 |
| Olga Bond in Casablanca |
I was born in Malmö, Sweden, the country of Ingrid Bergman, Anita Ekberg, Greta Garbo, Max von Sydow, Andres Celsius, Alfred Nobel, Stieg Larsson, Björn Borg or ABBA.
Sweden is a country with 9.6 millions of people who live in 447.435 km². It's a large country with small density and great famous people. The secret? Culture, effort, innovation and knowledge. I'm an actress. An actress is a person who makes films.
My last film has been A day with The Bonds, a documentary about the life of this incredible and multicultural family.
-Good morning, Olga Bond, and thanks to attend us.
-Good morning. It's a pleasure.
-Well, you represent the typical Swedish profile: blue eyes and blonde.
-I don't believe in it. There isn't a Swedish profile because we've received lots of influences and you can find different people living in the same place. From the Viking to the last immigration movements, the Swedish population has changed and we haven't got this profile. Take the monarchy as an example...
-Sweden is always an example of great and perfect country. Which is your opinion?
-There isn't a perfect country. It doesn't exist. All countries have lights and shadows, diamonds and rust but it's true that here, in Sweden, we're a liberal community and we can talk about whatever you want without danger, censorship or fear. For other hand, we have suffered dark moments like the murders of Olof Palme and Anna Lindh. We mustn't forget them.
-What's your reaction in front of a case like these murders?
-When you believe that you live in a perfect society, with perfect neighbours and in a perfect family who lives in a perfect city, this fact affects you more because you don't believe that it can happen next to you. These facts attempt against our lifestyle, our culture, our manner of understanding world. We're the country of Alfred Nobel. We talk about Science, about Peace, about Progress and violence is against all these things. Violence is the failure of dialogue.
-How can a Swedish actress arrive to success?
-Well. I've had good references. Greta Garbo, Anita Ekberg and Ingrid Bergman. Three incredible actresses. Three myths.
-Tell me something that you admire of them.
-It's difficult to choose only one thing but all of them were beautiful, elegant and incredible actresses. Greta Garbo left the cinema very young and thanks to this we always remember her beauty and youth. Age is something very awful for actresses. When you're middle-age or old, nobody writes good roles for you and this is a great mistake. Ingrid Bergman was a great example of fighting against a terrible disease with elegance and strength and Anita Ekberg, wow, how can you forget her beautiful scene in the Fontana di Trevi with Marcello Mastroiani in Federico Fellini's La dolce vita? One of the greatest moments in the cinema, without any doubt.
-How do you feel being a member of The Bond's family?
-I feel very well. We're a good family. We work together to reach the same objective and we don't surrender easily.
-How is a normal day with The Bonds?
-There isn't a normal day because is impossible. Have you got a normal day in your life? Every day is different and you must enjoy it as time as you can.
-How long have you been studying English?
-In Sweden there's only an official language, Swedish, a North Germanic language, related and very similar to Danish and Norwegian but there are four other languages also recognised: Meänkieli, Sami, Romani, and Yiddish, and of course, Swedish people have a great level of knowledge of English. Then, a Swedish citizen can speak, at minimum, three languages. This is very important because as languages as you speak, as easier learning another will be.
-Then English is not difficult to learn for a Swedish?
-Swedish and English become from German. We have different alphabets and writing but phonetically, we're very similar.
-What can you explain about your life with The Bonds?
-Well. I've filmed a documentary about them and it has been a great experience. It was very difficult to choose only one day to film because every day deserved a film. It has been a great experience and a great memory to remember.
-And after?
We will always have The Bonds as Rick and Ilsa will always have Paris.
-Which is your best memory with the family?
-A lot. It's impossible to choose only one but I especially remember when we talked about sharks.
-Why?
-Sharks, because I filmed a remake of Steven Spielberg's Jaws and it was one of my biggest successes. Sharks are interesting animals. There are more than 250 types. They live in oceans. Some of them live in rivers and lakes. Sharks find their prey with their sense of smell. Jaws were inspired in the White Shark, which is the largest shark.
-Which character would you like to play?
-On one hand, I would like to be Ilsa Lund in Casablanca, an incredible role. On other hand, Queen Isabelle of Castile because she was a horrible woman who managed terrible policies against her population. She is recognized because her role in Christopher Columbus story but she expulsed Jewish and Arabian communities only for not being Catholic. They were terrible decisions that affected the Castilian economy.
-What do you think about the films about Christopher Columbus?
-I like Gerard Depardieu performance as Columbus in the film 1492, which explains how on August 3rd 1492, Columbus sailed from Spain for ten weeks to west and when a sailor saw a bird, Columbus knew he had arrived to an island which he named San Salvador.
-What about your future works in cinema?
-I'm preparing the main female role in a new film about Levi Strauss, the man who made trousers from the sailcloth and imported material from France in 1850.
-What do you think about cinema?
-I think cinema connects people.
-Do you like this message?
-Yes. Connecting people around something, a film, an objective, a goal... is a great adventure.
-Thank you very much, Olga Bond.
-You're welcome.
It is not whether you really cry.
It's whether the audience thinks you are crying.
Ingrid Bergman
