Sex and Lucía opened in New York City and Los Angeles on this day in 2002. Written and directed by Julio Medem (The Lovers of the Arctic Circle), the film introduced Paz Vega, who would later go on to star in Spanglish and 10 Items or Less, to American audiences. Originally conceived as two separate stories, Medem wove the two narratives together to present a powerful study of love and personal relationships that is reminiscent of the work of Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros, Babel) and created one of the most artfully erotic films of the decade. Both Medem and Vega received awards for their work, including a Best Actress Goya for the then-26-year-old actress. Julio Medem is currently in post-production on his next effort, Chaotic Ana.
Quotable: “During the rehearsals, I try to get to the center of the character with the actor, and once I feel we have captured the character, I get out and look at it from the outside. It’s a very intense process during which things start to change.”
–Julio Medem, discussing his his notoriously long rehearsal periods.
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