The 911 tragedy led Hollywood producer, Frida Torresblanco, to triumph. (Courtesy photo)
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Tragedy is what led Hollywood producer, Frida Torresblanco, to triumph.
But she didn’t know it that Tuesday morning when she boarded the plane.
After working on a long production, Torresblanco decided she needed to take a few days off and visit her family in the U.S.
“The plane was supposed to land in New York at 8:30 a.m. but it never did,” she said. “They rerouted to Canada, Mexico and ended up taking me back to Madrid.”
It was the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 when no aircrafts were allowed to land in the U.S. after terrorist attacks.
“It makes you rethink life, so I decided to be closer to my mom and brother who lived in Los Angeles for years,” Torresblanco said.
In 2001, she moved to L.A. and started looking for work. That same year, she was offered to head film director Alfonso Cuarón’s production company – Esperanto in New York.
The journey
Since then Torresblanco has made a name for herself in Hollywood, producing films like three-time Oscar winner “Pan’s Labyrinth” by Guillermo del Toro and Carlos Cuarón’s “Rudo y Cursi,” among other hits.
For Torresblanco the film that has generated the most happiness and recognition was Pan’s Labyrinth.
“This movie was a project with lots of passion in which I invested a lot, sacrificed a lot and worked very hard but at the end it was widely recognized and at the end that gives the greatest satisfaction.”
The producer’s success has been noticed. In 2007 The Hollywood Reporter named her one of the 50 most powerful Latinos in Hollywood and 13 in the same magazine’s Hispanic Women Power 25 list.
“I thought it was very generous of them to include me among such talented people, who I greatly admire,” she said.
After serving for eight years as head of Esperanto, Torresblanco opened her own production company – Braven Films in 2010.
“I’ve always had this sensation that in the times of major crisis you can find the best opportunities,” Torresblanco said. “Independent studios are closing and the opportunities to create are diminishing, so if I can do what they do [studios] then there will be tremendous possibilities to make great movies.”
The New York based company launched with $6 million in private funding enabling it to acquire screenplays, books, and to invest in ideas with screenplay writers and directors.
“Braven Films has become a reality and we are very happy,” she said.
“With this project I want to create an open field for creators and talent to have the liberty to create and develop independent films, all the while having complete control of our film”
Braven Films currently has several projects under development but the one which Torresblanco is focusing on is Magic Magic.
The film will be entirely shot in Chile and revolves around “a girl vacationing with her friends in a remote area of Chile who slowly starts losing her mind.” The cast includes: Michael Cera, Juno Temple, Emily Browning and Catalina Sandino Moreno.
“I believe in this film,” she said. “It has different elements that other films don’t have. I like the idea of intertwining two worlds…American actors in a whole different world that they’re not used to and that’s Chile.”
Latinos in Hollywood
Torresblanco says she believes Latinos have come very far in Hollywood.
“The Oscar’s this year is proof of that,” she said.
Among the Latin Oscar nominees this year are:
- · Best Actor in Leading Role, Demián Bichir (A Better Life);
- · Actress in Supporting Role, Bérénice Bejo (The Artist);
- · Animated Feature Film, Fernando Trueba (Chico & Rita);
- · Cinematography, Emmanuel Lubezki (The Tree of Life);
- · Music – Original Score, Alberto Iglesias (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy);
- · Music – Original Song, Sergio Mendes & Carlinhos Brown (“Real in Rio” from RIO).
“These are people with a level of talent that can compete with anyone,” she added.
The key according to Torresblanco is to find channels in which these talents can be discovered and help develop them.
“I don’t believe in borders…film is worldwide. We are always trying to involve talent from different countries,” she said. “We will be filming in Chile but I’ve also filmed in Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil and Spain.”
