The Acting Lesson (2012)

Emily, rising starlet, interviews her director's maid Pepa claiming that she is doing research for her next big movie role. But when the questions get personal, Pepa is forced to delve deep... See full summary »

Directors:

Nicolas Calzada (co-director), Carmen Pelaez (co-director)

Writer:

Carmen Pelaez

Stars:

Wanda Arriaga, Brigitte Kali Canales, Eddie del Carmen

Cast

Cast overview:
Wanda Arriaga	...	Pepa
Brigitte Kali Canales	...	Emily / Young Pepa (as Brigitte Khali-Canales)
Eddie del Carmen	...	Miguel
Carmen Pelaez	...	Matilde
Alicia Pelaez	...	Sister Maria
Pedro Mir	...	Father Lopez
Luis Felipe Aceba	...	Armando

Storyline

Emily, rising starlet, interviews her director's maid Pepa claiming that she is doing research for her next big movie role. But when the questions get personal, Pepa is forced to delve deep into her own history erasing the line between telenovela and real life.

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Genres:

Short | Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The film won the 2012 HBO New York International Latino Film Festival Short Film Competition.

User Reviews

Performances Make the Film

The Acting Lesson (2012)

*** (out of 4)

Good short about a rising actresses (Brigitte Kali Canales) who goes to see her director's maid (Wanda Arriaga) and ask her some questions that's going to help with an upcoming film role. THE ACTING LESSON clocks in at under 10-minutes so no one should expect a long-running character study but I think most should be entertained by what they see. There are a lot of good things here but I think the best thing going are the two lead performances. I thought both actresses did a very good job with their roles and this is especially true for Brigitte Kali Canales who clearly steals the picture. She offers up a believable performance and it certain hits home at the very end of the film. Speaking of the ending, I'm certainly not going to give anything away but I was certainly caught off-guard by the big twist at the end. I thought directors Nicolas Calzada and Carmen Pelaez did a very good job at building everything up and then hitting the viewer over the head with the twist.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

August 2012 (USA)

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gardenia Films, Magnet Filmworks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

8 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo 4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color