Special for the Republic
When a top-secret weapon falls into the hands of mercenaries, CIA agent Mason “Mace” Brown (Jessica Chastain) must join forces with her German rival Marie (Diane Kruger), computer specialist Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o) and the psychologist Graciela (Penélope Cruz) to get her back.
In addition to being one of the protagonists, Jessica Chastain has been key to bringing Agents 355 to the cinema, by conceiving the idea of an espionage adventure starring only women. In the following interview, the actress talks about the change in perspective that she imposed on the film (which opens in theaters today) and the obstacles she had to overcome as a producer.
How did the idea come about?
I was a judge at Cannes in 2017 and while I was there, I felt this sadness seeing all these billboards asking for funding for films with male leads. I asked my agent, “Why are they always men? Why doesn’t anyone want to create a movie about a group of women? And she replied: “I think you have to figure out how to do it…”.
What obstacles did you encounter?
It was not easy at all. From the number of contracts I had to look at, to the money that had to be advanced, it was intense. But I learned a lot and I am very grateful to have made this film. Perhaps it can serve as an example to go against how the industry has always worked and that idea that creators, both men and women, can own their work. Here the bosses are women.
What was it like working with Simon Kinberg as a director and collaborator?
Simon is an amazing director. He is one of those who do not fall into chaos and always says: “Let’s not be alarmists, let’s solve the problems.” In addition, he is an incredible ally for equality and change. So working with him is a no-brainer.
How have the action scenes been developed and how much time has been invested in the choreography, especially in your fight with Diane Kruger?
It was incredible. Diane was a dancer and it shows, when she’s in these scenes, because she moves so well. We all gasped, it was shocking how it fit. I realized that I had to push myself because it was going to be hard. But we took great care of ourselves, we didn’t hurt ourselves. Our confrontation is my favorite scene in the movie.
What did you think you had to do to change the perception of women?
It wasn’t about changing perception, but more about wanting to see a representation of the women I feel I know, more human and less of a myth of what a woman is supposed to be. But there’s also the idea that we can make an action movie, have our kids around and a place for them. Let it be a stage where everyone feels included, supported and valued. My experience working with women has always been that, and again I felt there was a perception in the media that women don’t work well together. I was glad to go against the unrealistic perceptions that had spread.
How are you personally perceiving the changes in gender equality in your personal and professional life?
When I first started in the industry I remember that if I had an idea for a scene, I always felt like it would immediately be greeted with a ‘no’, or this ‘she’s picky’ energy. What I had to do was talk to the male actor in the scene about this idea, and then he would go to the director and pitch it. And it would be more acceptable! Before, I had to work in a way where I had to disguise the contributions so that nobody felt uncomfortable. It was a weird way of working, which I definitely don’t have now, and I think when you look at the industry, when you look at Sundance, at the Oscars, at Cannes, at Venice and at San Sebastian, all the major awards went to female filmmakers and stuff. it’s kind of shocking. It’s a movement that shows that there are many female creators who haven’t been given a platform for their work, and now when we can see stories told by more than one demographic, we discover the enormous talent that is out there. ❖
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