After 20 years as one of the biggest TV stars in Mexico and the United States, Cuban actor William Levy travels to Spain to become a military man for his latest film ‘Bajo un volcán’, in which, together with a group of talented women, he shows that in cinema women “don’t need a character to make them feel good, because they are already important from birth”.
The 45-year-old actor, in an interview with EFE this Friday in Mexico City, rethinks the image that often exists in romantic comedies of female characters and stresses that in this feature film there is no need to give greater importance to female roles.
Emphasizes the real value of women
“In real life, women contribute many things. It’s not that you have to do it to give them importance, they already have importance in themselves.”
Says William Levy, who is also producer of the film that premiered this Friday on the streaming platform ViX.
In ‘Bajo un volcán’, Levy plays a captain of the Spanish Military Emergency Unit (UME).
Together with two volcanologists, played by Spanish Maggie Civantos (‘Vis a Vis’) and Mexican Fabiola Guajardo (‘La Jefa’), they will have to prevent the eruption and disappearance of a village on the Spanish island of Tenerife.
The catastrophe is reminiscent of the volcanic eruption suffered by one of the islands of the Canary archipelago in 2021, La Palma, which affected the Spanish island territory for almost three months.
Sensitive history behind the La Palma tragedy
“People have been evicted from their homes, they have actually been taken out. There are people who have not revisited their homes, who are still homeless.”
“It’s a sensitive issue,” he explained about the 7,000 people who were evacuated and the more than 1,300 homes that were destroyed.
For William Levy, known for novels such as ‘The Tempest’ (2013) or ‘Beware of the Angel’ (2008), it is also important to “generate relief” to the victims who see the film, which has “touches of humor”‘, although “always from respect”.
“The challenge of bringing this story to fruition, right after what happened in La Palma.”
“You get a comedy film about something that happened just a year ago and that many people suffered (…) It’s a bit of a fine line that has to be taken into account,” he points out.
International cinema
The filming of the movie, in the municipality of Garachico, where William Levy was accompanied by Fabiola Guajardo, is his first work in Spain.
As well as a dream come true that demonstrates the “collaborations between Spain and Mexico” in the film industry.
“That they can get to know your work, far beyond your own country and have these types of exchanges and a much broader culture, makes you want to be able to do it more often,” he says.
The actress, “in love” with the landscapes of Spain and its food, positively highlights the experience of being able to work on the other side of the pond and continue doing what “gives her life”:
Perform and have the audience respond to your work.
“Bajo un volcán” entered the top 10 of the most watched movies on Netflix Spain after a discreet theatrical release of the film produced by William Levy.
This is the second of his two projects shot in Tenerife, completed with the August 8 premiere of the series ‘Camino a Arcadia’, co-starring Spain’s Paula Echevarría.
With information from EFE
For more information, visit QuéOnnda.com
