Judy Reyes, Gloria Reuben & Fatima Molina – Torn From Her Arms

By starrymag | October 30, 2021

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) Gloria, can you tell us something about your character in this movie, because I didn’t get to see it?

GLORIA REUBEN:  Well, Ginger Thompson is the journalist who broke the story.  I don’t know how much I’m able to disclose, but I will –You know, it’s common knowledge that a tape was leaked, and Ginger got hold of the tape from inside the detention center, one of them, that’s all I’m going to say, and she broke the story.  She, as soon as she heard the tape, she was up all night documenting it, writing about it, and submitted it to “ProPublica” and, yeah, the rest is history.  The whole world ended up knowing about what was exactly going on.  It’s great. She’s amazing.

Q) It’s such an incredible movie. Judy, what was it that really drew you to this project? I mean to have four strong female leads is probably enough, but also the subject matter has to be a little strenuous on you as well though.

JUDY REYES:  I mean, I was immediately attracted to the story.  I’ve been a huge follower of the issues on the border for the last four years since it gained all that attention, and it really mattered to me as a mother.  I’m completely heartbroken by the fact that a government would separate the children from their parents.  I can’t imagine what it’s like and the thought of it always made me cry.  It felt like a bit of a gift to me when it came in my direction to be able to participate in the telling of the story, and I was just excited and really honored to be a part of it along with, you know, if –The truth is if women don’t do it, it don’t get done.  And so, this particular film with all these women fighting for each other, for themselves, for the truth, and for what’s right.

Q) Fatima, how did you get into that frame of mind to be so sad? And then how did you shake off those sad feelings?

FATIMA MOLINA:  It was really easy, you know, when you know the part, when you know the characters, and I had the possibility to talk to Cindy Madrid, who is the real character in real life, and when she told me what she had to –what happened to them, to her and her daughter, it was like so painful.  It was like really, really strong for me and you cannot go in, into that kind of part, into that feeling knowing everything what them was going through.  And, I don’t know, for me and for actresses, actors, it’s I know that what we do is to entertain, but if we can leave a message to the world this is ideal.  And I think this movie, it’s doing a risk.  For me, it’s really, really important that the world know this story, this history, and I know it’s a great, great movie and that you will enjoy it.

Q) Actually, a two-pronged question for you, Gloria. Did you actually meet Ginger and, if so, how did you find her? And, also, journalism, as we know, is going through the times it’s going through, and reporters are being regarded and the way they’re being regarded.  Did you feel a special responsibility to portray journalism in the positive light that the story reflects?

GLORIA REUBEN:  Right.  Well, I think the truth of the story reflects that kind of positive light on its own.  And, unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to meet Ginger in person.  I came on quite late in the process just prior to the film starting production, but I did end up meeting with her via Zoom shortly thereafter.  And, again, needless to say, she is extraordinary.  She’s a Pulitzer Prize winner and has been a journalist for I don’t know how many decades now, but she is extremely committed to the truth, and as you said, journalism has been under attack, particularly under the leadership of the same person that implemented Zero Tolerance Policy, right?  So, I think that that both kind of goes hand-in-hand with the destruction of the truth and humanity and what many of us experienced either as unfortunate witnesses or part of the destruction of those two things as the story reveals.  So, again, Ginger, as you can imagine during that time when the story broke and she did travel to Texas, that she was not the only journalist who wanted to get the story, needless to say.  That’s how our story unfolds, but there was, and I believe very strongly, a continuous effort and dedication and drive and commitment to true journalism making its mark, because eventually the truth is revealed. Now whether people choose to believe the truth we have no control over, but for those journalists like Ginger Thompson the fight continues.  So, it was –I know this is said a lot, and I have portrayed actual living people before, but this one is –it’s pretty cool, if you will.  It’s too general a term, but she’s kind of a rock star in my book, so that says a lot.

Q) Judy, there is some Spanish dialogue in this movie. Can you speak to how important that was?

JUDY REYES:  For me, it was very important.  It speaks to the authenticity of the story that we’re telling although it challenges the audience to actually keep up, but the fact is is that’s probably part of the challenge of the situation that caused this so-called Zero Tolerance Policy when people are not familiar.  But it gives us an opportunity to step into a world, into another’s person struggle through their very experience.  So, for me it was exciting to have a film that presents the Spanish and that we struggled to keep it in.  It was very important to all of us, everybody that you see on the screen, for the very reasons that that’s the story that you’re telling, and there’s really no reason not to.  Obviously, you have to allow a balance, but I think that we did a really, really wonderful job, and I appreciate Lifetime for bringing the story to you.

Q) As Gloria stated, the previous administration instituted this policy of zero tolerance and a separation of family, but that situation still is instituted. It’s still occurring. How many families are still separated and the reparation of the family members, how is that coming along?

JUDY REYES:  I can’t speak to the actual number, but it’s an unacceptable number.  It is in the thousands of the families that are still being separated from their children.  Some have been sent back.  Others are still here.  It’s been such a chaotic and disorganized and dreadful process that a lot of parents are having trouble seeking and finding where their children are.  I know that the current administration is doing what’s in their power to reunite the children, because they do acknowledge it.  We all wish, I know I wish, that it could be done faster, that more attention can be given to it, but I’m hopeful because attention, a light has been focused and given of the story of Cynthia and Jimena, and how the truth about the reasons that people come here, the struggle that they have getting here, the attempts that they make, the multiple attempts because things back home where they live are that bad, and the desensitization of the people who are in charge of these facilities, for lack of a better term, and always looking for that one light, because people who actually risk coming here are of extraordinary hope and faith and because they don’t want to surrender to the struggle, to the crime, to the threats, especially with their children, and I do appreciate the efforts that are being made by the current administration.

Q) Do you find any irony in the fact that this is a nation of immigrants and the fact that the person who instituted the policy was the son of a –a grandson of an immigrant and, yet, there seems to be a thought process that my family should be the last family that’s entered?

JUDY REYES:  Of course, it’s absurd and it is rooted in a lot more than irony, and I also, as well as Fatima, got to speak to the people who play.  I got to speak to Thelma, and the thing about Thelma is that she’s been doing this for decades, because she knows that’s how it is and that’s how it’s always been, and our attempt in telling a story like this is it is that it changes, because it’s simply wrong.  It can’t be that because you came here before me or because your people came here in another way, on a boat, on a plane or whatever the heck, or undocumented, that you get to be the last one.  It speaks to a lot of the things that we have to pay attention in other countries where people leave for this very reason.  Nobody wants to leave their own land.  They want to leave fear and crime and danger.

GLORIA REUBEN:  Climate.

Q) Can you talk about is that one of the reasons you wanted to take this role? And are you hoping to sort of broaden your audience and get more exposure on this side of the mat?

FATIMA MOLINA:  Well, I have no doubt of this story. For me, it’s real important that so many people can watch this movie, this story.  It’s really, really important for me as a Mexican.  I know that we are speaking for a lot of people, and this is really important for all the team that we are part of this.  And I’m so sure that so many people are going to understand what we want to say, this is not correct, and we want that things change in these kinds of situations.  We really need changes in all the world, and I’m so glad to be a part of this project.  I’m so happy to share with these amazing people.  They’re amazing actresses, and I’m just so happy to present this.  I know this is a big, big call to a lot of people, and I feel good.

Q) Please tell us what it was like filming on location in Mexico.

JUDY REYES:  You know, for me, because there was so much Spanish in the film it spoke to –it really challenged me.  Spanish was my first language, but I’ve communicated in English most of my life, and I’m from the Caribbean, and this is a, obviously, a Central American country.  There’s something palpable about the struggle that shooting on location brings you.  It kind of almost puts you in that place.

FATIMA MOLINA:  Yeah.

Judy Reyes: I think as actors we also have a tendency to create it.  It’s not like we’re dramatic or anything, but it was –I thought it was really essential.  It brought a lot to me and that I’ll always have with me, and the wonderful people that we work with just worked really hard to realize this film.  I think they received a challenge as well through the story that we were telling.

GLORIA REUBEN:  Yeah, no question.  I just have to say, Judy, to echo that, for sure, the crew was awesome. It was amazing.

FATIMA MOLINA:  Yes.

GLORIA REUBEN:  And I didn’t do a lot of exterior stuff but of course to have that kind of, you know, the stuff, the scenes that I know were shot exterior, you had to have it there and you had to film I there, because it’s literally in the air.  Everything looks different. Everything feels different when you’re actually on the ground in the areas where, you know, that are very indicative of the true story so, yeah.  But, again, the crew, awesome, amazing, hardworking and it was terrific in that regard, for sure.  Great director, too.

 

*CONFERENCE CALL*