Marta Hazas and Javier Vega: “I think sometimes our lives are a bit narcotic”

Marta Hazas and Javier Veiga are experiencing their best moments both personally and professionally.Now they have launched their new movie friends till death, a comedy set in death. Maria (Marta Hazas), Nacho (Maurio Ochman) and Suso (Javier Vega) are three lifelong friends. They’ve shared a lot together, maybe even too much…and suddenly two of them will have to share the secret that the other is dying. But first they have a lot to do: plans, promises, blame, laughter, reconciliation, memories, more laughter, some tears… and some unresolved things, maybe it’s time to unravel the mystery.

When we talked about his new movie, we noticed Marta Hazas and Javier Vega They have become an ideal pairing, exuding humor and chemistry not only on the big screen but also on the job and in real life. As they themselves admit, “it’s a blessing to be able to work together,” and there’s no denying that there’s a lot of complicity between them. On set, they were a joy to work with, they have undeniable chemistry, they crack jokes and when you’re with them for a little while, time flies because you can’t stop laughing.

What is “Friends of Life and Death” about?

Javier Vega: Well, as its title pretty much suggests, it’s about both of those things. About friends, but also about death. It’s a story about the friendship between three friends who suddenly find out that one of them is going to die and they have to face it, even though it seems like a lie, it’s a comedy.

Do we live too quickly until we witness the death of a loved one?

Marta Hazas: I wonder if we’re living too fast or if we’re not paying attention to what’s really important, right? I think, sometimes, our life is not only fast, but also a little narcotic.
Javier Vega: Yes, I believe there is actually a saying that says when death becomes a possible fact, you become an adult. When you are young you feel like death doesn’t exist, no one dies, everyone lives forever etc… suddenly when someone close to you dies you say “come on”! This does exist and has happened to me and my loved ones. I think it makes you an adult.

In your film, death marks the lives of three friends, can it be overcome at some point?

Javier Vega: I think that’s what this movie is trying to be about. Death, like other life, is a part of life and inevitable, something we all experience. If you try to approach life a certain way, you should do it in those moments too. I think you have to understand that you can say life is a drama, a comedy or a tragedy. If life is a comedy, it will always be a comedy. So when death appears, it also has to be a comedy.

Does death scare us, is it laughter or hope that keeps us from thinking about it?

Marta Hazas: Well, I think it’s not just not thinking, it’s making you think about it differently, not making you handle it better. Since it’s inevitable, it’s best to approach it with a sense of humor, as with almost any important thing in life that makes you nervous or scared.

Javier, were you deeply affected by the death of a loved one who inspired this story?

Javier Vega: What happened in the movie didn’t happen to me, but the death of my mother and the untimely death of my mother made a lasting impression on you and would make an impression on anyone out of the blue. When you write about that, there’s obviously something reflected there. It’s like purging some feelings in a way, being able to talk about things, being able to smile in the face of death. For me it’s therapeutic.

What was it like filming this film as a couple?

Marta Hazas: It’s true that we’re used to it and we work together in a very natural way. But in this film, it’s much more than that, because as a film that the two of us created from scratch, we also made it entirely in collaboration with our Mexican partner Mauricio Ochmann The movie, well, it happens in a more complicated process. The approach was very natural and it was a really good team process.

Did this loving trio create conflict between you at home and against the backdrop of feelings and situations like death?

Javier Vega: I don’t think it is in this sense. That said, we don’t take home works of fiction. But yeah, hey, tomorrow we have to do this or shoot that, and it’s like a game that we put absolute passion into. But at no point do these characters affect me, nor do I take away from these things I sometimes hear or read about an actor being consistent with his characters. When a day’s filming ends, the characters stay there until the next day.

you met in the movie die for love In 2011, after so many years together, do you still enjoy making movies together?

Marta Hazas: I think more about it because in the end the things we did together were because we had a desire to do them. So I think the enjoyment is greater. In Harvey’s case, it’s incredible how something he spent so much time doing at his desk emerged from the paper. Additionally, the journey of taking these photos together was a wonderful experience, promoting the film, series…
Javier Vega: It also gives the fun of starting a production company. This is our third job, we’ve done three seasons of the series in theaters and now a movie, and it’s very gratifying to see how we’ve settled in and carved out our niche.

Can one laugh at everything?

Javier Vega: You can laugh at everything if you want. It’s hard sometimes but we have to push ourselves. If you can’t find anything interesting, I can too. But you can always decide to laugh or not, and that’s okay, that’s fine too. I do think what you have to train is the ability to laugh at everything, because you’ll be happier if you do, and it doesn’t make you take things lightly. I recommend training laughter.

Why should we leave everything behind in the face of illness or death? Or do priorities always change?

Javier Vega: I believe that when life tests you, priorities change. You’ll realize how unimportant bullshit is, and you’ll realize how ridiculous it is for us as humans to worry about things that don’t really matter. I also think that’s part of what creates the humor and makes the movie laugh-out-loud while watching it. That said, we do struggle with stupid things and then nothing else matters.

Your character Maria says “Happiness is a point of view”, why do we so often see it before our eyes and not realize it?

Marta Hazas: I think this is one of my favorite phrases of all time and I will have it tattooed on my body to remind myself of it. To me it’s really beautiful. Happiness can be found in many places, in sweet, sweet or beautiful moments… For example, I had the pleasure of making this film, in every aspect of the production it was not smooth sailing or easy, but I have managed to enjoy it. Along the way, because everything went so well for us, I really enjoyed it.

Have you created your own audiovisual production company, Medio Limón? little coincidence Now that you have the film out in mid-September, is it obvious that you’re a good match?

Javier Vega: Yes, we are happy. We started very quietly with no intention of becoming a great production company, but with the idea of ​​telling stories.Indeed, the series little coincidence The show, now in its third season, has achieved great results in Spain and around the world, and with this new film we are very pleased with the results. It’s already number one in Mexico because it’s been released in Latin America and the United States and it’s doing well here and we hope it will do the same in Spain now.

Is it more comfortable to shoot with friends in Javier, your home country?

Javier Vega: It’s great in many ways, one of which is because of the team we have there, the people we work with and our partners, but also the Galicians. It’s true that the agencies there are very helpful and go above and beyond. We received a lot of help from many sources, but most importantly from very nice people. I think people are less saturated with photography and are more receptive to it.

What do you have in common?

Marta Hazas: I think we have the same understanding of this profession. We love leisure as much as we love food, and we even share a makeup artist, like Roberto Seguiro, Lancôme’s official makeup artist, who is responsible for not only our production at TELVA, but also the makeup for all the characters in the movie. friends till death. We have to give him a room in the house.

When will there be more comedy?

Javier Vega: Our intention is to keep working. We don’t want to leave our production line. More to come. We have mainly two projects in the works and we don’t know which one will be the first to reach the audience. As long as the public continues to be so welcoming to us, we will continue to tell stories.

Are you equally recognized as actors, screenwriters, and directors?

Javier Vega: Well, what I really enjoy is playing the conductor of an orchestra. Because Marta is indeed an actress. I like to tell things 360 degrees, my own projects, where you can be involved in all possible ways, from embryo to being able to execute the project. If the most important thing is that we do this as a family, making and building this project together with Marta, for me this is an ideal way to do it. We create author stories and that’s what we want to continue to do. Little things, told in the first person. A complex but small production with a small core team and we are a family.

an icon

Marta Hazas: For me, Joaquín Sabina is the only person in the world that I like, besides using his music to imbue characters and moods.
Javier Vega: Michael Jordan (laughs)

The movie of your life or the movie you want to star in

Marta Hazas: I want to be a star What happened to Baby Jane? Because I saw it when I was little and I’ve been in love with classic movies ever since. I was obsessed with Bette Davis’ performance. Javier Vega: I would love to play some Musketeers in The Three Musketeers.

Who would you like to work with on a cinematic level, a director, an actor, an actress?

Marta Hazas: Rodrigo Cortés, I love everything he does and working with Paula Ortiz.
Javier Vega: Rodrigo Cortes and Javier Feser.