From Cinemagavia, we have had the pleasure of talking to Ylenia Baglietto; one of the Basque actresses of the moment. During this interview, she talked to us about how she has been doing professionally over the last year, her role in "Acacias 38" and the type of role she would like to play, among other things.
Interview with Ylenia Baglietto
Daniel Jiménez/Cinemagavia: How did you experience the period of confinement last year?
Ylenia Baglietto: I experienced it in different phases, to be honest. The first time you are told to confine yourself and not to leave the house, there is something in you that is grateful for it because you can finally stop and rest. I had the opportunity to do all those things that I always had in mind to do, but because of work it was impossible for me to find the time to do them, so in that sense, I took it quite positively. For example, I started to play the guitar, which since I was a child I have always had the illusion of learning to play an instrument, but I always had other chores that prevented me from progressing further.
Also during my confinement, I started writing poetry; something I had always liked to do and which I took up again during the months of confinement with more vigour than ever. I took all my poetry notebooks and put them in order, so that I could start publishing them in the near future. And above all, what I did the most during my confinement were a lot of interviews and Instagram live shots; in those two months of confinement I did more interviews than in my whole life, mind you (laughs).
So that's the kind of thing that you have there and you tell yourself that one day you'll do it, and suddenly the opportunity arose, even if it was due to a bad circumstance. Just when I wanted to get bored, I got a call from ETB, telling me that they were going to record a series from home and that they wanted me. Of course, at that moment I freaked out because at that time nobody in the profession was working as such and I got a job in the middle of confinement. Then you come up against the absolute reality, which is that the cultural sector in our country was absolutely abandoned after the confinement; something that is still happening today, on the part of the public institutions.
"Love and Humour"
Daniel Jiménez/Cinemagavia: Nevertheless, you and Lander Otaola did very well in Bilbao with your show "Amor y Humor". Isn't it true?
Ylenia Baglietto: Yes, all the tickets were sold out, but there was a perimetral closure at that time; that is, only people who lived in Bilbao could attend the performances. After that immense joy, hopefully the restrictions will ease and we will be able to do more performances. Because people need to go out and have plans within their reach that make them have a good time in a responsible way, as in the case of the theatre.
There is an absolute need for culture, because people need to laugh and have a good time during a situation as delicate as this one. What would have become of us during the confinement, without films, without series or literature? It would have been much more difficult to cope.
The moment when she decides to become an actress
Daniel Jiménez/Cinemagavia: I would like to ask you about your beginnings in the world of acting, following what you said before about rhythmic gymnastics. What was it that made you decide to go into acting and leave rhythmic gymnastics?
Ylenia Baglietto: I think rhythmic gymnastics has a lot of connection with the world of art and acting. Despite being referred to as rhythmic, it is absolutely artistic; that is to say, from the age of four when I started training, I was in constant contact with music, with a movement of the body, with an expressiveness, with something that I had to show to the public that was watching me, etc... From a very early age I knew that what called me was artistic and in fact I have videos from when I was little saying: "When I grow up I want to be a presenter, an actress, a dancer...".
However, it was at the age of fifteen, when I discovered the series "Un paso adelante", that I realised that there were schools that taught you how to do everything I wanted to do, which was singing, dancing and acting. That's when it clicked in my head and I told myself that that's exactly what I wanted to do with my life. So somehow, it was at that moment that I decided to switch from rhythmic gymnastics to acting.
Your beginnings as an actress
Daniel Jiménez/Cinemagavia: If I understand correctly, one of your first roles as an actress was in "Goenkale"; for those who don't know the series, it's one of the most iconic and long-running Basque series on television. What was it like to work on that series?
Ylenia Baglietto: Yes, it was one of the first castings I did, after leaving drama school. I was cast to play a permanent character and I spent a total of three seasons in "Goenkale". For me, having had the chance to take part in that series was like a school for me. That's when I really realised what the profession was all about, because in drama school you have much more time to prepare the characters, but here it was a much higher pace. Even though I realised that the world of acting required a lot of demand and discipline, I didn't hesitate for a second and I became even more convinced that it was what I wanted to do all my life.
About Maite Zaldúa
Daniel Jiménez/Cinemagavia: Recently, you have been recognised mainly for your role as Maite Zaldua in "Acacias 38". What has this character meant for your career? Because it is a character who is totally an empowered woman and who has a lesbian romance in a period series.
Ylenia Baglietto: For me, Maite Zaldúa has meant a before and after in every way; both personally and professionally. On a professional level, it has meant an international leap in terms of being recognized in other countries around the world. As a result of this character, I have received immense affection from people all over the world and you realize how much people need these characters in fiction.
You might think that we have made great strides, because you look at the people closest to you, but reality shows us that fiction still needs homosexual referents and above all homosexual women. We have to realize that in many parts of the world, people are still condemned for the mere fact of having another sexual orientation and this is something that seems very distant to us from here, but it does exist.
That is why, on the other hand, this character has changed me deeply inside, as I was not aware of how much this type of LGBTI character is needed in films and series.
Fortunately, we are seeing more and more how the industry is trying to show more stories that are not only heteronormative. For me, the fact that I have been able to play this character in "Acacias 38", a series that is mostly watched by older people who perhaps have had a more conservative upbringing, is a real honour; to be able to show them through my character that there are other realities that are just as valid.
And then what I was telling you about the international leap, that suddenly I realize that I have fans all over the world; every week I receive letters of thanks, messages of affection, gifts... This has been a kind of total catharsis in my life, because I have always had the intention and the desire that my work could bring some light to the world. It's impressive when you realize that your work has been a great help for a person to get ahead or to be inspired in any way by it.
Responsibility of playing an LGBTI character
Daniel Jiménez/Cinemagavia: Did you feel a certain responsibility as an actress to play this LGBTI character?
Ylenia Baglietto: Totally, because you don't want to hurt anyone. I was totally inexperienced in this subject before playing the character of Maite, and that's why I tried to research and soak up as much as possible about it. In fact, now that I have more knowledge on the subject I keep reading and trying to know more, because you can never think you know everything about a subject.
I also like to interpret my characters from an impartiality and a naturalness, but above all from absolute respect; because you know that this is going to have repercussions, for better or worse, on other people. There may be some occasions when I misphrase a sentence or choose a word that is not quite right (as happens to all of us), but I don't do it in bad faith; therefore, the only thing that remains for me professionally and personally is to learn from possible mistakes.
Roles you would like to play in the future
Daniel Jiménez/Cinemagavia: What kind of acting roles would you like to play in the future as an actress?
Ylenia Baglietto: Well, one type of role I would love to play as an actress would be one similar to the one played by Kate Winslet in "Revolutionary Road"; that one in particular, I think it's a masterful performance and an amazing character. Every time I watch that film again, it's like it awakens something inside me that says, "I want to play a character like that".
Because it's a character that goes to the limit on a dramatic level and I love characters that are extreme and that move away from me. That starts from me of course, but that at the same time is a risk and a challenge for me as an actress; because if you play roles within your comfort zone, you get stuck and you miss out on many opportunities that are around you because of that.
Final questionnaire from Ylenia Baglietto
At the end of the interview, we asked Ylenia Baglietto to answer a quick questionnaire in order to get to know her in more depth.
D.J./CG: Favourite Basque film.
Y.B.: "Ane" by David Pérez Sañudo.
D.J. /CG: Favourite film.
Y.B : "Mrs. Doubtfire" by Chris Columbus
D.J. /CG: Favourite book.
Y.B: "The Yellow World", by Albert Espinosa.
D.J./CG: A song you've been listening to a lot recently.
Y.B: "Te amaré mejor", by Tontxu.
D.J. /CG: A place to live.
Y.B: Bilbao.
D.J. /CG: A place to get lost in.
Y.B: La Palma.
D.J. /CG: A dream to fulfil.
Y.B: To win a Goya.
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