “Children of a Lesser God”), Troy Kotsur and Daniel Durant . The “Coda” actors also won the Best Cast award at Sundance.
“I did not know that there was such a great community of deaf actors, and they are wonderful,” says Derbez-. In addition, due to his condition, his ability to communicate an emotion, a feeling, simply with his gaze, with his eyes, is shocking ”.
The film is also a call for diversity and inclusion, which is not always a issue of gender or race.
“It makes you wonder why deaf actors can’t be given more roles,” reflects Derbez. We Latinos have complained that they only offer us the roles of criminals, drug traffickers, or in the best of cases, the gardener; and that they never think of one for a lawyer, an architect… ”
“ Why not hire a deaf actor even if the role has nothing What to do with that?