Daniel Grao and Ariadna Gil: “‘The house among the cacti’ shows us that the end never justifies the means”

Nothing is what it seems ‘La casa tra i cactus’, a hypnotic psychological thriller adapting Paul Pen’s best-selling novel of the same name and set to hit theaters on September 16. Carlota González-Adrio’s debut film and the closing film of the Made in Spain section of the 70th edition of the San Sebastián Film Festival, the film transforms Daniel Grao and Ariadna Gil into an airtight marriage whose peace will be disturbed by the arrival of a threatening stranger. A proposal that shows that not everything goes with parents. “It is a clear demonstration that the end does not do justice to the means”says the actor of Sabadell.

This film adaptation of the novel by Pen, who is actively involved in this version by signing up as a writerthe setting changes and the protagonists go from being an American couple living in a remote area of ​​Mexico in the 60s to a Spanish couple living in the middle of the Canary Islands forest in the 70s. Purely aesthetic changes and do not change the plot, in which Grao and Gil embody Emilio and Rosa, parents of what appears to be a perfect family of five daughters with flower names. (Lis, Iris, Melisa, Lila and Dalia) and whose tranquility will be threatened by the arrival of a mysterious stranger, played by Ricardo Gómez.

“It’s hard to talk about the film without revealing anything. I can only say that I think [Rosa] He is one of the most complex characters I’ve ever played. She is a woman who works in a very different way from the general logic of human beings, both she and Emilio function in a particular way. They see everything and build it with a complex perspective, even in their way of relating to others. They lack empathy, they have a number of things that make them very different “, Ariadna Gil declares in an interview granted to eCartelerain which he underlines how important the work between the actors with the director of the film was when it came to building that atmosphere of mystery present throughout the film.

“It was essential to the story and we thought about it a lot during the creation process, what I teach, what I don’t do and how I do it. There is a suspended space in which one cannot say too much, but due to the fact that it reveals little, it ends up revealing much more about the actions of the protagonists. It was an element that attracted me a lot from the original narrative when I read it. In the end, it’s a hugely diverse set of characters and how looks can completely hide a character’s personality. Nothing is as it seems and we can come to wrong conclusions if we let ourselves be guided by appearances”exhibits González-Adrio.

A beautiful natural environment transformed into a claustrophobic place

In that fog of intrigue that envelops the film to the public, it is evident eitherA portrait that shows the most uncomfortable face of what certain people can do to form a family. “No act can be justified with the excuse of wanting to be a father. You can say that you love your children and take care of them, but that does not explain all the behavior that a parent has. This is why I say that the film manages two languages: on the one hand there is the thriller, that suspense that makes the public wait and, on the other hand, it is still an allegory of the family as an entity “claims Daniel Grao.

Proof of this two-sided game is the setting chosen for the film, the Canary Islands. The tape shows a house in the middle of the forest, an idyllic place, surrounded by nature and which looks like an open field but which, finally, leaves a bitter feeling of claustrophobia and captivity. “I find it more interesting to see the anguish or suspense in broad daylight in a spectacular location than in a basement and at night, which is what we have seen a thousand times. I think there is something that has a special point in a scenario that is not. is the usual “comments Ricardo Gomez.

“It refers, once again, to the concept of family. It is a portrait of wonderful parents and ideal daughters, but which hides an oppressive environment. AndThis blend is what makes “The House Among the Cacti” more interesting, which can be terrifying and bucolic at the same time.”Grao adds. “It’s not just the location, it’s also the characters that provide that wall-like feeling”, says González-Adrio. “It is a paradise and a prison at the same time. Paradoxically, it can be both.concludes Gil.

Directed by Carlota González-Adrio and written by Paul Pen, “The house among the cacti” stars Daniel Grao, Ariadna Gil, Ricardo Gómez, Zoe Arnao, Aina Picarolo, Anna Ruiz Solera, Carla Ruiz Solera, Judith Fernández and Marga Arnau . Produced by Jesús Ulled Nadal, Elvira Morales Sales and Cristóbal García. A feature and audiovisual production of DZ, Cine 365 Films, La Terraza Films, Virtual Contents and Ikiru Films. Available in cinemas from this September 16, from Filmax.