#INTERVIEW Hector Medina chats VIVA

Tell us about a day in the life of Hector Medina.
Well, I now have cats.When I get up, I feed the cats.Right now, I am not in Cuba but in Miami where I have been staying for the past several months.I make good use of the Internet to follow events in Cuba, the US Presidential Election and world news.I watch independent films and keep abreast of the work of my many friends from the festivals that I’ve attended in the last months.I always read something interesting, and listen to music.Wait.I also cook and love cooking for my fiancée and her father.
How did you land the role?
I went through a rigorous casting process.Many talented actors auditioned for the role including actors whom I admired and worked with.My first audition was a scene with Angel (Jorge Perugorria) and a second actor, Carlos Riveron, a friend of mine.The second audition was singing a song from Elena Burque.Then, after a lapse of time, I found out I landed the role.

How did you prepare for your role?
I prepared myself very well for the auditions.Tony Alonso, an actor friend of mine with drag queen experience, was an immense help.He helped me to interpret the songs, to listen to them, and to do the feminine gestures from both an internal and external point of view to the strong emotions the songs evoke.A great majority of drag queens sing songs with strong emotions.There is a theme, and it’s what separates them as people, as gay.We rehearsed, if I remember correctly, for 15 days from morning to night.We started with the part of Viva, which involved testing and rehearsing with costumes, walking in high heels (which gave my feet intense pain every day), learning the songs and then, doing scenes with Angel, with Mama, with Cindy, and the other characters.It was grueling, and followed by 21 days of shooting.When I finished shooting VIVA, I came down with a fever and spent a week at home.

What was it like to work with the director Paddy Breathnach and the Irish crew?
They were brilliant.I knew that right away from having had the opportunity to work with brilliant people in Cuba.It was a great experience learning a new manner of working.Paddy Breathnach was an amazing director.He gave me so much confidence and supported me.He believed in me, a young actor, and said, “Yes, you can do it.”And at times, he’d give me the freedom to improvise but never letting me stray to off character because he would notice the small details.I believe that a big part of what made Jesus was thanks to him, and the make-up artists and the choreographers, like Luis Vani, a Cuban choreographer from Havana.

I also remember Cathal Watters, the cinematographer, who was a special guy.Sometimes, I tried to joke with him and the focus puller involving scenes of Jesus in the apartment.We would mark the scenes.They were a bit difficult to choreograph the movement of the characters with the camera.I tried to move a little bit this way to see if I’d mess with the focus puller and the guy was so good that I’d still be in focus.And I’d say, “The star of the movie is this man!”

They are extremely talented and professional, and when you have this kind of story in your hands, like Viva, a good script, and when we all have the willingness to do it because we like it and because we love what we do, I believe the whole movie can go well.

How do you think international audiences will receive the film?
Well, I believe that, up until now, from what I’ve seen, personally, for me, it’s been very well received.I missed the first screening of the film at the Telluride Film Festival due to missing my flight at Miami Airport where I ended up spending the night.I arrived on the second day of the festival and saw the second showing of the film.VIVA was so well received that the festival played it like nine times.And at the end of the movie, people would leave crying and they talk to you and they want to share with you and touch you and console you as if I was Jesus.It was a wonderful experience!

Thank you for taking the time to do the interview with us.The Extra Mile much appreciates it.We would like to wish you the very best in your future endeavours and look forward to seeing you in your next film.
Thank you!