In The recent edition of the International Festival of Poor Cinema of Gibara, actress Verónica Lynn was recognized with the Lucía de Honor award, a tribute to her extraordinary contribution to Cuban cinema. With more than seven decades consecrated to dramatic art, Lynn has witnessed and protagonist of the evolution of the audiovisual on the island, from his first steps in the theater to his consolidation as one of the great ladies of cinema. Owner of acute sensitivity and unwavering professional ethic, has left its mark on works that are today part of the national film heritage.
Graduated in Theatrology by the Higher Institute of Art, his career began in the 50s on the tables, where he forged the foundations of a versatility that he later moved with equal intensity to television, radio and cinema. His film debut arrived in 1971, under the direction of Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, in A Cuban fight against demons. Since then, he has not ceased to assume memorable characters in films such as Remoteness, The beautiful one of the Alhambra, Constantinople nights, The charm of the full moon y The Annunciationamong many others.
It was one of the “divas for love” —As called Adolfo Llauradó – of those actresses who made the trade a total delivery, without concessions. Co -founder of the Theatrical group Trotrumundos in 1989, her versatility has led her to conquer public in all formats, and has been recognized with important lauros, including the National Theater Award (2003) and the National Television Award (2005).
«That they have taken into account the work done over time to confer the lucia of honor, it is always appreciated. It is a way of saying: Your work was worth it.
«The cinema has been an essential part of my life, and this award is received as a recognition of constant, silent work sometimes, but made with all the vocation of service that art implies. It is exciting to know that someone remembers what one has done, that it made sense, that contributed something, even if it was a grain of sand, ”shared the actress in an exclusive interview with Rebel youth.
“Looking back, which ones would you say that your key achievements or experiences have been that have defined their artistic legacy in the seventh art?”
—In the cinema, I think the movies that marked me the most were The beautiful one of the Alhambra, Constantinople nightsand maybe Remoteness. I liked those very much because I felt that they demanded as an actress and allowed me to contribute something deep.
«My first cinema work was in A Cuban fight against demonsby Tomás Gutiérrez Alea. It was curious because I was not in the original cast. They called me urgently for a final scene that was missing. I had only three or four trials. He was a brief, but complex character, who anticipated the fate of the whole story. The external characterization should be very connected to the internal, and that was a challenge.
«Then came other works that I also value a lot: South sponsis at sunset, The charm of the full moon, The Annunciation… Of the twenty or more films I have made, both with the Cuban Institute of Art and Cinematographic Industry (ICAIC) and with international productions – Colombia, United States – there are several that would carry in the heart.
«I even remember a peculiar experience: I folded a French actress in The Century of Lightsbased on Carpentier’s work. It was conceived as a three -chapter television series and was then taken to the cinema. Although he was not a character of mine in the camera, the dubbing allowed me to live the experience of working with Humberto Solás, a director whose work is inseparable from Cuban cinema. Talking about Solás is talking about an aesthetic, ethic and in a deeply Cuban way of narrating. Participating in one of his projects was for me an invaluable learning ».
“You are a very versatile actress.” In addition to his career in the cinema, he has worked in theater, television, radio, and even co -founded the theater group. How have your interpretive work enriched those experiences?
—All that has been work, a lot of work. And discipline. I believe that any character, however small Be, it is part of a harmony elderly. I always say that a dramatic work is like a classic musical piece: each instrument must be tuned. If only one challenges, it shows. This also happens with the actors. Although your role has three phrases, you must be up to everyone. Because if not, the “Sonata” does not sound as it should.
«This is with the performance. If there are three or four misinterpreted characters, even if the others are very well, the work is disarmed. It does not arrive. That is why work is so important. Everyone has to be in tune. Each paper counts. And all those experiences in different media
“Theater, radio, television,” they have helped me to understand that: that the interpretation is an orchestra. And you have to touch well, even if it is a single note.
«That awareness of everything, of the whole, was given to me the theater. And the radio, with its sound precision. Television trained me in everyday life and the immediate. The cinema, in permanence. They are different languages, but they feed each other ».
—Considerate the current changes and challenges in the cultural and cinematographic panorama, how does the future of Cuban cinema visualize? What advice would you give to new generations of artists?
“The cinema, like so many other things, is in crisis.” It is a worldwide crisis, and we, with our economic difficulties, feel even more. Making a film costs a lot, and sustaining an industry like ours, with so many talents, it is a real challenge.
«But I also see hope. Young people with new ideas arise, sensitively, rigorously. Yes, we have lost great figures as a titon, as Solás, like Barnet …, but there are also new sap, people with a desire to tell their stories. The issue is that to learn you have to do. If an actor makes a movie every two years, he can’t expect him to always go well. Each work is an opportunity to learn, to grow, to grow. And that is only done by working.
«My advice to young people is to prepare very well. To study, to observe, to be grown. Because cinema is a very competitive medium.
«when you watch a foreign film you realize the level, the talent in the world. We have to live up to it. If you do a work and stay at home, it was useless. Art makes sense when shared. Its function is fulfilled when it reaches the public ».
– To close, how do you consider that Cuban cinema can contribute to the construction of a robust cultural identity and the promotion of new narrative approaches that address contemporary changes?
“The cinema is a very powerful means.” It allows you to know the culture of a country that you may never have visited. Through a movie you can understand how these people live, how they relate, what values they have. Even what they eat, how your family works, what do you care more.
«And also, it has something beautiful: it remains. Although physical material deteriorates over time, there is always a way to restore it. And there is the movie, as just made. That gives it a permanence that few means have. That is why cinema is so important: because it tells what we are, how we think, how we feel. It is a mirror of our identity. And as long as we continue to do it honestly, with delivery, Cuban cinema will continue to contribute to the soul of this country ».
Verónica Lynn has not only witnessed the evolution of Cuban cinema: she has been an essential part of her most intimate fabric, her searches, her moments of splendor and also resistance. Her delivery to acting, her versatility and her deep commitment to art make her an essential figure to understand the history of cinematography in Cuba. The Lucía de Honor Award not only celebrates its career, but pays tribute to an entire life dedicated to moving, thinking and creating from the scene.
