The Curse of La Llorona at SXSW 2019 [Video]
"I love horror films and I wanted to be part of a good one, and this is a great one... a legend from our culture; and we get to share it with the rest of the world so that she can scare the shit out of you too!" — Raymond Cruz
La Llorona is a horrifying apparition, caught between Heaven and Hell. In 1970s Los Angeles, La Llorona is stalking the night... and the children. Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mother, a social worker is soon drawn into a terrifying supernatural realm, with the lives and souls of her own kids at stake.
Q&A moderator and Senior Film Programmer Jarod Neece asked director Michael Chaves about the decision to set The Curse of La Llorona in the Seventies. "I love that period, I love the texture; there is something about that grittiness about the police procedural story I thought was really great and the other big thing is that there is no internet, no cellphones...you can't google La Llorona!"
Many of the cast members have very personal experiences with La Llorona. "I grew up with La Llorona and was terrified of La Llorona," said cast member Raymond Cruz. Cruz mentioned when he found out there was going to be a film about the legend, he had his reservations, and went on to say that the the production experienced some uncanny occurrences on set! In a scene where Cruz's character is battling La Llorona, he was wearing a bracelet for protection and it broke out of nowhere — "a chill went through my body when it happened," said Cruz.
"I loved the idea that they were three strong female characters. Patricia [Velásquez] and I both play single mothers. It's up to them to save themselves and their children." - Linda Cardellini
Watch coverage from the red carpet and Q&A at SXSW 2019 and don't forget to catch The Curse of La Llorona on HBO!.
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World Premiere of The Curse of La Llorona - Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for SXSW
By Neha Aziz
01/27/2020