- The Canarian actress is satisfied to have participated in a team that won four awards for ‘The Grandmother and the Stranger’, at the Alicante International Film Festival
- Ballmann plays Julia, Enric’s partner, in director Sergi Miralles’ debut film
The Canarian actress Aïda Ballmann assures: “For me it is magic to materialize an intellectual concept in a film, with the contribution of a team that rows in the same direction. In the process of creating a film it is about the team understanding that idea, the story they want to tell, and starting to work from this. Se parte de una concepción que poco a poco se materializa con la ayuda de todos. To do this, it is necessary to tune in to history. In the case of L’àvia i el foraster a very nice group feeling was created, which not always happens. I don’t think any of us have worked with the goal of getting awards, but, without a doubt, having received four is a boost, not only for the film, but also for the members of the team, because art has its moments of ups and downs and receiving recognition of this type is always encouraging.”
These statements constitute Ballmann’s reaction to the news that L’àvia y el foraster (The grandma and the Stranger; 2024/Aire de Cinema, Alhena Production/Spain/116′) was recognized with four awards at the 21st edition of the Festival Alicante International Film Festival, where director Sergi Miralles’ debut film premiered last Thursday, May 23.
The festival’s awards, which were announced at the closing gala on Saturday, May 25, include the Tesela de Oro for Best Film; the Silver Tesela for Best Actress for Neus Agulló; the Silver Tesela for Best Actor for Kandarp Mehta and the ‘Sergio Balseyro’ Critics’ Award. So Miralles’ film has been described as “the great winner” of this 21st edition of the festival.
This comedy-drama is a very emotional film that tells the story of Teresa, a dressmaker who meets Samir, the fruit seller, who is actually a great tailor who had to emigrate from Pakistan. Enric, in the midst of a life crisis, returns to the town to attend his grandmother’s funeral and discovers the relationship she had with Samir. In this story, Aïda Ballmann plays Julia, Enric’s wife. Since Julia has not been able to travel to accompany him, they keep in touch virtually. Her intention to support him is hindered by Enric’s crisis, situation that tests their relationship.
Ballmann was present at the premiere of the film in Alicante, an occasion that allowed her to once again share the viewing of a film in a movie theater: “The fact of having gone to the premiere and hearing the audience behind me laugh and get excited, having this shared experience with them and immersing ourselves in that story together has generated a sense of belonging and community in me.” The Canarian actress of German origin highlights that “after Covid, returning to theaters has not been fully reactivated. We have become accustomed to approaching cinema through platforms, which also have their pros, but I think it is much more interesting to experience the film in the theater, because it is more powerful to experience the catharsis of art if the audience experiences it in community.”
Ballmann is part of a cast headed by Carles Francino, Neus Agulló and Kandarp Mehta, in the leading roles, along with María Maroto, Empar Ferrer, Manuel Canchal, Amparo Oltra, Isabel Rocatti, Rosanna Espídos, Estela Martínez and Jordi Ballester, among others. Shot in June and July 2023 in Algar de Palància (Valencia), the film featured Víctor Entrecanales in photography. The production has the participation of À Punt, 3 Cat and Radio Televisión Española (RTVE). The script for L’àvia y el foraster is by Mila Luengo, María Mínguez and Sergi Miralles.
Aïda Ballmann
Aïda Ballmann could recently be seen in the series Operación Barrio Inglés, on La 1, season now available on Rtveplay. In this period series about the network of spies in Huelva in the Second World War, she plays Miss Eva, an English double agent, but a Nazi. About this experience she has commented that “this character allowed me to be mysterious and ambiguous, to reveal, but not completely, to always leave a question in the air and, above all, not to discover what I may be feeling or thinking… When Miss Eva appeared, the plot took a new direction and I liked that because, although I had few appearances, they were definitive for the direction of the story.”
Ballmann trained as a text actress in Gijón, Seville, Barcelona, Madrid and Germany with Stanislavski and Meisner techniques. She worked for several years as a specialist and theater actress, before turning to the seventh art. She debuted as the protagonist in the film shot in English The extraordinary tale, by Laura Alvea and José Ortuño. Spanish and international feature films followed, including: La velocidad de nuestros pensamientos, from Nacho Chueca; Die Insel, from Lars Ostmann; El gigante y la sirena, from Roberto Chinet; Atlánticas, from Guillermo García López, Los europeos, from Víctor García León; Gleich, from Jennifer Castañeda; La metamorfosis de Narciso, from Hamed Alizadeh, in addition to this latest film directed by Sergi Miralles presented in Alicante.
She has also participated in successful series. Apart from Operación Barrio Inglés, stand out Una vida menos en Canarias, Endlich Witwer, Crossfire, Lo que escondían sus ojos, El tiempo entre costuras, Águila roja, Brigada de fenómenos and Malviviendo. For her acting work, she has received four awards as best actress in Film Bizarro (2013), Cardiff International Film Festival (2014), Festivalito (2015) and Leoncio Morales (2017); She also has several nominations, including from the Association of Film Writers of Andalusia (ASECAN, 2014) and the Vienna International Film Awards (VIFA, 2022), as well as excellent reviews in magazines such as Hollywood Reporter.
Recently, besides from having returned to the stage with Recetas para el alma, by La carbonería de la Lola, she has expanded her experience as a director with her debut feature, the documentary Sand Path, which has visited more than 40 festivals.
