american actress Vera Farmiga, star of iconic horror film sagas such as The Conjuring and Anabelle, is the star of ‘Five days at Memorial’, the new series that premieres tomorrow on AppleTV+.
In this story, which recounts the impact of the Hurricane Katrina in the New Orleans Memorial Center in 2005, when the electricity supply was cut, the heat soared and dozens of patients and professionals were trapped; Farmiga plays Anna Pou, the doctor who was arrested (but not charged) for alleged second-degree murder of some patients, when she had to decide, along with other colleagues, to let some die to save others.
The series directed by John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) and Carlton Cuse (‘Lost’) is based on the book by journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Sheri Fink and features an outstanding cast, including Cherry Jones, Robert Pine and Adepero Oduye. Tomorrow the first three chapters are released, followed by a new episode every Friday until September 16.
The Republic spoke with Vera Farmiga along with other media in the region through Zoom, about her new role, euthanasia and the right to die with dignity.
—How was your preparation to play Dr. Anna Pou?
“It was the most challenging thing of my entire life. I have always been in and out of hospitals for loved ones, bedridden, involved in their death processes like my grandmother’s case, locked in this world where morphine was right in the fridge. I’ve had quite a few connected life experiences that helped me make those connections for myself, that’s been very helpful in research. I have interviewed Anna’s friends, her patients and her attorneys. If you want to know what a doctor is like, ask your surroundings. All of that has been a source for me. I also saw her interviews on radio and television, her testimonials over and over again. The most interesting thing was relying on an incredibly well-written script with the intention of doing my best to give the audience what it was like to be in her shoes. We all wanted to portray our characters’ unique perspectives with their integrity, to understand what they went through.
—You describe your role as the epitome of a good doctor, a specialist in his field, but did you find similarities between Lorraine Warren, your character in The Conjuring, and Dr. Anna Pou?
-Oh, my God! It’s very interesting, I’m sure there are, both characters cut off their middle finger to face their demons. Anna Pou is very skilled at what she does and is involved in the health business, like Lorraine, who dedicates her life to helping others, she puts her well-being and mental health, and puts others before herself. Lorraine put herself in dangerous situations with the intention and mission of helping people through painful moments in their lives and also scary moments and I think in that sense I can align and admire them as real women who are scared and saturated , that they can fail, but that they will fight at every step they take.
—The series talks about the subject of euthanasia. What do you think about the right to die with dignity?
—I think it’s a very intimate process, I can tell you what I or my children would want if I wanted to decide, but I get very emotional, I’m sincere, I don’t know what would be good for me or for everyone. Morale judges very differently in times of war. I will leave it there for the ethicists, the philosophers and the doctors, who can solve it.
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