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- DIALOGS
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DIALOG WITH MARTA CABRERA
MARTA CABRERA DURING THE FILMING OF "ANCESTRAL"
FILMING OF "ANCESTRAL"
At Naguisa, we recently had the pleasure of meeting Marta Cabrera, a director, screenwriter, and film producer, in a rather unexpected way: she contacted us to collaborate on her new project, 'Ancestral'. This movie, soon to be released, features an impressive script and cast, and faced with such beauty and talent, we couldn't resist.
While waiting for the premiere of 'Ancestral', we invite you to learn more about Marta. You can follow her profile on Instagram, discover her filmography on Filmin, and read the interview we conducted with her. In it, Marta shares details about her work and creative process as a director, screenwriter, producer, and mother. We are sure that her story and vision will inspire you!
ALMUDENA AMOR IN "ANCESTRAL" WITH HER ARIETIS TAUPE
ALMUDENA AMOR IN "ANCESTRAL" WITH HER ARIETIS TAUPE
Who is Marta Cabrera? How did you start your career in the film industry, and what inspired you to start your own production company?
I was born in Vigo in 1984 and studied film there. My goal was always to be a director, but my first jobs were as a producer for the regional television of Galicia, and I began to feel comfortable in that role. In 2010, I moved to Aragon to work on the production of an international documentary, and from that project, where I learned a lot, I began to produce my own.
It was in 2015, days before becoming a mother, that I premiered my first film as a producer, titled “Novatos,” a drama that denounced the scourge of hazing in Spanish universities. The film premiered at the Seminci and months later was acquired by Netflix globally. This allowed me to take a break and focus on enjoying the new personal stage that was beginning for me. During that time, I worked on documentary projects and music videos for bands like Neuman or Siniestro Total.
It was in 2018 when I decided to found my production company, Redwood Films. My idea was to do fewer projects, but more ambitious ones. Thus, in 2021, after the birth of my second daughter, I filmed “Para entrar a vivir,” a film with which I also returned to directing.
SOME OF THE NAGUISA USED BY THE ACTRESSES OF "ANCESTRAL"
Tell us more about your current project, “Ancestral.” What led you to work on this particular project?
The seed of “Ancestral” was planted years ago, before the pandemic. It has been a long process, with many script versions until we reached the final one for shooting.
“Ancestral” is a drama that delves into the complexity of family relationships from an unbelievable perspective. It's a genre film but with a strong feminist and assertive background. My involvement in this project is complete: I co-wrote the script with Pablo Aragüés, with whom I also co-direct the movie. In addition, I am the producer and was personally responsible for selecting the cast of actresses.
For me, the film needed an entirely female cast, representing different ages and generations of women. Ancestral comprises strong, independent female characters, each with their own stories. It is the project I am most proud of to date.
“Ancestral” has a deeply feminist undertone. Do you believe that cinema can be a powerful tool for addressing feminist issues and promoting social change?
Absolutely. I believe that cinema has a social component; it is a powerful loudspeaker for our message and a tool for the transformation of society. Cinema has the power to promote values, perpetuate, and even transform stereotypes and behavior models. That's why those of us who make films have an enormous responsibility. A movie can invite you to reflect, analyze, and become sensitive to certain situations that otherwise might be foreign to you. With “Ancestral,” I knew I wanted to tell a story that resonated. To seize the opportunity to create something that encourages debate. “Ancestral” is a critique of the patriarchal system, but told from a fantastical perspective, like a tale, so that the message and change can reach more people.
CAST OF "ANCESTRAL": ANA FERNÁNDEZ WITH RASO BROWN, LUISA GAVASA WITH ABRA GREEN, ALMUDENA AMOR WITH ARIETIS TAUPE, CONSUELO TRUJILLO WITH MESTA GREEN, Y EMMA SUÁREZ
CAST OF "ANCESTRAL": ANA FERNÁNDEZ WITH RASO BROWN, LUISA GAVASA WITH ABRA GREEN, ALMUDENA AMOR WITH ARIETIS TAUPE, CONSUELO TRUJILLO WITH MESTA GREEN, Y EMMA SUÁREZ
Can you share some exciting details about the production process of “Ancestral”? Any memorable moments or anecdotes you'd like to highlight?
“Ancestral” is the project I am most proud of. Bringing together a cast of actresses like Emma Suárez, Luisa Gavasa, Consuelo Trujillo, Ana Fernández, and Almudena Amor and watching them work together was magical. I remember the first day of shooting when they all came together. That day we were filming sequence 72, the longest in the entire script: a conversation around a table spanning over 12 pages. It took an entire day just for that scene. Watching them perform it was one of the most thrilling experiences I've had as a filmmaker.
The shoot was challenging logistically, as we filmed in many outdoor locations, all over an hour and a half away from the city and deep in nature. We even filmed inside a cave. After spending numerous hours there, the feeling was truly overwhelming, but the result was spectacular.
Can you share some specific challenges you've faced as a mother of two girls while directing and producing a film? How do you find a balance between your professional life in cinema and your personal life as a mother? Do you have any advice for other women trying to balance both responsibilities?
Motherhood changed everything, including my work life. From basic things like my work schedule (for example, staying up late to get ahead on a script isn't realistic anymore, as I can't make up for lost sleep the next day) to the mental load, which is massive during the child-rearing years. I've had to balance this in my professional life, and that's only possible by delegating tasks, mainly office logistics, paperwork, and so on. My presence on set is not the same now. I take on far fewer projects than before, but they are more ambitious: If I'm going to spend a month shooting sixteen hours a day, it has to be worth the effort. The themes of my movies are different now, too; I'm interested in delving into more social themes, making films that are transformative in some way.
When it comes to balancing parenting and work, I'm extremely fortunate that, except during shoots, I work from home. I can do my job with a mobile phone, a computer, and an internet connection from anywhere. This gives me a lot of freedom and allows me to organize my time and adapt to my daughters, not the other way around. My partner and I work together and team up, both professionally and in raising our daughters. When I need to travel for in-person meetings, shoots, meetings, or talks, balancing is possible thanks to the support of my partner, or, if we both have to be away, our families, who are there when needed.
Also, at home, we involve our daughters in our work very organically. The world of cinema is a universe that both of them like and enjoy feeling a part of. My eldest daughter has come to several of our shoots and loves, for example, seeing the editing process, and post-production… even helping with it and watching the film take shape. They've even been in front of the camera, as in "Ancestral," where both are part of the artistic cast of the film.
In the context of your experience in the film industry, have you faced gender-based obstacles or prejudices? How have you overcome them, and what advice can you offer to other women who may encounter similar challenges?
Yes, of course. The audiovisual sector is very male-dominated. There are fascinating studies by associations like CIMA (Association of Women Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media in Spanish) showing that last year only 37% of the positions in the sector were occupied by women. Most of these positions are composed of stereotyped roles (those related to aesthetics or care, such as costume, art, makeup, and hairdressing…). If we move up to leadership positions (production, direction, scriptwriting…), the percentage of women decreases significantly. The same is true in front of the screen. Female roles are less abundant and are generally subordinate to male characters, who are usually the ones who sustain the plot in stories.
There is neither internal nor external equity. For me, it has been difficult to make myself heard in such a male-dominated world. I've been in offices where I was the only woman in the meeting, and my contributions or ideas were questioned, or I was treated condescendingly.
It's not easy, but it's important to trust in our capacity. Believing in oneself is fundamental. Leave the impostor syndrome aside and be clear about the path you want to follow and where you want to go. What you want to tell, what mark you want to leave, and, above all, what makes you feel fulfilled and complete.