The Portuguese-American film “The Girl in the Back Seat”, which premieres on May 16 in Portuguese cinemas, is a testimony to the resilience of independent cinema, the protagonist, screenwriter and producer, Kika Magalhães, told the Lusa agency. “We passed. a lot went into making this film,” said the actress, who worked with director Nick Laurant and her husband, actor Chris Marrone, in Los Angeles, to produce a script she wrote based on real stories of human trafficking. “It was difficult and seeing the film in large cinemas in Portugal is finally our reward”, he stated, considering that the reception in the country makes the project worthwhile. Distribution is on behalf of Vendetta Filmes. Spoken in English with several scenes in Portuguese, “The Girl in the Back Seat” tells the story of Sofia, a Portuguese emigrant who is caught up in a human trafficking ring in Los Angeles. Drawing attention to this underworld was one of Kika Magalhães' goals when writing the script. “People think this only happens in underdeveloped countries,” she said. “That's why we wanted the film to take place in Los Angeles, to show that this doesn't just happen in Mexico. Which happens in big countries like the United States.”WATCH THE TRAILER.
Its arrival in Portugal comes after the film has been on the international festival circuit, including “Dances With Films”, where it was in competition. The audience's reaction, said Kika Magalhães, was very positive. “People liked the film,” she said. “Many were moved,” she continued, highlighting the importance of transmitting knowledge about the reality of human trafficking — and the fact that it doesn’t just catch people on the fringes of society. “A lot of people didn’t even know it was such a big problem,” highlighted the actress , considering that there is a taboo associated with this underworld. “It's worth going to see the film to learn about human trafficking, it's a very important topic”, he continued. “There's little talk about it, it happens all over the world and it's an industry that makes millions a year and nobody talks about it.” Her character, Sofia, is the victim of Ryan (Chris Marrone), a charming and apparently harmless young man. The cast also includes Portuguese actress Ana Lopes (in the role of Xana), Brooke Olivia Borges, who plays Sofia as a child, Helen Day, Jasmine Akakpo, Frank Forbes and Travis Quentin. Filmed with a minimal budget, which involved a lot of work ' pro bono' from the artistic community, the feature film forced the actors to work in sometimes difficult conditions. “There are scenes where my mouth was actually shaking because it was so cold,” recalled Kika Magalhães. “We shot almost the entire film in November and then we filmed small things that were missing in January and February.” Despite the scarcity of resources, the actress considered that independent art is worth it and encourages other filmmakers to invest in projects they believe in, even if they do not have the desired conditions. “I think everyone should follow their dreams,” she stressed. “So much work cannot go in vain.” The actress, born in Famalicão and based in the United States, also highlighted that this is a time when there is space for different works, which stand out from the big 'blockbusters'. “I think more There is never a desire to see new and original things”, he considered, noting that much of what has come out of the big studios are 'remakes', sequels and superhero films. “The people who are financing the studios are afraid to bet in new and original projects, they are only doing things that already have a guaranteed audience”, he pointed out. “A Rapariga no Banco de Trás” will be in the NOS Alvaláxia, in Lisbon, Almada Fórum, Parque Nascente, in Porto, Gaia Shopping, Braga Parque, Alma Shopping, in Coimbra, Castello Lopes at GuimarãeShopping and Cinema City Alegro.
"The Girl in the Back Seat": Portuguese-American film about human trafficking shows the strength of independent cinema
