When Zay Zay Met... Arturo Menendez
When Zay Zay Met...
[{'start': '0.750', 'end': '5.050', 'text': 'Forbes calls you one of the biggest creatives in all of Latin America.'}, {'start': '5.050', 'end': '7.858', 'text': 'How has this movie changed you?'}, {'start': '7.858', 'end': '12.000', 'text': "Wow, that's a great question."}, {'start': '22.740', 'end': '24.000', 'text': '¿Qué pasa, y como estamos mi gente?'}, {'start': '24.000', 'end': '27.783', 'text': 'I am Zay Zay, and welcome to When Zay Zay Met...'}, {'start': '27.783', 'end': '43.409', 'text': "Today, we're meeting with a visionary director whose bold storytelling has truly redefined Salvadoran cinema. And his latest"}, {'start': '43.409', 'end': '50.450', 'text': "film, La Balada de Hortensia, has broken records, guys. And it's challenged norms and has"}, {'start': '50.450', 'end': '56.649', 'text': "truly, truly made history. And now, it's making its way to the U.S. And today,"}, {'start': '56.710', 'end': '63.229', 'text': "he's here with us. Ladies and gentlemen, show your love. This is Arturo Menendez. Hello."}, {'start': '64.030', 'end': '68.069', 'text': 'Hello, Zay. How are you doing? What a pleasure being here with you. Oh, man.'}, {'start': '68.069', 'end': '71.469', 'text': 'Good to see you, hermano. Good to see you. Good to see you. Thank you.'}, {'start': '71.709', 'end': '77.650', 'text': 'Gracias, gracias. Gracias para todo tu público. Definitely. Gracias a ti. Gracias a ti. This'}, {'start': '77.650', 'end': '87.030', 'text': 'movie has really taken El Salvador by storm, right? Like, it has exploded onto the'}, {'start': '87.030', 'end': '94.840', 'text': 'scene. Was it, like, truly that big, that quick, or was it like a gradual'}, {'start': '94.840', 'end': '100.719', 'text': 'sort of build-up to an explosion? Like, or did it just knock you off your'}, {'start': '100.719', 'end': '112.989', 'text': 'socks? Zay, this was incredible. How, since the beginning, since we started the project. Yeah.'}, {'start': '113.890', 'end': '123.790', 'text': 'Everything was, like, working out, like butter, like warm butter on bread, because everything was'}, {'start': '123.790', 'end': '133.210', 'text': 'really smooth. You know, movies always have trouble. Movies always have, you know, this... Siempre'}, {'start': '133.210', 'end': '143.590', 'text': 'hay problemas en las películas. Okay. Y esta película was really easygoing since the beginning.'}, {'start': '143.629', 'end': '149.569', 'text': 'Since, you know, in one year, we had the script and we were in pre-production.'}, {'start': '149.569', 'end': '154.229', 'text': 'We had everything ready. We had the finance ready. And I said, wow, you know,'}, {'start': '154.229', 'end': '160.409', 'text': 'I had one movie that took me 14 years to see it on the screen.'}, {'start': '160.409', 'end': '165.129', 'text': 'And this one was in two years. I saw it on the screen since the'}, {'start': '165.389', 'end': '171.960', 'text': 'beginning, since we wrote it. Wow. And so, you know, and when it went, the'}, {'start': '171.960', 'end': '179.780', 'text': 'first weekend here on the cinemas, it was, you know, it was crazy. Everybody, there'}, {'start': '179.780', 'end': '195.639', 'text': 'was large... You know, we broke the box office on the first day. You know,'}, {'start': '195.639', 'end': '202.300', 'text': "it was incredible. You know, and what's incredible is that we made that just with"}, {'start': '202.300', 'end': '208.099', 'text': '12 screens over here. You know, because here, the movies, the movie theaters are really'}, {'start': '208.099', 'end': '214.240', 'text': "limited. We don't have that much, you know, movie screens. Okay. So... So, yeah, you"}, {'start': '214.240', 'end': '222.219', 'text': 'know, it was incredible how much we did on the, you know, globally, just because'}, {'start': '222.219', 'end': '231.530', 'text': "it became the most successful in the box office movie. So, yeah, you know, everything's"}, {'start': '231.530', 'end': '238.629', 'text': 'been really smooth with it. It works out with the people, because I think la'}, {'start': '238.629', 'end': '245.550', 'text': "historia es muy universal. I mean, it's a very universal story that anybody can see"}, {'start': '245.550', 'end': '252.199', 'text': "it, you know, and I think it's not only Salvadoran, it's Latin American, even though"}, {'start': '252.199', 'end': '263.939', 'text': "Tenchis, the character, it's one of our most iconic characters we have over here. Incredibly"}, {'start': '263.939', 'end': '307.180', 'text': 'beloved, yep. Yes, yes, yes. So, everything with him. Definitivamente. You took a wild concept,'}, {'start': '307.180', 'end': '312.519', 'text': 'right? I mean, honestly, you even said it yourself, you took actually a very beautiful'}, {'start': '312.519', 'end': '320.500', 'text': 'concept, the concept of redemption, right? An overarching concept of redemption. You put it in'}, {'start': '320.500', 'end': '329.420', 'text': 'a vehicle of a beloved character, but essentially placed it inside a different wild concept.'}, {'start': '330.160', 'end': '335.339', 'text': "A hedonistic man wakes up in the body of a woman, but it's a body"}, {'start': '335.339', 'end': '342.040', 'text': 'swap comedy, and then you turned it into a whole journey. What was the seed'}, {'start': '342.040', 'end': '348.420', 'text': 'of that idea? Where did Hortencia sort of come from for you? You know, I'}, {'start': '348.420', 'end': '354.660', 'text': 'had that idea for many years, because, you know, I knew Julio Yudice, the actor,'}, {'start': '355.339', 'end': '361.519', 'text': 'many years ago, like 15 years ago, and, you know, since I met him, I'}, {'start': '361.519', 'end': '365.540', 'text': 'had this idea on my mind, like, you know, I should, we should do a'}, {'start': '365.540', 'end': '369.040', 'text': 'movie about Tenchis, but, you know, the time was not, well, it was not yet,'}, {'start': '369.100', 'end': '375.019', 'text': 'you know, and so I had the idea in my mind for many years, and'}, {'start': '375.019', 'end': '378.839', 'text': 'I went through a lot of things, you know, I made my movies, my first'}, {'start': '378.839', 'end': '385.980', 'text': 'movies, I had like three of them, and suddenly we were producing one movie over'}, {'start': '385.980', 'end': '394.040', 'text': 'here called Fireflies on Mosote, with Elias Aksumi, the producer. He told me, like, listen,'}, {'start': '394.319', 'end': '399.939', 'text': "let's go have lunch with Julio Yudice, with the actor, and let's see if there"}, {'start': '399.939', 'end': '403.810', 'text': 'is a chance to make a movie with him. Thank you. And I say, you'}, {'start': '403.810', 'end': '409.230', 'text': "know what? I have an idea for a movie of Tenchis. You know, I've been"}, {'start': '409.230', 'end': '413.569', 'text': "working on it in my mind. So he said, okay, let's pitch it on the"}, {'start': '413.569', 'end': '421.540', 'text': 'lunch. And I pitched it to him and to Elias, the producer, and they loved'}, {'start': '421.540', 'end': '435.720', 'text': 'it. For some reason, the seed of the idea was long, like many years before'}, {'start': '435.720', 'end': '440.910', 'text': 'the production of the movie. But in the time I did it, I was going'}, {'start': '440.910', 'end': '451.139', 'text': 'through a, let me say, a transformation. You know, I went through... I went through'}, {'start': '451.139', 'end': '460.000', 'text': 'a personal transformation just at the moment I was starting to make this movie. A'}, {'start': '460.000', 'end': '466.589', 'text': 'lot of things had happened in my life. My mother died in the process. And'}, {'start': '466.589', 'end': '474.910', 'text': "I even finished this movie with my mother's grief. And in the end, this movie,"}, {'start': '474.910', 'end': '482.110', 'text': 'which is a movie that we made commercial, in quotes, was meant to entertain, it'}, {'start': '482.110', 'end': '488.410', 'text': 'was a movie for the public, to make a box office hit, it became something'}, {'start': '488.529', 'end': '494.129', 'text': "personal, something that has my heart. And I think that's the most important thing, because"}, {'start': '494.129', 'end': '501.870', 'text': "in the end, I see myself a little... I feel like there's something about me"}, {'start': '501.870', 'end': '508.589', 'text': "in that story, because I also went through that transformation. And people didn't recognize me"}, {'start': '508.589', 'end': '515.470', 'text': 'when I went through this, and a lot of things, right? So the seed of'}, {'start': '515.470', 'end': '521.149', 'text': 'this, although it comes from the past, from many years ago, at the time it'}, {'start': '521.149', 'end': '529.820', 'text': 'arrived and was made possible, I was going through that process. And a process of'}, {'start': '529.820', 'end': '535.679', 'text': 'transformation, of evolution. I lost 120 pounds because I had a lot of weight. I'}, {'start': '535.679', 'end': '539.659', 'text': 'went through a depression, a lot of things in my life, right? And after that,'}, {'start': '539.659', 'end': '546.639', 'text': "and it ends with my mother's death, right? And then, yes, I see my heart"}, {'start': '546.639', 'end': '552.779', 'text': "in that movie, and that's why I love it so much. And I think it"}, {'start': '552.779', 'end': '559.580', 'text': "shows, and I think that's what the audience can see. Wow, what a story. And"}, {'start': '561.309', 'end': '569.269', 'text': 'that transformation, so personal, and you took all of that, all of that change, you'}, {'start': '569.269', 'end': '574.450', 'text': 'had some of that pain also sprinkled within that transformation. But then you put it'}, {'start': '574.450', 'end': '582.029', 'text': "in a comedy. What was that all about? It's really interesting how... It's really interesting"}, {'start': '582.029', 'end': '592.210', 'text': 'how a concept can become a comedy. But, you know, I worked this movie as'}, {'start': '592.809', 'end': '601.980', 'text': 'a drama, and, but... And I let the situations happen naturally with the actor. We'}, {'start': '601.980', 'end': '609.720', 'text': 'worked them out. And so at the end, we had a really interesting thing because'}, {'start': '609.720', 'end': '616.399', 'text': "yes, it's a comedy, but what you're looking at, it's drama. And we laugh at"}, {'start': '616.399', 'end': '628.700', 'text': "it. And that's something, it's something that characterizes us as Salvadorans, or as Latinos, that"}, {'start': '628.700', 'end': '635.960', 'text': "we're dying. One of our legs broke and we're able to laugh at that. We"}, {'start': '635.960', 'end': '644.480', 'text': "have that ability, don't we? So I think that's what happened. It could have been"}, {'start': '644.480', 'end': '653.820', 'text': 'a very dense drama, because yes, the film could have been that, or a very,'}, {'start': '653.820', 'end': '662.360', 'text': 'very popular comedy, a comedy that was too much like a television sketch. It could'}, {'start': '662.360', 'end': '668.539', 'text': 'have been both. But we had to find a middle ground in this film. And'}, {'start': '668.539', 'end': '674.519', 'text': "I think that's what we found, and that's why it's part of the success of"}, {'start': '674.519', 'end': '679.080', 'text': "this film. That's it. You know, one thing that I saw and I was thinking"}, {'start': '679.080', 'end': '685.820', 'text': 'about while watching the film is in thinking about you and how to direct it,'}, {'start': '686.200', 'end': '695.379', 'text': 'because you just brought something up, tone, right? Tone is very important to balance the'}, {'start': '695.379', 'end': '701.919', 'text': "transformations, to balance the drama and the comedy. You're seeing something that can be incredibly"}, {'start': '701.919', 'end': '714.110', 'text': 'dramatic, can be incredibly traumatic to somebody, and yet finding the humor in it, directing'}, {'start': '714.110', 'end': '719.879', 'text': 'tone. How do you do that as a director? How do you find that balance?'}, {'start': '720.730', 'end': '736.929', 'text': "You know, I think it's part of the director's job because finding the tone in"}, {'start': '736.929', 'end': '743.809', 'text': "a story that you're telling in front of the camera is complicated. It's one of"}, {'start': '743.809', 'end': '749.450', 'text': "the most complicated things, and it's where the films fail, because you can't find the"}, {'start': '749.450', 'end': '756.389', 'text': 'right tone for a story. And you have to be very clear about it. Like'}, {'start': '756.389', 'end': '766.429', 'text': 'I said, I built the film and I visualized it as a drama, but I'}, {'start': '766.429', 'end': '772.350', 'text': 'knew that the character was going to give me the tone that I needed. So'}, {'start': '772.350', 'end': '779.889', 'text': "it's a mixture of a very strong story with the humor of the character. So"}, {'start': '779.889', 'end': '789.149', 'text': 'the two mix, and that gives us the tone at the end. Obviously, also with'}, {'start': '789.149', 'end': '793.929', 'text': 'the other actors, not only with Julio, but also with Francisco Gattorno, it also helped'}, {'start': '793.929', 'end': '801.730', 'text': "me a lot to find the right tone for the story. That's it. So you"}, {'start': '801.730', 'end': '808.889', 'text': 'were able to sort of rely on the expertise that Julio has to be able'}, {'start': '808.889', 'end': '814.029', 'text': 'to pull out the comedy whenever you needed it, and also to direct him to'}, {'start': '814.029', 'end': '820.190', 'text': "be as dramatic as you needed him to be. Perfect. Beautiful, beautiful work. That's right."}, {'start': '820.610', 'end': '830.230', 'text': "Look, I think Charlie Chaplin, I don't know if I remember correctly, he said that"}, {'start': '830.230', 'end': '846.950', 'text': "comedy is the story told without laughter. Something like that. And it's true, because it's"}, {'start': '846.950', 'end': '852.970', 'text': "difficult. Look, there's nothing more difficult than comedy and horror in the cinema, because if"}, {'start': '852.970', 'end': '860.269', 'text': 'it goes wrong, it becomes ridiculous. So you have to find the exact point for'}, {'start': '860.269', 'end': '867.129', 'text': "that. And I think this film has that, because it doesn't become a caricature, it"}, {'start': '867.129', 'end': '874.490', 'text': "doesn't become a comic, because there's a difference between comedy and comic, but it's in"}, {'start': '874.490', 'end': '890.049', 'text': 'a very thin line, because the character of Tenchis tends to go towards comicity, towards'}, {'start': '890.049', 'end': '897.190', 'text': 'the sketch. So finding that, I think, is also part of the script and the'}, {'start': '897.190', 'end': '905.509', 'text': 'screenwriter, because even though the story is mine, we co-wrote the script with Javier Reina,'}, {'start': '906.450', 'end': '912.370', 'text': 'a Mexican writer who lives in the United States. He also helped in that process.'}, {'start': '912.809', 'end': '921.919', 'text': "So I think it's a team effort as well. This is obviously not only your"}, {'start': '921.919', 'end': '931.679', 'text': 'biggest movie so far, and of course the biggest movie El Salvador has seen. Forbes'}, {'start': '931.679', 'end': '936.460', 'text': 'calls you one of the biggest or the best creatives in all of Latin America.'}, {'start': '937.840', 'end': '952.159', 'text': "How has this movie changed you? Wow, that's a great question. Because, you know, I"}, {'start': '952.159', 'end': '961.460', 'text': 'come from making movies with a low budget, with a medium budget. This movie is'}, {'start': '961.460', 'end': '969.620', 'text': "the biggest I've ever made. I come from making movies for film festivals. I liked"}, {'start': '969.620', 'end': '977.980', 'text': 'to take the path of movies from festivals, to be able to participate, to win'}, {'start': '977.980', 'end': '988.509', 'text': 'awards. And then we focused on distribution. We focused on distribution from the beginning. Y'}, {'start': '988.509', 'end': '996.919', 'text': 'esto me ha cambiado la manera de ver las películas, de hacer las películas. Porque'}, {'start': '996.919', 'end': '1002.490', 'text': 'lo veo desde el punto de vista industrial, me doy cuenta de cómo funciona todo,'}, {'start': '1003.110', 'end': '1009.970', 'text': 'y digo, wow, o sea, es grandioso, o sea, a mí me cambia la perspectiva'}, {'start': '1009.970', 'end': '1022.789', 'text': 'de cómo abordar los proyectos. Y creo que las demás películas que voy a hacer,'}, {'start': '1023.009', 'end': '1031.400', 'text': 'me gustaría abordarlas desde este punto, desde la distribución, pensando en el público también, no'}, {'start': '1031.400', 'end': '1038.400', 'text': 'solamente en los festivales, no solamente en los críticos, sino más bien, veamos a ver'}, {'start': '1038.400', 'end': '1046.359', 'text': 'que el público cómo la acepta. Y me gusta eso que es masivo, que las'}, {'start': '1046.359', 'end': '1052.579', 'text': 'películas al final son para el público, para el gran público. Y creo que cambia'}, {'start': '1052.579', 'end': '1061.579', 'text': 'mi perspectiva de hacer las películas, este proyecto. Eso. Arturo, man, continued success. I appreciate'}, {'start': '1061.579', 'end': '1065.160', 'text': "it. They're wrapping me up. 30 seconds. Why do I need to see this movie?"}, {'start': '1065.420', 'end': '1069.759', 'text': 'Sell me this movie. Why does everybody need to go see La Balada de Hortensia?'}, {'start': '1072.660', 'end': '1076.880', 'text': 'Todo el público tiene que ir a ver La Balada de Hortensia, porque es la'}, {'start': '1076.880', 'end': '1083.279', 'text': 'primera vez que vemos El Salvador en la gran pantalla, en Estados Unidos, en más'}, {'start': '1083.279', 'end': '1092.640', 'text': 'de 150 cines. Vemos el paisaje salvadoreño, nos identificamos con Latinoamérica también, porque esta es'}, {'start': '1092.640', 'end': '1103.930', 'text': 'una historia universal, esta es una historia de transformación, es una historia que también aborda'}, {'start': '1103.930', 'end': '1109.829', 'text': 'el tema de la violencia de género, de la mujer maltratada, de la mujer luchadora,'}, {'start': '1110.349', 'end': '1118.109', 'text': 'y al final es un acto de redención. Eso. Y es una película que no'}, {'start': '1118.109', 'end': '1124.609', 'text': 'solamente la puede ver los salvadoreños, los centroamericanos, sino que la puede ver cualquier persona'}, {'start': '1124.609', 'end': '1129.569', 'text': 'de cualquier nacionalidad, porque es una historia muy universal. El personaje de la Tenchis es'}, {'start': '1129.569', 'end': '1136.609', 'text': 'el vehículo que introduce la historia y pues por donde nos lleva a contar esta'}, {'start': '1136.609', 'end': '1142.430', 'text': "drama comedia. There it is. Bonus 30, y'all. Arturo, we appreciate you so much. Thank"}, {'start': '1142.509', 'end': '1147.750', 'text': 'you for joining us, man. Continued success. Go see La Balada de Hortensia right now.'}, {'start': '1147.750', 'end': '1154.130', 'text': 'What are you doing here? Go. Run, watch it. Arturo, thank you. Thank you, Sai.'}, {'start': '1154.410', 'end': '1155.390', 'text': 'A pleasure.'}]