China Zorrilla I would never have let reality ruin a good story. Long before everyday life became this crazy fiction that we live, she knew how to conjure up the most hilarious anecdotes, the most incredible experiences and the most indelible love of everyone who surrounded her. “The last trip to China”a documentary directed by Alejandro Maci that premiered at the last BAFICI and can now be seen in theaters, gives an account of this. The black and white of the images contrasts with the thousand nuances of an unforgettable conversation between Soledad Silveyra and Carlos Perciavallehosts of the film, who go through each existential step of China Zorrilla with grace, humor and emotion.
Can one legend narrate another? On this occasion yes. Soledad Silveyra, wise woman, reckless actress, emblem of national culture, is encouraged to this talk with NEWS. Fito Páez says that Rosario was always close. La China and Solita too.
News: Which love story is more epic, the one you had in “Rolando Rivas” or the one you had throughout your life with China Zorrilla?
Soledad Silveyra: Without a doubt, that of China. She taught me, she directed me, thanks to her I learned what timing was in acting. She was a great teacher for me, not only in my job but in life. For this reason, in all the notes I ask young people to go see this documentary, which, in addition to being a work of art by Alejandro Maci, reflects China at its best, it is something that she deserved and I feel happy to have participated. I am very grateful to Pablo Echarri as an Argentine producer, to Alfredo Caro as a Uruguayan producer, and to Buquebús, who gave me a blast…because China lived in Buquebus, she slept there (laughs). I wanted a River Plate tribute to Zorrilla, I spoke with deputies, senators, and there was no case, but now China, in addition to this film, will have its own electric boat in Buquebus, the largest in South America, which will bear its name. This is already supreme.
News: Regarding what you said about attracting younger audiences, the documentary evokes a world that practically no longer exists, that of elegance, irony and good manners. Do you think they will see it as an oddity?
Silveyra: A little bit yes, because everything you say is disappearing and that is precisely why I want young people to see this film, so that they learn that you can live better with more education. I understand that China was a special person, with a privileged background. I always told her: “Look, I am not an envious woman, but if there is something I envy, it is the education they gave you.” Imagine that at 20 years old she was already traveling the world, she was a modern woman above all things, in times where being independent and not living only to raise a family and accompany a man’s career was frowned upon.
News: Let’s agree that you were also a very modern woman, since you were a child you had to work and drive the family car. How did you live it?
Silveyra: It was very difficult, I worked when I was almost a child and I was not socially well regarded, I started when I was 12, imagine. When my family from San Isidro, the Silveyras, found out that I wanted to be an actress, they reacted tremendously. One of my aunts told me, “Please take the Greek y out of your last name.” Then I answered: “I’m not going to get it off in any way.” It is my identity, that is not negotiable.
News: And being from such a traditional family, how did it occur to you to be an actress?
Silveyra: It was the idea of a great actor friend of the family named Zelmar Gueñol, he was the one who told me: “You’re going to take a test, you have to be an actress” and I answered: “Look, the only thing I want is to win a mango because I can’t afford the soup with rice that we eat every day.” So I started working at 12 and at 15 I made my first film, “A Boy Like Me,” with Palito Ortega. I came from a very well-off family, but well, life dealt me several blows both emotionally and economically and I knew how to face them thanks to the profession.
News: What tool did the job give you to deal with such a difficult family situation?
Silveyra: It gave me a lot of courage. And he taught me to stop in life. Look, having started from such a young age, no one ever tried to touch me, I never went through a bad time. On the contrary, they treated me with special care, I have been very pampered, everyone knew about the fragile family situation that we were going through. With my first little money we started to replace furniture because we had sold everything in my house to survive.
News: We talked about “The Last Trip to China”, but let’s move on to “Last Days of the Victim”. What was it like working with two sacred monsters like Adolfo Aristarain and Federico Luppi?
Silveyra: Aristarain was a divine person, but very demanding, he didn’t like having text added to him and at one point in the film I made a bit strong addition. In one scene my character challenges Federico Luppi’s character and I told him: “Take me!” They all stood stiffly on set (laughs). They were waiting to see Aristarain’s reaction, whether that would stick or not… and it stuck! I loved Federico Luppi very much, his imprint was impressive.
News: Speaking of memories, one of the first important theater outings was going to see you with my parents in “La Malasangre.” Why do you think that almost no text works are made in the commercial circuit?
Silveyra: It’s true that that no longer happens, a friend told me the other day that actors get their teeth done to show them in the photos on Corrientes Street. Everyone laughing because there are only comedies, you’re right! There is a devaluation of culture that is enormous, remember before when Norma Aleandro and Alfredo Alcón did theater, people sold out seats with that type of works. Of course, we still have independent theater where there are very interesting titles, but in the commercial circuit they now bring you texts that are very superficial, too light.
News: You shared the stage with great actors, from Beto Brandoni to Miguel Ángel Solá and Héctor Alterio. They say that working with Alterio was the best thing that could happen to you, is that true?
Silveyra: That’s right, Beto was the best stage partner I had in my life, but Héctor was wonderful. We made “Honey Flavor.” One day a classmate, Jorge Mayor, comes and asks me: “Did you see how Alterio has his tail? Go ahead and ask me to show you” (laughs). What happened was that I kicked him on stage. You don’t know, poor thing, he had a giant bruise on the fret! He never complained. I was lucky that his death caught me in Madrid, so I was able to be with his children and Angela. It is so necessary to be able to say goodbye to the people you love!
News: You are a person who always knew how to stay in line with the times. You did everything, theater, soap operas, movies, you hosted Big Brother and you are a pioneer of K-Pop, let’s say that too…
Silveyra: But yes, what I have accompanied is K-Pop! (Laughs) Did you see what all that turned into? When I started on the Showmatch jury, I was part of the Korean Cultural Center’s activities to promote K-Pop that is now dominating the world. I saw that one coming, the first time I approached a Korean music video I said: “This is great!” Furthermore, they are kids who study; They prepare for years. Look what BTS are! I never imagined that the comments I made in “Bailando” could become part of such an impressive phenomenon, in that sense I also got ahead of myself.
