Spanish Actress Tania Serrano's Dual Role in "Camila" Recognized by Short Film Competition

LOS ANGELES - Aug. 12, 2016 - PRLog -- The work of Spanish actress Tania Serrano has been recognized by the Best Shorts Competition, a juried film festival for short films based in La Jolla, California. "Camila," directed and produced by Carla Roda, features Serrano in the title role. Serrano plays a rape survivor who creates an imagined second personality, "Lana," to help herself cope with the aftermath of the assault. "She's so uncomfortable in her own skin that she just develops this other identity," Serrano explains. "It's almost like she has an identical twin."

"The shoot was only a few days," says the actress, who was born in Switzerland and raised in Spain. "But the subject matter is so intense and dramatic, that I used to go home emotionally drained with a headache every night." Serrano carries the eight-minute Spanish language film, appearing in virtually every scene as either Camila or her alter-ego. "We shot the whole film in just two or three days, but after a long and intense rehearsal period," Serrano explains.

"I have never been raped, thank God," Serrano says. "But I think we have all experienced a moment in our lives where you just want to disconnect from yourself and be another person. And, of course, that also describes my career as an actress! When I play a character, I really like to become that character."

Playing two personalities in one body made the shoot quite a challenge, says the actress. "Normally you have another person in the scene. So you rely on your fellow actor to give you the lines so you can react and be in the moment. In this case I didn't have anyone to act with. It was just me, reading my lines in a mostly empty sound stage." And yet, Serrano's performance drew raves from the cast and crew. "It was a challenge to play a character with two personalities, but the result was amazing!" says film's director, Carla Roda.

Roda cast the actress after the two had worked together on a previous project. Roda adds, "Tania is a wonderful actress, her face and expressions are sincere and make you feel emotional. It was such a success to work with her. She understands immediately all the bits and intentions of the character."

Camila, is currently making the festival circuit in the U.S., after having been an official selection of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

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About Tania Serrano
Tania Serrano was invited to join the "Punto y Aparte" Theater company in Madrid, Spain at the age of only thirteen. She seized the opportunity to perform in numerous stage productions and was eventually awarded First Prize in the third annual Interpretation Festival for live theater in Nuevo Baztán for her performance in "Thanks Grandma" by Sebastián Junyent. After obtaining her Bachelor's Degree in film in the United States, she returned to Madrid to finish her Masters in Acting for Film at the prestigious "Central De Cine" under the Direction of Eva Lesmes, where she received coaching and instruction from Maria Ripoll among many others. Read more at http://www.taniaserrano.com or find Tania on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/taniaserranoactress.

About the Best Shorts Competition
Now in its 5th year, Best Shorts discovers and honors the achievements of filmmakers who produce high-quality short films and new media. "Best Shorts" is a global avant-garde film and new media competition that strives to give talented directors, producers, actors, and creative teams the positive exposure they deserve.