Lucia Villaescusa (or Lucia Vico) is a Mexican actress, writer and producer. Lucia is known for starring in My Great British Girl (2021), Soy Un Vampiro (2021), Silent Ways (2019) and Bend (2019). She also wrote and produced Silent Ways (2019) and Bend (2019).
indieactivity: Introduce your film briefly?
Lucia Villaescusa (LV): Hi, I’m Lucy Villaescusa. I’m a Mexican actress and filmmaker. I’d love to talk to you about my first lead role in an international feature film: My Great British Girl. It is a Chinese romantic comedy, where I play Cheryl, a British young woman who goes to Xi’an for work and discovers the wonders of its culture and history, while falling for a coworker.
How did you develop ‘your film’?
Lucia Villaescusa (LV): This film was Gang Wang’s Directorial debut (Chinese producer) and in my opinion, there was an influence from both, the Chinese’s desire to share their stories and history; and their love for certain Western movies and actors.
Watch the trailer for My Great British Girl starring Lucia Villaescusa
How long was your pre-production?
Lucia Villaescusa (LV): Pre-production was very long and very short at the same time. The project changed throughout several months and by the time I got involved, it was already quite rushed. I remember reading the script on the plane there, and being handed a different script once I landed.
What was your rehearsal process and period?
Lucia Villaescusa (LV): There was a quick rehearsal at the Director’s office a few days before we began shooting, where he tried to explain overall ideas of intention and tone. From that, I worked on the script by myself; rewriting/paraphrasing certain lines to make them a little more “natural”.
One of the main challenges was the language barrier, although at times someone was there to translate, we were by ourselves more often than not. Thank God for technology… but it was still a constant game getting lost in translation! It definitely helped that we all had the best intentions at heart, so we were determined on making it work.
You shot the film in days. How long were your days? Did the tight shooting schedule make it harder or easier? How did it affect performances?
Lucia Villaescusa (LV): The whole film was shot in about 9 consecutive days, which is crazy for a full length feature film! The 12-hour day limit and turnaround time we’re used to in the US is definitely not how it worked there.
It was challenging and frustrating at times, knowing that if we had had a little more time in between, or a clearer schedule, I could prepare better, have a Skype session with a coach, or anything to help improve my performance… But at the end of the day, you just have to do the best you can and let it go.
It is not something I would recommend. The cast and crew needs to be rested to give their best performance, their best creative work, not to mention safeguard the overall safety of everyone involved.
It also helped a lot to understand it’s just a different culture and different ways they’re used to doing things. In what they could, they were very kind and welcoming, and that helped put things into perspective as well. Overall, it was an incredible experience!
The film looks stunning. How did you get such a good look when shooting so fast?
LV: The locations in Xi’an were extraordinary, and the Director of Photography is really talented… So the look came naturally in that sense.
I think miscommunication and culture shock is something that happens so often when you travel abroad, or simply collaborate with people from a different background. We’re all so used to our own ways, that it can be challenging.
I remember Gang, the director, sometimes explaining for a few minutes what he wanted, and then whoever translated that time would just say a simple thing like “smile”, for example. That is NOT what he said! But you just take what you get, and work with it the best way possible.
At the end of the day, we all want the best possible outcome, so it’s about learning to work together and adapt when necessary, while also learning to stand your ground. It’s a collaborative process, and I feel so grateful to have had this experience.
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