One of the most anticipated films of the year, in Peru, is 'Welcome to Paradise'. It will premiere on March 28 nationwide and will be directed by one of the filmmakers with the greatest projection in South America: the Peruvian Ani Alva Helfer, known for her work in films such as 'No me dices spinster', 'Isla Bonita' and 'Soltera , married, widowed and divorced'. The plot revolves around Lucas, played by Andrés Salas, a young and humble entrepreneur who manages to conquer the woman of his dreams, Kiki, played by the former Miss Peru 2022, Tatiana Calmell del Solar, who will have her first leading role in the large screen.
They both love each other and decide to get married in the Dominican Republic; However, the model's millionaire parents, Sofia (Katia Condos) and Gonzalo (Bruno Odar)they will do everything possible to prevent that from happening, turning the Caribbean country upside down.
We speak with the protagonist of this new Peruvian comedy, the model Tatiana Calmell (28 years old), who revealed to us how complicated it is to be a main character in a movie and how she burst into tears when they told her she got the role.
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—Tatiana, did you like seeing yourself on the big screen as the protagonist of 'Welcome to Paradise'?
— Look, it's the first time I'm doing a movie. So, it has been very strange to see myself at the Avant Premier. At first, she was kind of nervous, watching me. But, the truth is that then I thought how fun this has been, seeing the work captured after a year, more or less. And, in the end, yes, I enjoyed it, I liked seeing myself on the screen.
—How did they choose you to be part of 'Welcome to Paradise'?
— I believe that the character chose me completely, as often happens. Talking with Ani Alva Helfer (the director of the film) she told me that, initially, they had already thought of another actress for this character.
—What was the name of that actress?
— I decided not to ask the name because it was no longer relevant; surely, someone who has a profile similar to mine. In the end, it turns out that those from Tondero (entertainment company) contacted me and they are the ones who put me in contact with the production company in the Dominican Republic.
– What did they tell you?
— Ani Alva already had, more or less, the entire cast, but the protagonist was missing. So, when they approached me to make the proposal, I, in reality, did not know that it was a leading role. They only told me if I would like to be part of this project, 'we have this character, I'm going to send you the characteristics', a little feedback on the story, but nothing more. So, when I talk to the producer, he tells me: look, I think you are Kiki (name of the protagonist) 100%, I am seeing you on the camera and I think it is you. Would you like the project? See you in two weeks in the Dominican Republic, so it was very fast.
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– How did you react to?
— I didn't have time to process much, I just remember hanging up the call and I was here in my room, crying with emotion, thinking what an amazing proposal.
—So you didn't cast a casting for that leading role?
— No, it was simply a call where we talked. They told me 'I don't need to see any scene casting, I think you are the character' and that's how it happened.
— Is director Ani Alva Helfer demanding during filming?
— She is calm, but she is also clear about what things she likes and what she doesn't. Ani always told me to trust myself, because the more natural you are, the better. In the recordings, everything flowed quickly. We were already between one or two takes, because we have been in the Dominican Republic for almost a month, but there were days when we recorded more than eight hours. Then, we would stop for lunch and continue shooting.
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—Was it difficult for you to be the protagonist of 'Welcome to Paradise'?
— Yes, of course yes, especially because I feel that people and viewers always expect a lot from the protagonists. Although, for me, we have all been as protagonists as Andrés (Salas) and I have been. Just because we are the protagonists does not mean that we are the stars of the show, in the end it is a team effort, we all contribute equally.
— Is this the world you always wanted to be in, being an actress?
— It is definitely something that I wanted to continue doing (she starred, in 2021, in the youth soap 'Princesas' on América TV), and when my alliance with Tondero arose, well I said 'this is where it is'. It's been a while since I acted, doing a project like this again—so big—meant a lot. I believe that it is a way for my career to expand, not only internationally; but, suddenly, I can start doing other things, like more musicals, theater.
—How did your partner Cristóbal de Col react to the kissing scenes you had with Andrés Salas?
— For him, normal. She is a very self-confident person. He doesn't have that feeling of oh, what will they say! I mean, he's not interested in that, he's proud of my work. He is a person who supports me in every way and I am grateful because he really makes me feel comfortable in my work, instead of trying to look for problems.
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