Rob Field
Sofía Subercaseaux had her heart set on a career in artistic expression, it was just a matter of which one to choose.
Born and raised in Santiago, Chile, she comes from a family that loves art—her father is a painter—but she wasn’t initially drawn to a particular medium. After high school, she decided to go to film school in Chile, where she tried her hand at directing and screenwriting. She didn’t enjoy being on set or working with actors, but when she was tasked with editing one of her own short films, she began to feel the creative spark she was looking for.
After college, she got her career break working as a production assistant for a production company in Chile. During this period, her friend, director Sebastian Silva, was preparing to shoot a micro-budget film “The Crystal Fairy and the Magical Cactus” starring Michael Cera. Since there were no editors lined up and the film was being shot in English, Silva asked Subercaseaux if she could help with the editing, even though she had limited experience with Final Cut. It was while editing the project that Subercaseaux realized she had found her calling. The film went on to win the World Film Directing Award at the Sundance Film Festival, and suddenly, she was getting offers. Subercaseaux took the plunge and quit his production job and moved to New York.
Subercaseaux’s latest film, Maria, is her second collaboration with director Pablo Larraín. This heartwarming drama, released in the United States on November 27, follows the last week of the life of legendary opera singer Maria Callas (Angelina Jolie). Set in her luxurious Paris apartment, the film begins on the day of her death in 1977 and retraces her steps in the days leading up to it, haunted by her fading voice and memories of past glories. As she battles her inner demons, fueled by sedatives and haunted by the ghost of former lover Aristotle Onassis, the film depicts a once-great artist being haunted by “La Calas” A poignant portrait of someone trapped in a legend, unable to take back the voice that defined Her. The film is bold, moving in and out of time and reality, relying heavily on Jolie’s performance, much of which is self-evident or deceptive. . Subercaseaux draws on Larraín’s cinematic philosophy to bring a confident rendering of the nuanced story.
CineMontage: You didn’t rise through the ranks as an assistant, but can you recall an impactful mentoring moment?
Sofía Subercaseaux: I don’t have the typical directing experience or classic career arc of an editor. Sebastian Silva gave me my first chance to edit The Crystal Fairy and the Magical Cactus, which was completely irresponsible on his part, but we kept working together. He also lives in New York and really takes care of me. When I was 24, I moved to New York to work on his independent films, which involved a lot of improvisation. It feels very free and experimental. Learning to work with this type of material will make it easier to work on other projects later. In Chile, Sebastian’s production partners Juan de Dios Larraín and Pablo Larraín, local industry leaders, are also Played an important role in my career. Juan and I worked more together, but Pablo was very generous. He would say, “Go edit the movie and come back anytime,” and that trust allowed me to grow. I was lucky enough to be able to work on projects with friends and even my husband, which made the experience personal. I’m often involved from the early stages – reading the script, assembling the material – so I’m lucky to have that creative freedom.
CineMontage: What were your thoughts when Pablo Larraín asked you to shoot Maria?
Subercaseaux: There are a few key things. The libretto had a very specific structure, which was an important guide, but Pablo’s deep knowledge of classical music and opera was also crucial. He already knows how different operas work with character development. We have a certain amount of freedom in how we use the music, and certain pieces feel like set pieces in their own right. Pablo introduced me to this world of opera, and although I knew who Maria Callas was, I didn’t know much about her, so I had to delve into her music and libretto. As soon as the shooting started, I started editing. There were logistical challenges as Pablo was working in Chile and the kids and I were living in New York while in school. But Pablo was very accommodating and adjusted his schedule so that I could work in New York. I did the first full build myself and sent him the clips. Then I came over and we spent a brief six-week editing period in the same room. Strangely enough, the movie just went off without a hitch.
CineMontage: Why do you think this all happened so naturally?
Subercaseaux: I think it’s because the movie doesn’t fight back. Pablo operates the camera, so he knows the camera inside out, and he doesn’t overdo it. Plus, we have a tight schedule, so we’re very focused. We didn’t work long hours, but we stayed sharp and got a lot done. Sometimes in editing you spend a lot of time fixing things instead of just putting things together and exploring ideas. There isn’t a lot to improve on in this movie, as the cinematography, production design, and Angelina are all great. So, here’s the thing. Sometimes big movies require very little time to edit. Sometimes small movies take a long time to edit. This is the essence, it’s hard to say why.
CineMontage: It’s a huge compliment to the original concept, especially for a film that’s so dreamy, with flashbacks or taking the audience in and out of time.
Subercaseaux: They’re scripted as flashbacks, but they feel like two parallel narratives. You stay in the last week of her life but go back. There’s a past that feels more like a complete set, and a specific timeline of last week in Paris. Then there’s the third narrative element – Mandrax and her hallucinatory world. Judging from the script, the structure is very clear. We made some minor adjustments, like shortening some scenes or changing the order, but we didn’t invent the movie in the edit. The schedule now is very specific, like three rehearsals, two doctor’s appointments, very precise. There’s some wiggle room from the past, but overall, if you read the script, it won’t be too different from the final film.
CineMontage: So much of acting is expression and approach. Is this a challenge?
Subercaseaux: She works really hard. It was a big swing and I think she nailed it. She was so vulnerable in it. It’s a very brave performance because it’s so vulnerable and she really puts herself out there. It’s really easy to cut her performance – she doesn’t need any help.
CineMontage: Let’s talk about how you use music in your editing.
Subercaseaux: That’s really interesting. You can’t make a movie about Maria Callas without using her real voice. It’s not like a rock or pop biopic where you can match the tone. And you don’t become the best opera singer overnight. Angelina went through about eight months of training—vocal training, posture, everything. We worked with John Warhurst, who does all the big music biopics. Angelina sings in all the scenes and they mix her voice with Maria’s, depending on the scene – sometimes it’s 98% Maria, 2% Angelina, sometimes 60% Angelina, 40 % Maria, depending on where she is in the story. What makes it feel real is that Angelina is actually singing, with her breathing and mouth sounds. Even in the early clips, you can see that it doesn’t feel like lip-syncing – it feels like she’s actually singing. There was no composer – we used instrumental versions of film operas for the soundtrack. Pablo knew so much about opera that he had his own little library in his head, so we scored that in the edit. To me, there’s nothing more satisfying than that, because when you lock in the edit, the movie sounds exactly how it’s meant to sound. It doesn’t feel naked, empty, or warm. The final music will be recorded later, but we can lock down the edit in terms of musical design.
CineMontage: This sounds like a fascinating experience for you.
Subercaseaux: Yes! I spent two months in Chile, skipping most of the winter and taking my kids for part of it. Pablo was very gracious and gave me space to go back and forth, which worked great. It was a team effort and I’m grateful that everyone was flexible.
