Nobel Prize-Winning Author Supports Tica’s Film Effort

COSTA Rican filmmaker HildaHidalgo says receiving support fromColombian writer Gabriel GarcíaMárquez to adapt his novel “Del Amor yOtros Demonios” (Of Love and OtherDemons) for the screen is like winningthe lottery.García Márquez, the 1982 NobelLiterature Prize winner, proposed the ideain an encounter they had during ascriptwriting workshop that the author,widely known as “Gabo,” gave last yearin Cuba.“The first time I read his work I wasfascinated, and the second time I noticed itwas written in movie script format,”Hidalgo said Sunday at a press conference.That was the reason she chose to speakto the Colombian writer about the idea.“I told him out of all his work, ‘DelAmor y Otros Demonios’ is the mostadaptable to film. He agreed and proposedwe do it. All I had to do was sayyes,” Hidalgo said.Last year, the writer gave Hidalgo thecorresponding rights for a symbolic sumthat was not disclosed, thereby beginningthe pre-production stage, which consistsof investigating the story’s historicalframe, the 18th century.Hidalgo traveled to Cartagena,Colombia, in search of settings and contactsto help film the movie, which willtake place in that city and use Spanish,Colombian and Costa Rican actors.Hidalgo said García Márquez gave hertotal freedom to make the film, so she willnot receive any pressure from the author.“He wants me to adapt and producethe film. I have the liberty to eliminate,highlight and organize the charactersaccording to the function I want them toserve,” the filmmaker commented.Hidalgo, who has directed 12 moviesthroughout her career, said this storycomplies with her ideals.“I would not have been able to adaptanother work. This is about passion and forbiddenlove, which is what moves my souland what I like to produce,” she added.Hidalgo and Laura Pacheco, who willbe in charge of production, are part of thefilm company Alicia Films. The two willalso receive support from private CostaRican sources expected to finance 50% ofthe movie’s budget, which is approximately$1.5 million. The main investorat present is Veritas University.The script is not yet finished, butHidalgo hopes it will be by lateDecember. She plans to dedicate nextyear to casting and investing and startfilming in 2006.–