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It’s an unusually warm and sunny Halloween, and the spirits, whether you believe it or not, don’t want Salma Hayek Pinault and I to talk.

Our scheduled phone call, during which we planned to discuss the actor and producer’s latest project, a new reimagining of the beloved Mexican book and 1992 film. Like water for chocolate– fell three times. Most big-name ad teams would have rescheduled, not wanting to deal with the hassle, but Hayek Pinault was determined to discuss the new six-part series of which she is an executive producer. After all, it’s a project that took him six years to complete.

It is impossible to describe the plot of Like water for chocolate in a succinct and easily digestible manner. Set in the early 1900s in Mexico, it follows the story of Tita, whose mother, Mana Elena, refuses to let her marry, insisting that as the youngest daughter, Tita must take care of herself. her until her eventual death. Mama Elana manipulates Tita’s lifelong love, Pedro, into marrying her other daughter, Rosaura, a marriage Pedro agrees to only so he can stay close to Tita.

To occupy herself and escape her grief, Tita cooks (cream donuts, quails, cakes and more) but, with a surreal touch, she carries her emotions into everything she prepares. If she’s sad, one bite of cake will make an entire wedding party burst into tears. If she’s feeling, uh, heated, a dollop of mole sauce will make the guests at the table hot and bothered. Desire, sensuality, brotherhood, family trauma and tragedy are all part of what made Like water for chocolate a timeless story that has resonated with women across generations and cultures.

For Hayek Pinault, the original film also represented a formative period in his life and career.

“What is special in this film compared to my life is that I had just moved to the United States with a dream and that I was rejected everywhere,” says Hayek Pinault. Harper’s Bazaar. “And all of a sudden there’s this A film which is practically the first Spanish-language film based on a Latin American novel that achieved crossover success in the United States. It doesn’t look like anything…but it’s not know what it meant to me and to (other Latinos at the time). It was the first time I felt like people were interested in us and respected us – there was a cultural appreciation that I hadn’t experienced since moving to the United States.

Like water for chocolate caused a cultural shift when it was released in 1992. It became the highest-grossing foreign film of the time in the United States and was nominated for a Golden Globe. Decades later, it was even transformed into a ballet.

These days, as Hayek Pinault points out, it’s not as unusual for American audiences to become emotionally involved in television shows or films set in a foreign setting or narrated in a foreign language. “Now I can present (this story) to new generations in a different format – a format that is set in a different era, where now it has become a habit for many people to watch projects from different cultures and of different languages, whether they read the subtitles or they use the translation,” she says. “And now we can take this Latin American literary gem and export it around the world. »

Moving the story from a feature film to a six-part limited series was an easy decision for Hayek Pinault, as it would allow for more depth to the characters.

“I think the show really resonates with its times, particularly because it’s the story of women fighting to create their destiny and take control,” she says. “There is also the incredible fear we have of disappointing our parents, there is the political situation when this happens with the Mexican Revolution… It is a story of change, but also of family and traditions. I come from a different generation and we are losing so many traditions that really hurt me: sitting together, cooking and sharing a meal. Now we order everything! But it’s a story about my favorite subjects: love, food and magic. It’s about the power of intention in the little things we do.

When it came time to cast the series, Hayek Pinault knew that his two main lovers not only had to seem perfect for each other, but also that they could hold their own against veteran actors Irene Azuela and Ángeles Cruz , who play Mama Elena and Nacha, the family’s maternal cook.

“They are a force of nature – Nacha’s character and the mother’s character – and there is such a presence in their own acting style,” she shares. “We needed a young person who could stand alongside these forces of nature and hold on. I needed someone that I knew the audience would never get tired of watching and that’s a quality whether you have it or not. I believe Azul (Guaita) is a superstar, she is enchanting.

There was also a bit of magic on set, according to the actor. Hayek Pinault shared that some of the love and passion that went into making the production may have just carried over to real life. The two main actors, Tita (Azul Guaita) and Pedro (Andrés Baida), are now dating, she reveals.

“Our Pedro and Tita fell in love in real life too! she exclaims. “We didn’t make a mistake (with the casting), one thing is certain.”

With Like water for chocolate Premiering this Sunday, Hayek Pinault hopes viewers will have the opportunity to reconsider what they think about certain characters in the story, especially the supposed villains.

“It’s very interesting for me to see how the new generation interprets classic characters,” she adds. “It was important for me to not compete with the film that is so important in my life, but rather to have the ability to see the characters in a new way. I always hated the character of Rosaura. But in the series, now we almost feel for her. The mother too could not choose her love and, seeing her now alone in the revolution with three daughters, she could not choose her destiny either. It was fun exploring all of this.

Watch the latest images from Like water for chocolate feels familiar at times, not because it evokes memories of the original film, but because it recalls Hayek Pinault’s 2002 passion project, Frida. Although Mexican surrealism is present in both projects, this is not the main similarity. What is clearly present is the dedication and intention that went into creating a project intended to serve as a benchmark for Mexican history, tradition, and creativity for years to come.

“The actors, the directors behind the cameras, everyone on the set knew that we had to do something special,” explains Hayek Pinault. “Being able to see the talent of all these people who gave their best to me – and knowing the circumstances in which it all had to happen – seeing it all was so brilliant and it really moved me. I knew the story, I knew the script, I knew every word and it always moved me.

And even if the premise of Like water for chocolate is beautifully complex, Hayek Pinault’s take on why this specific Mexican story has stood the test of time is simpler.

“It makes you want to eat and it makes you want to make love,” she laughs. “And that’s what I want to watch on TV.”

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