Not everyone gets to write a school play at the age of 12 and gets to put it on and win prizes, but that is how Gonzalo Maza started out.  Despite this auspicious start, he found himself working as a journalist for a while, until he had the chance to carry out some film studies at the University of Texas and then became an alumni of the London Film School. There he completed a Masters in Screenwriting, a period he greatly enjoyed. He followed it with a PHD where he explored the use of current events in screenwriting.  This all led to work on 4 films with Sebastián Lelio: ‘A Fantastic Woman’ (2017), ‘Gloria’ (2013), ‘Navidad’ (Christmas 2009) and ‘El Año del Tigre’ ,The year of the Tiger, (2011).

Gonzalo Maza

This close relationship has been fruitful and in ‘This is Cristina’, Sebastián Lelio happily played the role of one of the students (Alejandro) on the theatre course (with Cristina).The course (in the film) is  run by the power hungry Rómulo (Roberto Farías), who treats his ex,  Luciana, (played by Daniela Castillo Toro)  like trash and tends to throw hissy fits when he doesn’t get his way exactly as he wishes it,  by throwing books and plates around at random and threatening a violence that he probably has not got the courage to pursue.

The premise of the film is centred on the relationships that Cristina (Mariana Derderián) experiences with her ex, her current man, (the volatile Rómulo) and her on-off friendship with her best friend Susana (a magnetic Paloma Salas). Gonzalo Maza has often remarked on how he prefers the company of women to that of men: -

“…  if the character is a man, I turn him into a woman and he becomes infinitely better and more interesting. If they are kind of flat, I just turn them into women and they automatically have problems or just come into being and have more shape”

Maza has always been concerned that women on the whole get a raw deal in society, which,  as he describes it, “...is not fair!”.  When discussing a new project with Lelio in 2013 (which led to the film 'Gloria') they both decided to explore the idea of a film about their mothers and that generation's issues. At that time, they found Paulina García. Maza admits he had had a crush on the actress when he was younger so was very pleased that she was involved.  Initially, Lelio and Maza wanted her to assist in their research, but they soon realized that the film could never exist without her vibrant presence, so they asked her to become the star: -

“She liked it. It was a character in a time we wanted to explore, we had not at that time realized it would be so universal… the contrast between generations, between the mothers and the students who were out on the streets protesting. Gloria’s generation never protested, they considered their needs to be in second place.”

Paulina García  in Gloria (2013)

These themes persist with Gonzalo Maza. In ‘Ella es Cristina’ he analyses people and observes that the most interesting characters do not openly express their feelings, for instance:

“… people who try to appear strong on the outside but they are really emotionally weak. It is exciting to think of people who hide their emotions, and even more so, when a person knows how to hide them well.”

Cristina is a talented artist who hopes to excel in her craft, but she is malleable, somewhat naïve, and has the habit of continuously falling for men who take her for granted, ignore her needs and are unable to see who she really is. She is constantly intimidated and seems unable to rise above it. Her ex, Rubén (Néstor Cantillana) hangs around playing the lover, just enough to persuade her to spend yet another night of sex with him, then demanding they formalize their divorce agreements a couple of days later. Her best friend and scene stealer Susana (Paloma Salas) does not accept such humiliations and challenges her friend to stand up for herself, risking their friendship in the process.

Mariana Derderián

It is charming however, to see that although Cristina is unable to express her frustrations in person, her drawings, some almost like strip cartoons, mock and satirize the men in her life with deadly accuracy.

However, possibly the most conflicted and interesting character in the film is Susana.   She has a charismatic presence on screen and her character is sharp, confrontational and brutally honest.  Not gifted with tact, she is irritated by men who subtly abuse women and gets very upset at women who refuse to stand up to such chauvinism. Yet, ultimately, she proves to be vulnerable herself.

Mariana Salas as Susana.

True to his ideas, Maza creates women that are more interesting characters than the men, who are more two dimensional and hermetic, so we find it hard to understand their blinkered selfishness. Machismo is no longer considered an attractive trait in the 21st Century, it taints men with a limited capacity for empathy.  In “Ella Es Cristina” all the lead men are failures in one way or another, while in human terms, the women triumph.

Masa is a “man on a quest to understand the human condition.”  He is fascinated by the contradictions and extremes of human nature, above all their vulnerabilities and with how both men and women express them. The men flaunting their machismo and chauvinism are also victims of their own arrogance, such a Susana’s father, a self- obsessed writer who despite his suave attitude, is just a sad and penniless old man, who has no qualms about bringing others down with him.

Gonzalo Maza always preferred to hide his passion and love for some girls, as he preferred to become a confidant and intimate friend instead.  That is how he realized that he could find the real people with their real stories and these are the issues he now wants to express.  It is no surprise that Maza often mentions directors like John Cassavetes with his films “Opening Night” (1977) and “Love Streams”( 1984) , or even perfect comedy scripts like “InnerSpace”(1987) by Jeffrey Boam.

(all viewable online & through Amazon)

“Ella es Cristina” is a moving study of relationships of all kinds, in particular the bond between women that can survive against all odds, even as Cristina faces motherhood. It is no coincidence that the working title was “Amigas Amigas”.

The film is being screened at the RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL (Oct 28- Nov 7) online via  www.cinema.raindance.org / viewing is free, although donations are invited and  the films can be viewed from anywhere in the UK.

ELLA ES CRISTINA  

Writer/ Director                                Gonzalo Maza

Production:                                      Salma Hayek / Siobhan Flynn / Carmen Luz Parot/ Nicolás San Martín/ Andres & Horacio Valdivia / Alejandro Wise and Gonzalo Maza.

DOP                                                 Benjamin EchaZARRETA

Editor                                               Andrea Chignoli

Music                                               Cristóbal Carvajal

Cast:                                                 Mariana Derderián, Paloma Salas, Roberto Farías, Néstor Cantillana, Daniela Castillo Toro, Alejandro Goic.