David Verdaguer: "I won the Goya thanks to two girls: Laia and Paula"

BarcelonaTo celebrate that Estiu 1993 has been chosen by 200 experts as the most important film in Catalan cinema of the 21st century, ARA brought together a few days ago, at Cinemes Verdi, two of its actors: David Verdaguer and Laia Artigas. She was the girl who still doesn't know how to manage her emotions after her parents' death, and he the uncle who takes her into his family as one more daughter. The two actors share a representative, but they hadn't seen each other for a while. Artigas, who will soon turn 18, recalls with a smile the "special" relationship she had with Verdaguer. When Artigas watches Estiu 1993 –

and she must have seen it about fifteen times–, she doesn't see Frida, the girl who doesn't cry. I always see myself playing and having a great time. I remember the filming as a game. After the film, she had more roles in cinema, theater, and series, and now she wants to study theater at La Bobina. I'd like to be an actress, but I don't want to rush. I've gone to castings, but I like to be very selective. The film also marked Verdaguer's career: It probably changed my life –he says–. And I won the Goya, but it was thanks to two girls, Laia and Paula [Robles]. They couldn't be nominated because they were too young, and I got it.

Verdaguer remembers a happy shoot with many downtime. Since we were working with two children, we filmed fewer hours a day; it was a godsend –says the actor, who in 2016 had little experience as a dramatic actor–. I had come from doing 10,000 km, so I became known with two incredibly good films –he reflects–. And having this luck at the beginning of your career gives you peace of mind to face future projects.The final scene ofEstiu 1993, in which Artigas had to go from laughing to crying in a few seconds, was a challenge for the young actress. “I had a dog back then and they told me: ‘Imagine your dog is dying and you have to save her’ –explains Artigas–. And Carla, from the floor, told me: ‘Laia, you’re not doing it right, you’re not saving her’. And my head exploded and I ended up crying”. Verdaguer, who already cried reading the script, argues that “there would be no film” without that scene. “It’s the last thing we shot, the last sequence, and it’s so beautiful... It kills me”. But she also highlights the scene where a made-up Artigas plays at being a mother. “Do you remember, Laia? Each time you did a different improvisation, my head exploded. You helped me realize that our work isn’t that important, and that it’s about playing, lying, and not getting caught”.