When Fire Rises Up from the Soles of Your Feet: Creative Experiences of the Actress in Spanish Cinema

Abstract

This discussion brings together two actresses (Bárbara Lennie and Irene Escolar) and two researchers (Albert Elduque and Gonzalo de Lucas) to reflect on the work of the actress in contemporary Spanish cinema. Among other topics, they discuss depictions of women in society, ways of working in the film industry, actress-based approaches to film history, aesthetic analysis of acting work, the technique/emotion binary in creation on stage and on screen, and the need for reflection on actor training. The Escenario 0 series, produced by Lennie and Escolar, and especially the episode Hermanas, starring both actresses, constitutes a focal point for the dialogue, and the link between the careers of the two actresses and the traditions of Spanish cinema.