Dressed in a long white gown that complemented her glowing smile (and flawless skin), Salma Hayek Pinault was a goddess-like vision yesterday on the red carpet for the premiere of her new film, El Sabor de la Navidad. The film is the second original movie under the first-look deal between TelevisaUnivision and Hayek Pinault’s Ventanarosa Productions and is part of the Special Presentations program at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Fans of Hayek Pinault won’t catch a glimpse of the star in the film: she’s solely a producer. And – as she told us – she worked on the anticipated project from afar.
The feel-good Christmas rom-com stars Mariana Treviño and Andrés Almeida and shines the light on trans awareness, as it follows three groups of families/friends in Mexico City while they navigate the holidays. In one story, an estranged daughter seeks reconciliation with her family. In the second, two friends put their friendship to the test while working as competing Santa Clauses in Alameda Central Park. In another, a lonely chef who cooks Christmas dinners for other families confronts her feelings for her kitchen assistant.
The forward-thinking holiday flick is an uplifting one that should make for a little more awareness, understanding, and acceptance as we (eventually) move into the festive season.
Hayek Pinault was joined by her long-time Ventanarosa Productions producing partner Jose “Pepe” Tamez on the carpet at the iconic Royal Alexandra Theatre. The famed Mexican-American actress and producer was cheery with reporters. Despite a time crunch (she may have been a tad late to arrive), Hayek Pinault took a moment to wave to fans who gathered around the red carpet to catch a glimpse of her in all her radiant glory.
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As the pair made their way down a line of journalists, we were told – due to time restraints – we only had one question. We asked Hayek Pinault what she learned in the creation of the film (when she had just one minute left on the carpet), which was shot entirely in Mexico City.
“There were so many different kinds of experiences, because it’s not that simple to shoot in a big city like Mexico on a limited budget, so we had to overcome many challenges,” said Hayek Pinault. She says she tackled these challenges from far away geographically, relying on and trusting Tamez completely.
“I overcame many challenges from far away,”
Salma Hayek Pinault
“I overcame many challenges from far away,” says Hayek. “So, one thing I learned is that my producing partner – we’ve been together for 24 years – he’s a fantastic writer, because he wrote it [film]. And I also learned that, I can live far away and be at peace that he’s going to solve any problems that come our way. So, it was a new discovery for me of Pepe, after 24 years of marriage, practically.” Of course, Tamez isn’t actually married to Hayek Pinault romantically. That honour goes to French billionaire businessman François-Henri Pinault.
Anyway, back to the film and the red carpet. The film’s director, Alejandro Lorenzo told us that the movie presented a unique challenge for him, because it was unlike any he had done before. “The biggest challenge was to tell three very different stories,” says Lorenzo. “Each story has its own tone, so I think the biggest challenge was to unify the tone of the three stories, which was a huge learning experience for me. The movies I used to do are very action or comedy-oriented, or genre movies, and this is an ensemble. So, that was a great opportunity for me.”
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And it was one that certainly left a mark on him. “I say this in the most honest way; something happened with this project that was just magical,” says Lorenzo. “It was one of the projects that I enjoyed most – the whole process – from reading the script to the editing process. It’s just been a lovely journey.”
Lorenzo shared this journey with executive producer Billy Rovzar, who also stopped to chat. “When you spend time on a movie, it comes down to ‘what do you want to say?,” says Rovzar. “We have a finite amount of time on this earth and you can only tell so many stories. So, know what you want to say. What I love about this movie is that it tells the story about a very traditional Mexico with very traditional values and culture that learns to move on into a world of diversity, inclusion, and acceptance. I believe the theme of this movie is about trusting that the new manner in which we can conduct ourselves with respect should be the status quo now.”
When the producer was asked his advice for the up-and-coming film industry folks, Rovzar didn’t sugar-coat the fact that it’s difficult to “get in” as a producer. Rather, he encourages young people to educate themselves on the art of film writing (“It’s free, go on YouTube,” he says) instead when they’re starting out. “You want to get in the industry fast – right in the door, red carpet, VIP? Write an amazing piece of content,” says Rovzar. “That’s what production companies are looking for.”
As for El Sabor de la Navidadv – which will be available on Spanish-language streaming service ViX in November – its creators want the audience to leave with that warm and fuzzy holiday feeling. “That’s one of the major objectives; that people watch the movie and just feel joy for an hour and a half,” says Lorenzo.
