INTERVIEW WITH AMY IRVING

How do you see Mary Ann?
Mary Ann is a typical product of the '60s, an ex-hippie who lives a bit above the ground, above reality. Not surprisingly, she used to be a flight attendant. I think her main characteristic is her lightness. She doesn't complicate things or her relationships with other people, she tries to keep the whole experience mutually positive. Gradually, without my being aware of it, I started incorporating a few of her traits, her gait, her reactions. It was a very pleasurable character to play, especially because Mary Ann likes to be happy. She's not a very deep person, she has difficulties in adapting to this foreign country and its language, but her outlook on life is that of an optimist.

This is the first time you make a film in Brazil. How was the shooting?
First of all, when I told my American friends I would be shooting this film in Rio de Janeiro, I could feel their envy. They would all tell me "How lucky you are!" And they were right. This shooting was the most romantic period of my whole life. Even though I'd been to Brazil several times before, this was the first time I did not feel like a tourist. The relationship with the cast and crew was excellent - in the very same tone of the film. I was taken aback by the enthusiasm and pride of all of those involved in this project. This created a welcoming and productive atmosphere of complicity on the set.