'Real, surreal and all in between': Vina Machado, Marco Gonzalez on recreating a beloved novel
Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s 1967 epic One Hundred Years of Solitude remains one of the most read and revisited literary masterpieces. The story follows the fictional town of Mocondo and the sweeping saga of the Beundia family, who shape the destiny of this enchanting town over seven generations.
Though in his lifetime Marquez called the book unfilmable, 47 years later its screen adaptation makes for riveting television. Netflix’s 16-part Spanish series, shot in the book’s home town of Colombia, is a befitting tribute to Marquez’s world, bringing alive images that have captivated readers for half a century.
‘The Book is a Part of My Life’
Vina Machado
They say Marquez’s world is to dream and not read. What was it like to step into this lyrical world of magical realism, human conflict, and the making of a civilisation?
I am from the Caribbean region of Colombia, where Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born. This is exactly how I felt; you cannot interpret it; you have to live it, and you have to let it go. One has to be magical as well as aware of the reality that surrounds you. We have it in our nature. As a Caribbean woman, I say, it was being true to the character that he put in the book, letting it grow in me, and putting the Colombian in it; that was the real work for me. Also, interpret her just as he had written her.
When we speak about Pilar Ternera, she is a woman effortlessly comfortable in her sexuality. What was that one aspect of her personality that drew you in?
For me, Pilar was a woman ahead of her times and era. She was free and also the disciple of Ursula, the matriarch of the Beundia clan. In Ursula you see a woman devoted to her family, a strong and nurturing feminine presence. She has freed herself from these shackles and enjoys her life. I offered myself willingly to the magical mystery of this enchanting woman.
This is a much-loved work, and despite the fabulous reviews, there will always be fans who would compare and be a bit sceptical towards cinematic liberties.
I am a fan as well, who has read and re-read this book so many times that it has become a part of my life. I would say, enjoy it, savour it, as so many of us have given our best to make this world come alive on screen and never once compromised on any aspect.
There is a lot of hard work that goes into recreating this world. All of us have our interpretations of the characters; it was hard to put out Pilar as you may have imagined her to be, but enjoy her from the prism of my lens, as well as the other characters.
‘It is About Empowerment and Hope’
Marco Gonzalez
They say Marquez’s world is to dream and not read. What was it like to step into this lyrical world of magical realism, human conflict, and the making of a civilisation?
Playing Jose Arcadio was equivalent to a challenge. It was like a child who is always enjoying playtime and the adventures it brings. That was the key to losing oneself in the world we were creating. Magic was the keyword for us actors; to achieve that kind of entrancement, one had to be open on the set and be accepting to whatever was on offer. Jose Arcadio is a natural explorer, even though sometimes his decisions are questionable, but he approaches everything with a sense of wonder and innocence.
What was your process in understanding a man who is simple at heart but not so when it comes to his thoughts?
The key to understanding Jose Arcadio is passion. I feel that sometimes being rational is putting limitations on ourselves and one’s abilities. I approached this character free of the ladders of judgement. I allowed Jose Arcadio to teach me that it was okay to dream, and it was okay to fail as well, when one is driven by the conviction he had. You have to allow yourself to believe and be in love with what you do. I submitted wholeheartedly to his vision and played him without any bounds.
What do you think is the relevance of Marquez in today’s time?
For me, this show and the book are empowering the next generations. We have to feed our minds with this kind of knowledge that is there for us to read, not only the series but also the book. It is all about empowerment and bringing hope, you know, because at the end of the book, he might take you to places that are a little dark, where there is no hope, but that is not how it should be perceived. When he received the Nobel Prize, his acceptance speech was titled “The Solitude of Latin America,” because through him people got an insight into our world.