An Interview With Ximena del Solar - Ill: Final Contagium (2020) : Contagium

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Disturbing Cinema: What can you tell us about your character Lily? 

Ximena del Solar: Lily, my character is a very confident woman. Not exactly a villain, but someone willing to take advantage of any situation. She feels responsible for her best friend (Natalia), whom she wants to help due to certain dramatic circumstances that overwhelm her. Both woman are going through an economic hardship that drives them to commit a crime. 

Disturbing Cinema: You have collaborated with Lucio A. Rojas before, and have both co-written several projects together, including this one. How was your experience working with him again?

Ximena del Solar: To be honest, this is the first time that I have co-written a project with Lucio. In all the previous films I have collaborated very intensely, but I have not co-authored the scripts. When it comes to "Contagium", our segment we've created and written everything together from the beginning. It was a great experience for me. It was very entertaining too. Lucio and I maintain a very solid working relationship. We have known each other for 20 years! This time we wanted to build a story that worked from an entertainment and action perspective, reducing readings too sinister from the moral point of view (as was the case with Trauma) to reach a wider audience niche. 

Disturbing Cinema: How was your experience working with your co-stars Rayloren Mata & Felipe Rios?

Ximena del Solar: Well, Felipe Rios is a very famous and well-loved actor in Chile. I met him during the Trauma process and I was left with the best impression of him regarding his human quality. He is a wonderful person. I usually define him as ''a light that walks" because he illuminates everyone with his smile and sweetness. Rayloren Mata, on the other hand, was a classmate of mine at an acting workshop I took a few years ago. For me, she seemed suitable for the role of Natalia and I myself offered her the character. Both, she and Felipe, were always very enthusiastic about working on a genre project, which is what me and my team are trying to develop in Chile. 

Disturbing Cinema: Besides your own segment. Which is your favourite one? 

Ximena del Solar: I think that a very interesting element that the anthology has is that each segment has its own spirit. Although they all have the common link of the virus, each story registers it in a different way. I think each viewer will find his/her own favourite. I would like to highlight the wonderful makeup work of all them. Mainly the practical effects with some VFX to enhance them. The classic style of work is the best!

Disturbing Cinema: You have appeared in a vast majority of horror films. What fascinates you to the horror genre so much? 

Ximena del Solar: I have loved horror films since I was very very little. I don't know how to explain the reason. I guess it's like sexual orientation, it just happens to you. I think that the possibility of interpreting a character is always a luxury, but in genre cinema we work on the basis of very extreme emotions and circumstances. In some ways that is strongly attractive to me. Sometimes I think it is a safe way to experience complex situations, knowing that you can return to normal later, and thus avoid looking for problems in real life (ha, ha, ha!!!) There is another element that is also fascinating to me in horror cinema: all the staging and the search for aesthetic and graphic elements that accompany and complement the creation of situations and characters (makeup, costumes & sets). 

Disturbing Cinema: I would like to conclude our interview by asking you one of my signature questions: What is the most disturbing film you have ever seen? 

Ximena del Solar: There are several, sometimes it is not the entire movie, but a part of it. If you ask me about the entire movie, I could mention you Imprint (2006) directed by Takashi Miike and The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) (2011) directed by Tom Six. Those two are really disturbing and very good movies too! I very much appreciate that a film is not left alone in the visual impact produced by the hand-portrayed actions and also builds and entire careful aesthetic to narrate it. Those two movies are a pretty good example of that. 

Disturbing Cinema: Congratulations on the film, and thank you once again for taking your time answering my questions, Ximena del Solar. It was a great pleasure interviewing you.





Ill: Final Contagium (2020) Plot Summary: A virus created by a mad scientist in Chile is spreading around the world through infected banknotes; the disease has devastating consequences for people in Italy, Kosovo and Germany.


You can buy or rent Ill: Final Contagium (2020) here:

Prime Video: https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Ill-Final-Contagium/0OBDPOK82F8CASCPF15YKO9865







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