Sofía has just finished her studies in psychology in Valparaiso, Chile, and has returned to her hometown, Valdivia. This return coincides with the discovery of the body of a young girl, which awakens buried childhood memories in Sofia. She must decide whether to look beyond the rain and its veil to uncover the painful and uncomfortable past of not only herself but also her entire community.
The new film directed by Valeria Sarmiento Behind the rain It had its world premiere in the main Crystal Globe competition of the 60th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Blending beautiful black-and-white landscape images with the difficult subject of child sexual abuse, the film is based on an original idea by Sarmiento and a screenplay she worked on with the late Omar Saavedra Santis. The director of photography is Acácio de Almeida. The editor is Goliath Alarcón.
The cast includes Paula Prado, Cristian Arriagada, Allen Copenheim, Shlomit Betelman, Shamila Rodriguez, Daniel Muñoz, Julio Milostic, Aymar Alarcón Rodriguez, and Clara Vargas Arellano. Rodriguez is also the film’s producer.
Sarmiento and Rodriguez, who have been collaborators ever since Secrets (2008), speak THRvia a translator, about Behind the rain And their hopes for the societal controversy it could cause.
What about this story inspired you and led you to make a film about a subject that is so important, and also so heavy?
Valeria Sarmiento The initial inspiration was that unfortunately child abuse is really common in our society. And often we are silent about it.
I worked on the script with Omar Saavedra Santis. Was this his last film project, and how did he get involved?
Sarmiento Initially, I wanted to work on the film with my French and Swiss friends, but we didn’t really make any progress. When I met Shamila, she suggested going back to where it all began: Chile. That’s when I contacted Omar, who then joined the team and developed my initial idea further.
Shamila, why did you want to work on this film as an actress and producer?
Shamila Rodriguez I was really fascinated by the technical complexity, and I had worked with Valeria for 20 years. So, I had great confidence in her. While we were working on our previous film, she started talking about this story, and it was very attractive to me, because I had gone through something similar when I was a kid. My experience with child abuse was hidden, and I never talked about it until I was in my 40s. I finally started talking about it, so I could really relate to the story. When she showed me the script, I knew immediately that I wanted to do it. I also see art, including films, as a way to exorcise demons, a way to turn terrible things into something more positive.
Your personality is not necessarily the easiest person To be around…
Rodriguez Yeah, my character is the lawyer who’s really hard to be with.
Behind the rain It contains stunning black and white images, with the colors only showing at the end. Can you talk about this choice?
Sarmiento I knew from the beginning that the film would be in black and white, except for the end, because I grew up watching films without color. I was born in 1948, so it took a long time before I could see color film. The title comes here as well. My mother told me that I should look behind the rain to see all the colors and aspects, and that is what I tried to do.
How did you choose Paola Prado for the lead role?
Sarmiento It wasn’t easy to find an actress who could travel with us to Valdivia, because a lot of actresses work in theaters, and they can’t really travel to go there. When I found Paula, I immediately felt that she was the right person, and that she would be the perfect person to convey the ideas for the film.
What was the whole experience like on set?
Sarmiento The shooting was very harmonious.
Rodriguez It was. It’s a pleasure to work with Valeria, because as a director, she’s really calm, and you can trust her. She feels safe, and she knows exactly what she wants. Also, Valdivia is a lovely little town. Everything is close there, so technically, working there was really beneficial and easy.
What are your hopes for the film and the discussions it can create in the community?
Sarmiento Hopefully the movie does just that.
Rodriguez Yes, because people should talk about it. It is as if the abuse is hidden because children do not have the words to tell others what is happening
