A walk through the career of Aitana Sánchez-Gijón is like a review of one’s life. We shared his adolescence in 1986 when he got into the Spanish houses with the series Second teaching, That was like When leaving class For your generation. We enjoy your youth in the nineties with its golden decade in the cinema: Go out to the Moor, the bird of happiness, a walk through the clouds, mouth to mouth, the waitress of the titanic, jealousy, vollerunt. He reached up to four titles in one year. But from the age of 35 – as many other actresses – the offers began to scarce and focused on the theater. Until in 2021 rolled Parallel mothers With Pedro Almodóvar and achieved his first Goya nomination … after more than forty films! He did not win it then, but now he has reached a major reward: the Goya de Honor 2025, which he will collect at the gala next Saturday in Granada.
The male prior to event size has joined the promotion of its new film, Low land, by Miguel Santesmases, released this Friday in cinemas. But stress does not make me dent. It is impeccable to the appointment with the country, poses for the photos with patience and waste a bit of that elegance that has always distinguished it. Kind, good conversationalist and why not say it: as beautiful to the natural as on the screen that passes at 56 years.
Ask. When in October the Film Academy announced that the Goya of Honor granted him, many people thought: but Aitana did not have any? Do you feel that the prize comes to compensate for all those who did not win?
Answer. At all. No one is missing with me. Neither the academy nor the profession. What do I have to complain? I am one of the very few actresses who have been able to live on this life.
P. I would ever expect it, right?
R. He only missed me in 2000 for Flew y Jealousy. But not because I thought I deserved more than other actresses, but because I had won the silver shell in San Sebastián and that leads you to suppose certain things. Maybe as there were two possible candidates, they were mutually canceled. But neither did I get angry with anyone, I was only surprised.
P. That was his most prosperous stage in the cinema, but then he had a break. She feels identified with actresses such as Demi Moore, Winona Ryder or Cameron Díaz who also lived that bump when they stopped being young and have resurfaced in their maturity.
R. Well, mine has been a relative bump. The theater has given me in recent years everything that the cinema has not given me. If not, perhaps I would have thought that only an actress was worth when I was a young and monkey girl, who square as an object of desire in an industry that always wants fresh meat. But on the scenarios I have made very powerful female characters: Medea, Hécuba, La Chunga of Vargas Llosa, The maids, the cat on Zinc’s roof, the mother. That is, I feel that my theatrical career is what has settled me as an actress and has even given me more tools in front of the camera.
P. But now he is living a kind of second life on the big screen.
R. Not so much. More things are happening, but a powerful character of mature woman has not yet received me. Perhaps you can come from one of those wonderful directors that come out now everywhere. I do not say that men cannot write and direct films with great female characters. I just played a fantastic role with Miguel Santesmases and in the past I have also had them. But I have always missed that other look. As a spectator and as an actress. Now that I have had to review my speech to receive the Goya of Honor I have made the account and I get out that of the forty directors more or less with those I have worked, only four have been women: Pilar Miró, Pilar Távora, María Novaro and Patricia Ferreira.
P. Are you going to make a claiming speech like Demi Moore in the Golden Globes?
R. What a piece of speech! But I am not going to get claimed. I’m going to thank the heart.
P. However, you have never had a problem in meaning politically. Participated in the protests of the NO TO WAR and has mobilized for many other causes.
R. When I ask me I always answer. It seems absolutely lawful that people take advantage of moments of visibility to talk about things that worry them. It is true that galas like those of the Goyas are a cinema celebration, but it seems very good that whoever wants to say something says at that time. And who does not want, too.
P. Now with social networks there is more danger of lynching. Look what happened to screenwriter Eduard alone after his speech at the Gaudí Awards. (The interview was conducted before the scandal broke out by the offensive tweets of Karla Sofía Gascón)
R. They are desire to turn an impeccable speech.
P. Do you think cinema influences society?
R. Of course. The cinema has the power to awaken consciences and is also healer. Javi Giner recently told me the avalanche of people who are getting in touch with him to tell him that after seeing his series I, addicted It has gotten into a detoxification center. And phenomena like 47 They create community, they invite us to be good citizens. That is important in moments like this in which we are seeing images such as Trump’s immigrants deportations. It is spooky to think that those same policies are preached by the right in Spain.
P. It also works as a mirror. Me Too started in the world of cinema.
R. Obviously within the cinema there are sexual aggressions, but as in any sector. What happens is that it is more sweet to the press to publish these types of situations when it comes to known names. But you find them everywhere: in theater, football, medicine, journalism, advertising. They have happened a lifetime, what happens is that before we normalize them and now not.
P. Did you also normalize them?
R. Clear! By reviewing now my career I have realized the number of strategies that women have developed to get rid of uncomfortable situations. Because we have embedded the idea that we are triggered from the desire of men and we have to stick to the consequences. As you cannot reject them directly, but you have to find a way to drain so as not to offend them. Now that we have changed our glasses, luckily, I am clear that we have the right to say it: no, I do not interest, I do not like you.
P. From 1998 to 2000 she was president of the Academy. How was that experience?
R. It was an honor, but those charges are never easy. It’s like when you have to be president of your neighborhood community: you have to mediate among many interests. It’s okay to know how things work, but only a little while.
P. A little over a year ago he confessed in an interview with this newspaper that was going through a sensitive personal stage after his separation. I was “moving with skin.” How is that going?
R. I have already moved. I am more at peace. Although this profession always places you in situations of much exposure and anxiety. But that already happened and now I am quite calm. Until the next wave that stir!
P. The Goya de Honor has been a good revolcon!
R. The truth is that at first I thought I was going to cost me health because I started to sleep fatal. I felt really overwhelmed. I thought I did not deserve it, that it was very young for an award that is usually given to the end of the race, that I had many things to do. But I have received such a great avalanche of love, not only from the profession or close people but also from people on the street, which I am much more serene. Especially when I already sat down to write the speech, just before Christmas, I released a lot. Now I live it with great gratitude.