By: Sandro Mairata
It is an average of 3° degrees these days in Salt Lake City, Utah, but these days of full snow are a celebration among Peruvians. 'Queens'the film starring the girls Abril Gjurinovic and Luana Vega, with a cast that includes Gonzalo Molina, Jimena Lindo and Susi Sánchez, was released on the afternoon of Monday the 22nd to a standing ovation at the Sundance Film Festival —one of the most renowned in the world—and four more functions follow.
Along with the entire cast was the director of the film, Klaudia Reynicke (Lima, 1976). Born to Peruvian parents, Reynicke first emigrated to Switzerland at the age of 10 and then lived for a few years in Florida before returning to Switzerland, where she currently resides in the city of Lugano. 'Queens' is her third film; Previously she had competed with 'Il Nido' (2016) at the Locarno Festival and with 'Love Me Tender' (2019) at the Toronto Festival. After passing through Sundance, it was already announced that 'Reinas' will compete at the Berlin Festival in the Generations section. She will be accompanied by another Peruvian film, 'Raíz', by Cusco native Franco García Becerra.
We spoke with Reynicke in the middle of one of the celebrations for the triumphs achieved so far.
—This is your third film, but it is the first to be set in Peru. What took you to make a film here?
—Let's say that the desire was always there, but, of course, since I live in Switzerland, making a film in Peru for me requires a more ambitious production issue because I have to move many more things. I made the first two films literally next to my house, that is, very close, and I could manage those locations, but my dream was always to return to Peru to make a film and reconnect as an adult, work with Peruvians because I left when I was 10. years. Of course I returned to Peru, but I haven't lived there.
So, when you have a project, like a film, you are obliged to live for at least three months and that was the dream, I really wanted to reconnect with my country.
—Is the “Reynicke” your Swiss part?
—No, I am Klaudia Amorós Reynicke. It was originally Reinicke, with an “i” but my family changed it. I use “Reynicke” because I am closer to my mother, who has German ancestors.
Full cast of 'Queens' at the Sundance Film Festival. Film received applause. Photo: diffusion
—And did you put the “K” in Klaudia?
-Neither. My mother gave it to me because my great-grandfather was German, although I'm not so sure, I imagine it was something like that.
—Interesting because 'Queens' talks about leaving. I understand that the film (I haven't seen it yet) takes place in 1992, the time of Fujimori's self-coup. You are 47 years old, apparently there are two mirrors: with your life and with the events of that time.
—Yes, in some way I left Peru like that. So, 'Queens' also allowed me to tell what I left behind, the Peru that I knew. And the country was like this, well, it was terrible.
—When was filming done, between when and when?
—Exactly a year ago. We began preparation on January 7, 2023, we started filming three weeks later, at the end of January… the twenty-something. Filming lasted seven weeks and I returned to Switzerland at the beginning of March. I mean, exactly a year ago I was shooting this film.
—The Sundance premiere, how did it happen?
—I sent the movie.
Director Klaudia Reynicke was born in Lima, but emigrated when she was 10 years old. Photo: diffusion
—How did you feel when you were accepted?
-I almost fainted. I felt like “wow, what happened!”
—Were you in Lugano when you received the news?
—I was in Lugano sometime in November when I read a WhatsApp message from Kim Yutani, who is the head of programming for all of Sundance, and she said: “Klaudia, it's Kim, I'm looking for you, call me when you can.” It was at 7.00 am, when I woke up. I called her right away, I think it was 11:00 pm in Los Angeles and it was there that she invited me to be in competition at the festival, in the World Section.
—The reviews are very positive, what is the expectation today?
—For me, having a film in competition, assuming that there are only 10—which there were always 13 in this competitive section—is enough. At Sundance there are only two competitive sections: American films and “world” (rest of the world). In this second section, out of some six thousand films, only ten are chosen. For me, being in those ten, we have already won. The expectations are that people connect with this story, with this family, connect with Peru, enjoy the film, leave a mark.
—Now you're off to the Berlin Film Festival.
—It premieres in Berlin in another competitive section called Generations.
—You are going through very high-level festivals. When can 'Queens' be seen in Peru?
—Daniel Vega, who is the producer, knows that. He will know better than me.
'Queens' still does not have a release date in Peru; after Sundance he will compete in Berlin. Photo: diffusion
—To make 'Queens', did you take any starting point, any reference tape?
-No; The truth is, if there was any film that inspired me more to return to that time, it was 'Metal and Melancholy' (1993) by Heddy Honnigman, with the taxi driver theme and everything, especially to see the streets and what it was like back then.
—It is a wonderful Peruvian film, a documentary that unfortunately the general public does not know about. Did you get to know Honnigman (Peruvian-Dutch director)?
—Yes, she was at the Berlin Film Festival and I was a Berlinale Talent (of the program for young talents in direction). She was just there, she gave a masterclass or something like that and then I went to say hello to her and then we stayed in touch a little bit. Then Heddy left us. But it was something wonderful.
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