ARGENTINA: MADONNA CALLS A NEWS CONFERENCE AS CONTROVERSY CONTINUES TO SURROUND FILMING OF HER MOVIE 'EVITA'

Record ID: 446568

  • Title: ARGENTINA: MADONNA CALLS A NEWS CONFERENCE AS CONTROVERSY CONTINUES TO SURROUND FILMING OF HER MOVIE 'EVITA'
  • Date: 6th February 1996
  • Summary: MADONNA SPEAKS ABOUT HER ROLE SAYING THAT WHAT IMPRESSED HER THE MOST WAS THAT THIS WOMAN CAME FROM NOWHERE AND REACHED SUCH GREAT PLACES. (ENGLISH) REPORTERS MADONNA CONTINUES SAYING SHE WAS HURT BY ALL THE CONTROVERSY ABOUT HER INTERPRETING THE ROLE, BUT THAT SHE BELIEVES THE CRITICISM IS BASED ON THINGS PEOPLE DON'T KNOW AND DON'T UNDERSTAND, SHE URGES THEM TO MAKE UP THEIR MINDS AFTER THEY HAVE SEEN THE MOVIE (ENGLISH) ANTONIO BANDERAS (WHO PLAYS CHE GUEVARA) SAYING HIS ROLE IS THAT OF NARRATOR ABOUT EVITA AND HER LIFE. SO THIS CHE IS NOT LIKE THE ORIGINAL MUSICAL BUT MORE OF A GHOST WHO FLIES THROUGHOUT THE FILM, MAKING HIS OWN LITTLE COMMENTS. CHE ONLY FACES EVITA IN A SORT OF FANTASY. (SPANISH) ALAN PARKER SAYING IT IS A DIFFICULT PICTURE. THEY ARE NOT POLITICIANS AND THEY HOPE TO MAKE A GOOD PICTURE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE GREAT DEMOCRATIC MOMENT ARGENTINA IS EXPERIENCING (ENGLISH) NEWS CONFERENCE JONATHAN PRYCE SAYING THAT THE FACT FILMING IS BEING DONE IN ARGENTINA SHOWS THE COMMITMENT OF THE FILM-MAKERS, IF WE WANTED TO DENIGRATE HER IMAGE WE COULD HAVE MADE IT IN TORY (CONSERVATIVE PARTY) BRITAIN (ENGLISH) PRYCE PAUSING FOR THE SPANISH TRANSLATION, AND SAYING YOU DID SAY "TORY" (CONSERVATIVE PARTY), DIDN'T YOU? (INTERPRETER SAYS YES) (ENGLISH) REPORTERS LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE (FILE)
  • Embargoed: 21st February 1996 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
  • Country: Argentina
  • Reuters ID: LVAEQ91W9JOJM5Y2O3U0P1Q5X3DU
  • Story Text: Madonna, star of the film "Evita", fended off criticism on Tuesday (February 6) by those Argentinians who say she will cheapen the image of their heroine Eva Peron.

    She was in Buenos Aires, where the film is being made, with the film's director Alan Parker and fellow actors Antonio Banderas and Jonathan Pryce.

    Controversy over the film rages in Argentina where some are fiercely opposed to raunchy rock star Madonna portraying the former first lady Eva (Evita) Peron.

    Director Alan Parker said there was no question of Eva Peron's image being cheapened by "Evita".

    "We are making a respectable, sensible and historically accurate film" he said.

    Madonna, the main focus of the controversy, said the negative comments had hurt her but that such criticism came from people who do not know what they are talking about.

    "I urge people people to wait until they have seen the movie" she added.

    Pryce said the very fact that they were filming in Argentina, rather than making the film in the United Kingdom, proof of their commitment. He emphasised it could have been made in Britain where the governing Conservative (Tory) party is the same as that of Margaret Thatcher who ordered soldiers to fight Argentinians during the Falkland Islands/Las Malvinas conflict.

    Antonio Banderas, who plays the revolutionary Che Guevara, said that in the film his character would take a different role to that in the original musical. Che would comment on the rise of Eva Peron and not play scenes with her face-to-face, he said.

    The scenes in Argentina will take about six weeks to film.
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