Celebrating the Iconic Marisa Paredes: A Tribute to Spanish Cinema’s Luminary

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Marisa Paredes, a figure of Spanish cinema, passed away this week. She was 78 years old. Spain’s Film Academy stated that Paredes dedicated her career to portraying strong, passionate women. NPR’s Isabella Gomez Sarmiento offers this tribute.

ISABELLA GOMEZ SARMIENTO, BYLINE: Marisa Paredes featured in over 100 films and television series, even more if stage plays are included. However, she is most renowned as one of the Chicas Almodovar, recognized for her collaborations with director Pedro Almodovar. They began their working relationship in the 1980s. In a subsequent interview with the Spanish television show “De Tu A Tu,” the director shared how he was entirely captivated by Paredes’ manner of walking, moving, and how she wore a jacket.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, “DE TU A TU”)

PEDRO ALMODOVAR: (Non-English language spoken).

GOMEZ SARMIENTO: He characterized it as not just style and grace, but an undeniable dignity. Consequently, he frequently cast her as a flamboyant lead in his films, a diva capable of commanding every room she entered. In the 1991 film “High Heels,” she played the role of a legendary singer entangled in a troubled relationship with her daughter.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “HIGH HEELS”)

MARISA PAREDES: (Non-English language spoken).

GOMEZ SARMIENTO: In “The Flower Of My Secret,” released four years later, Paredes morphed into a tortured author struggling with the pressure to produce romance novels.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “THE FLOWER OF MY SECRET”)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (Non-English language spoken).

PAREDES: (Non-English language spoken).

GOMEZ SARMIENTO: And in the Academy Award-winning “All About My Mother” from 1999, Paredes personified Huma Rojo, a captivating stage actress inspired by a tragic loss.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER”)

PAREDES: (Non-English language spoken).

GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Marisa Paredes was born in Madrid in 1946. In a conversation for the Spanish Academy’s Memoria Colectiva initiative, she expressed that she was born into her art, believing that the atmosphere of her neighborhood held something unique. She was raised amid statues of great writers and just blocks away from Teatro Espanol, the city’s emblematic theater. She recalled having childhood thoughts about…

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PAREDES: (Non-English language spoken).

GOMEZ SARMIENTO: She felt compelled to enter those doors. She achieved that and much more. After making her film debut at 14, Paredes later became the president of the Spanish Film Academy and was honored with a Goya award in 2018. This week, many paid their tributes at the Teatro Espanol. Actress Rossy de Palma mentioned to the Spanish media outlet Mundo Deportivo that she would always remember Paredes’ substantial influence, not only as an actress but as an advocate for improved working conditions for performers.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ROSSY DE PALMA: (Non-English language spoken).

GOMEZ SARMIENTO: “Marisa Paredes was beyond an actress,” she remarked. “She was a grand dame of acting.” Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “PIENSA EN MI”)

PAREDES: (Singing in non-English language).

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