The Portuguese cinemas are soon to welcome ‘Hotel Amor’, featuring Jessica Athayde in the leading role as hotel manager Catarina. The cast includes Júlia Palha, who shared insights with Notícias ao Minuto about this new project.
In the film, Júlia Palha portrays Júlia, a receptionist who is not particularly enthusiastic in her role, working mainly to pay her bills.
This Portuguese-Brazilian film, directed by Hermano Moreira, was shot in a single continuous sequence at the Hotel Roma in Lisbon while the hotel was still operational, leading to several comical situations.
The film is described as a “very fun, light, and easy-to-watch comedy,” also featuring Margarida Corceiro, Vera Moura, Lucas Dutra, and Francisco Froes.
The actress had a busy year, filming the Spanish feature ‘Vírgenes,’ and is now “reaping the rewards and presenting the completed work.”
“These have been years of hard work, for which I am grateful and happy to have so many opportunities. I consider myself lucky, but luck also requires a lot of work. I devote myself 100% to all my projects. It’s rare for me not to accept a challenge unless it truly doesn’t resonate with me. I believe this is the phase where I need to work and accept most opportunities, prove my talent, and demonstrate that I am a good professional. I’m in a very good phase and reaping the benefits of that.”
In ‘Hotel Amor’, the unique experience of filming in a continuous sequence added fun and challenge. Each day involved a continuous shot averaging 15 minutes, with some taking up to 22 minutes or varying between 10-12 minutes. Everything had to be flawless: no shadows in the shot, no visible microphones, the cameraman couldn’t slip, the elevator doors had to open at the precise moment, lines had to be delivered correctly, and no hotel guests could interrupt scenes. The hotel was functioning, and at times, scenes had to be redone due to the entrance of guests.
The situation brought a great sense of responsibility but also heightened alertness and engagement among the team. The experience was delightful.
“Many times, people approached me with questions. I often had to clarify, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t work here, I’m filming’, which sometimes led to people, mostly foreigners, getting upset for not being attended to, as I was busy shooting a movie. A lady once was quite rude [laughs]. I would explain, ‘I’m an actress, I don’t work here, I apologize.’ Yet, they would insist, ‘Yes, but I need a towel’ or ‘I need to know where the bar is.’ Since I knew the location of the bar, I often just pointed it out to expedite their departure. It was quite amusing.”
Jessica Athayde noted that having younger cast members like herself and Margarida Corceiro could attract younger audiences to the cinema, and she hopes this will be the case.
Julia Palha believes in this potential, acknowledging that younger generations tend to favor platforms, making attracting them to the cinema a significant challenge in Portugal. Despite many exceptions, she notes that younger actors tend to have a stronger presence on social media, potentially drawing their audiences to theaters. She remains optimistic about the film’s success, emphasizing its fun, light-hearted nature as an easily watchable comedy.
“If everything goes well, I hope my career continues as it has, balancing both television and cinema work. Doing a bit of everything is my career ambition.”
While her career takes off, Julia Palha also embraces personal milestones, like her engagement.
Working in international cinema is also in her sights. With opportunities more accessible through methods like self-tapes and easier travel, she hopes to pursue interesting projects abroad while continuing her career in Portugal.
The upcoming Spanish film ‘Vírgenes,’ a romantic comedy set in the 60s, tells the story of two young people heading to Torremolinos, the most modern town in southern Spain at the time, to lose their virginity. It premieres in Spain on June 18, with hopes of reaching Portuguese platforms thereafter for her audience.
Julia Palha maintains a low-key personal life but warmly shared her excitement about being engaged.
