SPEAKER_01 0:00

I like your glasses. Oh my god, thank you. Warby Park. Ooh. I'm a freaking walking ad for these people. No way. I've gotten so many, like so many people like these glasses, and I'm always like, Warby Parker get your glasses. But they've discontinued the size of these.

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Why? Oh, because now that it's like what is it called? The the secret siren the secretary siren? The office siren.

SPEAKER_01 0:22

No, it's like this is like the wide of version of the glasses because I have a big head.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

No, you don't. I do.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

And so I need the wide glasses for them to fit my head. You do not have a big head. They no longer have the wide, they only have regular, and so like they fit my head like and I'm like, no, it's gonna get me.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Oh, so wait, that's so funny because I always have to get the narrow ones because the wide ones look like I'm wearing like the terrible like 80s glasses. It's kind of the vibe I'm going from. No, but mine fall because my ears are little.

SPEAKER_01 1:02

I do have small ears. I have small ears and a big head.

SPEAKER_00 1:05

And so it's very No, you don't have a big head. It's per perfectly proportionate. I think the people at Warby Parker would disagree. Some people make films about identity, some people make horror, some people make dark comedy. And then there are the people who said, What if I just did all three and made a telenovela hot? Welcome back to Ilse Will Say. The place where niches are suggestions and good taste is the baseline. Welcome to my brain. I'm Ilse, your host, your resident over-analyzer, and your trusted source for takes that may or may not hold up in court. And today's guest, she's one of those filmmakers who makes work that feels specific, stylish, and actually about something without ever feeling like homework. She's an award-winning writer, director, and producer from Rio de Janeiro. I Janeiro, I can't find that it's not Spanish. It's hard. A USC School of Cinematic Arts grad, and someone who's been backed by a film independent series fest and the Orchid Project. Basically, all the rooms you want to be in. Her work includes Muy Gay to Mexicano, Stitched and Joy. Stories that explore cultural identity, queer joy, and immigrant experiences that through genre, humor, and just enough emotional damage to keep things interested. She's directed everything from festival-winning shorts to an MTV music video for Anita. And she's currently developing her first feature: Whatever Happened to Rosa Elena?

unknown 2:49

What happened?

SPEAKER_00 2:50

A queer than a horror comedy, which I'm already seated for. She's smart, she's funny, she's very clearly building her own lane. Please welcome the incredibly cool and wildly talented Lorena Laurenta.

SPEAKER_01 3:04

Oh my God. I feel like a rock star. I love her glasses. What is this? Oh my god, you did your homework. I was like, I I just found a new manager at C. I love this. I love this.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

I'm making some calls for you, okay?

SPEAKER_01 3:21

You don't even have to. I'm just gonna forward people this and be like, hi, are we?

SPEAKER_00 3:25

Please and thank you. Um, yeah, I mean you make it easy. There's there's a lot there. There's a lot there.

SPEAKER_01 3:30

Oh, you're too kind. You are too kind. It's kind of bonkers because we met so fast, and I'm like, oh my god, you know so much about you. You did your homework. I love it. I did, I did. And you know nothing about me.

SPEAKER_00 3:40

Uh no. I did not do my homework. That is the best. Um, but yeah, so we met at uh Sundance um this year, and I think we met at the Latin panel, the Latino panel? Yeah, yes, yes, right?

SPEAKER_01 4:00

Like, and then from that, from there we did lunch. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

Yeah, and then we did lunch. Um, okay, I'm gonna say this and it's not gonna come out right, and then this that's okay, that's okay, because this is all about learning and shit. Um, but when people some people tell me that I'm intimidating, and I never understand that because I'm like, what am I saying? I'm not intimidated. And then I met you, and I was like, I see. You're like the kindest person, but you are like boss, babe. Like you are like, I'm gonna make the decision, like we're going, and I was just like, She is unapologetic. She's just she just says what she means and means what she says, and she just does it. And she's like, We're gonna sit here and they're gonna move. And I was like, uh, yeah, okay, yeah. And I was like, Oh my gosh, I was like a little intimidated, and I was like, No, no, no. I mean, she's super nice and incredible, and she like just invited me to lunch, but like that's like the first impression of me. I'm just like, boss, babe.

SPEAKER_01 4:58

Oh my god, I can't. I was like, also, no part of me realized that I straight up like commandeer the restaurant. You did. I remembered us having a hard time finding a seat.

SPEAKER_00 5:09

Yeah, and you were like, we're going to the bathroom first.

SPEAKER_01 5:13

I was like, I have to pee, bathroom comes first, the rest is like and then you're like, I curse like a sailor.

SPEAKER_00 5:19

And I was like, Yeah, me too. And you're like, yeah, fuck yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:23

It is, you know, you know what? It is very much a Rio culture thing. If you grow up in Rio, curse. That's what we do.

SPEAKER_00 5:30

It's I think like a cultural person. Yeah, an honest person curses. That's that's how I see it. I agree. I agree.

SPEAKER_01 5:37

So what we're stating here is religious people are dishonest.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Just alienate.

SPEAKER_01 5:47

Who doesn't curse religious people? This is the second time I've ever been on a podcast, and I'm already trying to cancel myself. Oh, that's funny. Oh my god. But that is such a kind way to put together me really having to pee, being really cold and really hungry, and just being hyper focused on solving all those issues at this restaurant.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

I mean, I would think that on set, like that quality is just invaluable.

SPEAKER_01 6:24

I hope so. I yeah, I think it's very much I try to show up being like, we're all getting to do this thing together. It's very fun. But also like, yeah, we need direction because I've been on sets for like too many, like too many cooks in the kitchen, you know what I mean? And I'm like, yeah, we need direction. That's how we get organized and everything flows and we wrap early with good things.

SPEAKER_00 6:46

Love it.

SPEAKER_01 6:47

A show for it, you know? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:49

Yeah. Yeah. Um, so you think that you're like that because you grew up in Rio? Or is it you? No, I think I'm like that. It's my mom. Yeah, it's my mom. No, I I could tell.

SPEAKER_01 7:00

I could tell. Yeah. My mom is a very, very strong-headed woman. A little too strong-hagged. Sometimes I'm like, have you talked to your therapist about your anger? Careful she's inherited this. She might, but it's fine. I say it to her face. Um, I've inherited a little bit of them from her, but it's fine. We've worked through them, you know what I mean? We're continuing. Yeah, yeah. Because you know, the world keeps testing my how much anger I can take sometimes, you know. This is social.

SPEAKER_00 7:31

I started doing stand-up comedy because of that. I'm just like, let me just write it all out.

SPEAKER_01 7:35

Yeah, yeah. That's that's how I started writing comedy, is because I um I have endometriosis, which, if you do not know, one in five women have it in the world. One in five? One in five, so 20% of anyone with uteruses have this.

SPEAKER_00 7:55

Damn.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

Yeah, and it's it's like a very painful disease, which is just overlooked. Um, I don't know how nitty-gritty you want to get on your podcast, but I nitty get gritty. Great. Because I honestly I tell everyone about my uterus, so I might as well plaster it on the internet. Um, it's essentially um essentially when you have your period inside of your body as well as out.

SPEAKER_00 8:18

What you're having, what? How does that does it come out of your mouth?

SPEAKER_01 8:25

What other like essentially you grow you grow uterine lining elsewhere in your stomach? And uh, but inside. You're so like essentially there's like when when it happens in your uterus, there's a way for it to leave your body. That's how it's built. When it happens in your ovaries, anywhere else in your like general stomach area, there's nowhere for it to go. So what does it do? It just sits there, and sometimes it makes your organs stick together, which is an issue, and then you have to have surgery for it. The flying literally a life-threatening disease that because it only happens to people with uteruses, nobody researches, nobody knows why it happens, how to cure it.

SPEAKER_00 9:07

Sincerely, I thought endometriosis was like just like a heavy period. That is my knowledge.

SPEAKER_01 9:12

Yeah, because that's what people have like faked us into believing it is. It's like a life-threatening disease. I've had two surgeries for this, one of which lasted eight fucking hours. My mom thought I died. She was like, I haven't heard from her, she died.

SPEAKER_00 9:31

I don't know why I'm laughing, but that is like such a mom response. Like, if I don't text my mom in eight hours, she's like, She's dead.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

She yeah, she texted my partner being like, What do you mean you don't have an answer? Like, she died. And uh like I had my first surgery for it, like a month after finding out I had it. Like, nobody knew I had it, and then they're like, Oh yeah, you have a big cyst full of blood in your ovary, and it's like it's giving you so much pain, you can't walk, we need to take it out. So I had an emergency surgery um at Cedars. Shout out Cedars. And um Cedar Cine again, you know, reproached. We should get the discount code for Cedar Sinai 20% off. Um after the surgery, I was literally like so confused and conflict about so many feelings in my life. Like Cedar Sinai was calling me, being like, You have $70,000 in debt from your surgery. And I was like, What? And then like and then I shouted you on a podcast. Did I get a discount? They did, they did, they did. The Cedars did the right thing. I put that debt is gone because Cedars did the right thing, routed me through all the wonderful ways in which California covers your bills. But um the point being, I was like at that, like I was post-surgery, doped on morphine, calling my immigration lawyer, being like, when do I need to send you what? Like I'm doped on. And I was like, this is a whole new level of low. And I was like, how do I process this? I don't know how to process this. So I wrote a pilot about a tiny little animated uterus that uh screams the things that we don't want to scream at everyone.

SPEAKER_00 11:07

So writing is my stamp is incredible. That is a fun one. I love it. Yeah, I I also have a script of a woman who went on her period, she turns into La Chupacabra and sucks the blood out of it. Oh, I love that. Oh I love that. Oh yeah. Yeah, so we're on the same wavelength. Yeah, we're on the same wavelength.

SPEAKER_01 11:27

I feel like we suss that at Sundance, you know what I mean? We just like we telepathically were like, yes.

SPEAKER_00 11:33

Have you been to Sundance a bunch? Or I have. What are what are your what are your takes on it?

SPEAKER_01 11:40

What are my takes on it? Ooh, the takes that I will plaster on the internet.

SPEAKER_00 11:44

Um the takes that you will plaster on the internet. We'll we'll close it out and then talk. Yeah. No, you're good. The no no no.

SPEAKER_01 11:53

I love Sundance. I have a passion for it. I'm lucky enough that I have a friend who's from Park City, and uh heart and I like have have been working in a film together for a long time. You met her, Carly. Shout out Carly. I love Carly. Will you stop shouting people out?

SPEAKER_00 12:06

So in hospitals and like I don't know how to be on podcasts, can you tell?

SPEAKER_01 12:15

Um and so um Carly is from Park City, and uh so we've gone a few times because we go and stay with our parents. It's wonderful. Um we're sadly losing that good deal when it goes to. I know. Um so I've been a few times, and my general thought is that Sundance is an exciting place for independent filmmakers, and it's been that for a long time. I think the main issue I have with it is that people kind of see it as this beacon of like, this is where the cool new exciting voices are coming from, and that's the only place. And I'm like, one, there's cool new exciting voices coming from I think every witch corner. Um two, I also think that Sundance has had to commercialize itself, I think, in its programming a little bit. Like Taylor Swift documentary went to Sundance, like that's yeah, it's not very indie if you think about it, but it's also like Sundance, like every institution in the film industry, is suffering from the collapse of the film industry, and so like they're having to fund themselves. I'm like, I get it, man. We're we all gotta make money. Like, I too make money is so like totally. Um, and that so like I think there's struggles like that where it's like there's less focus on the indie and there's more focus on the commercial, but I also like I understand why it's like it's a hard place to navigate. But so to me, like a lot of like so I go to Sundance nowadays. I used to go to Sundance and I used to see like cool new filmmakers that I'd never heard about. I now go to Sundance and I see filmmakers that I know about that I'm excited about their next project. What's happening is that's fine. Sundance has just become the place that I go for to see films by filmmakers that I already love that I'm already excited about. Just fine. That's what a lot of other big festivals are for. It's just that a myriad of smaller festivals are kind of becoming where I'm like, okay, cool. Like, this is where like the cool new exciting filmmakers.

SPEAKER_00 14:05

Where what are those? Where are those? What are what are the film festivals?

SPEAKER_01 14:08

Um off the top of my head, Inside Out in Canada is incredible.

SPEAKER_00 14:13

I love that film festival. I thought you were referencing the movie, and that movie is also incredible. Also great.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

Also, I have that I've had that issue ever since I've started talking about this festival. Everyone's like, the movie, I'm like, that's the festival. Okay, Inside Out in Canada. Inside Out in Canada. Um uh where where else? Uh ooh, there was this tiny festival, tiny, small, in uh Bellingham, Washington, called Cascadia. I loved it. Like one of the best festivals I've ever been to. Julienne Dubuque was a festival that I went to like seven years ago. Great, has only grown. Like really good programming, like attention, you know what I mean? Um, I really like La Leaf in Los Angeles, so like the LA Latino Festival. I love them. Um, have worked for them a couple times. Um, and then there's more, there's so many more. I'm like, I'm bad off the top of my head. Like River Run, I think is like getting to a place where it's like it's getting more known. But River Run has just like exciting programs today. Um yeah, and that's what I think is exciting. It's harder to find them because they're all over the place, but it's also cooler because that means it's more accessible.

SPEAKER_00 15:23

Yeah, yeah. How do you think you've grown as a filmmaker by going to all these festivals? Or if you have grown, like has it changed anything? Perception, how you approach things?

SPEAKER_01 15:36

That's such a great question because I don't think I saw the value. Like, go I thought that there was only value to going to a festival that you had stuff at. Yeah. Like that was my first perception of it. And God, is that so wrong? Because I think uh yeah, I'm like happy to be like, I was deeply wrong. Uh because I think there's something to just immersing yourself in it. It is great to go to one you you have something at, but there's something to immersing yourself with other filmmakers, and it's kind of it feels like college. Even if you're not even she doesn't go here, like it's fine if your film isn't it's it's about like you get to everyone's just excited about filmmaking. It's kind of like kids getting to play in the playpen together, you know, and and talking about filmmaking and like seeing like getting to see films that like have fully changed my perspective on filmmaking has been so fucking exciting. Like that's that happens because they like they might like there's a there's a film at Sun Ans that I forget the name of because I have the memory of a freaking goldfish, but I'm obsessed with I say that all the time. Shut up. Yeah, I have the memory of it's really bad. Yeah, no, I like my 75-year-old dad has has and continues to make fun of my memory. That's hilarious. By the way, the man who has had a brain injury and memory issues continues to make fun of my memory.

SPEAKER_00 17:00

Yeah, yeah. I'm I'm right there with you. I think it's a gift, honestly. I'm I'm a very happy person because of it. I'm just gonna say I agree. I just I think, yeah, ignorance is bliss. I forget my problems, it's wonderful. All the time. I'm like, oh yeah, oh, I should be worrying about that, but I can't because I don't remember. Um exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 17:20

Um my goldfish memories. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So the movie, uh the movie, so good. It was like half dock, it was half dock and half scripted. Um, and it was black and white, and it was like shot in the Amazon, and like that to me broke my brain of what a movie could be. Documentary and and scripted formats in a very interesting way. Um I I don't know where that movie lives nowadays. I don't like and it's so easy to lose track of a movie when it goes to a streamer, like, and yeah, I think having them at a festival is so exciting and getting to watch as many movies as you can at a festival is so exciting. Um, so I think the main way in which it changes things is just being exposed to the films that are exciting programmers and have to program them. And also, I would say the um the environment that you're in, like getting to be in the playpen with the other filmmakers that have films there, that don't have films there, that want to have films there, or that are there for the film market, for the for the festivals that have a market, you know what I mean? Like whatever that is, that is just like such a fertile ground to be in that gets you like pumped and excited and and kind of like ready to go again. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 18:37

Chicago's best kept secret. It's not needed. It's Joel, my sonette photography. He's legitimately the best, and it's about time everybody knew. Actors, execs, LinkedIn Lurkers, book at mycinetphotography.com and thank me later. Uh, are you ready for hot cakes? They are like hot takes, but they stack up. Ooh, I'm down. Let's do it. Okay, we're gonna put 60 seconds on the clock and sandals with socks. Acceptable or not? No, I'm from Brazil. We're from the flip-flop country. No. Brazil or LA.

unknown 19:23

Brazil.

SPEAKER_00 19:24

If your films had a flavor, what what would it be? Ooh, I love that. Um, sweet and sour. Favorite snack.

unknown 19:34

Ah!

SPEAKER_00 19:35

Oreo? Oreo. Villain or final girl? Villain.

SPEAKER_01 19:39

Fuck yeah, the villain. What's your directing worst nightmare? What's my worst directing nightmare? Um, honestly, like the one that I actually have is me showing up without pants to say.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

Most underrated animal. Otters. Subtitles on everything, yes or no? Yes. Your work feels more like a dream or a memory. A dream. You believe in ghosts, yes or no?

unknown 20:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:11

Thank you so much for playing. That was fun. You're showing up to set pantsless.

SPEAKER_01 20:18

Because that is legitimately like a nightmare bad. It's like an anxiety nightmare, you know what I mean? Like it's not like an actual nightmare of something that would happen. It's like an anxiety nightmare.

SPEAKER_00 20:32

So funny. It's funny because a nightmare I have, and it's not really a nightmare because I I'm able to make fun of it in the dream. But like, I'm I love it. You're like, my commentate is working. Like it's already happening. Um, I am completely new to church. I love that. Okay, so did you grow up religious?

SPEAKER_01 20:54

Are you still religious? Do you go to church?

SPEAKER_00 20:56

I grew up religious. I grew up religious, yeah. And right now I'm spiritual.

SPEAKER_01 21:01

I love okay, okay, cool. So, like, do you go to church like once a week when it feels right?

SPEAKER_00 21:08

Once a year. Maybe.

SPEAKER_01 21:09

Once a year, okay, cool. So this is this is the religious trauma that you carry from your childhood.

SPEAKER_00 21:17

And I used to, I used to sing in the choir and I used to do a bunch of stuff. So it's not only nude at church sitting in a pew like a pew, um, it's actually me going on stage.

SPEAKER_01 21:30

To going on stage to sing in your nude.

SPEAKER_00 21:33

Yeah. Yeah. And but then I f but I figure it out whilst I'm walking towards the stage. You know, like I I I'm like, oh, oh. And then you're and then you make fun of it, and then you're and then I'm like, this is strange, but we're gonna go with it.

SPEAKER_01 21:52

You're like, I'm gonna give the best choir performance ever. Let's go.

SPEAKER_00 21:55

Yeah, how when you're pantsless on on uh on uh a film set. But what do you do? Are you just like, oh yeah, I'm pantsless? Or like, do you have how does how does it work?

SPEAKER_01 22:07

It's not like a recurring dream. It's like one that I've had. So like the one time I've had this dream, I just I recall, like I don't remember dreams as much anymore, which is sad. I love it. But um it's one that I've had, and I just remember, like, I think I remember being like in a puffer jacket. So it's kind of funny because I'm like overly dressed in top. And then like just underwear. Um, why? I don't know. I just remember like being like utterly ashamed running. I don't know. I think that's all I remember doing. There was no me being like, oh yay, let's figure this out. Let's work through this trauma. I was just like trauma. And then I'm that's all I'll recall.

SPEAKER_00 22:51

I I think I don't know what would be funnier at that moment, like having tidy whiteys or like a thong, you know. You know what? I think it's tidy whiteys that I dream about.

SPEAKER_01 23:00

It's like the cotton underwear that's like saggy.

SPEAKER_00 23:03

Yeah, yeah. Because a thong, you could still pull something off. Like you could still be like, look at my nice ass. Like, I'm really sexy. A tidy whitey, you're like, I am shaped. Sorry. Great, great. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:20

So my nightmares in life involve tidy whiteies in life.

SPEAKER_00 23:24

Speaking of nightmares, we get a little weird on this podcast, you know. So uh on the topic of nightmares, ghosts, or anything paranormal adjacent. Um, are you googling anything? Are you currently like down a rabbit hole that you're like, uh what is this? How yeah, I may believe.

SPEAKER_01 23:45

That is that is really, really interesting.

SPEAKER_00 23:47

Anything and everything. Okay, so let's go.

SPEAKER_01 23:52

Okay, okay, we've opened it up. Okay, I've I have been working on an alien. Oh, have you? Spiral, yes, because because because because we have had so much news about like we've admitted to having seen UFOs and things like that. And uh I've I mentor for uh screenwriting, and one of my mentees like is writing something with regards to aliens, and she she's like, I've done all this research, and she sent it to me and it freaked me the fuck out. And so I started like going down the spiritual. Oh my god, yeah. Like, oh, we've like you know Star Trek when they're like, Oh, we've been living among aliens all the time and we just didn't know. Like, I'm like, oh, I think that's our reality. But what's interesting is I think that's our reality, and I think it might be fine. Not like a dramatic Star Trek situation, you know what I mean? I think I personally think the aliens are, you know, maybe like the street vendors selling us corn here in LA, or like um I don't know, like maybe a politician somewhere. Who cares? They're people too, you know what I mean? Like we call immigrants aliens. I so may the little green people, whether they're hiding or not, whether they're in the moon or whether they're down here, have some.

SPEAKER_00 25:08

I I'm waiting for the moment where my best friend just comes out and she's just like, hey, I gotta tell you something, and just like unmasks you've had this like deep-seated anxiety that she's an alien. No, I just think it would be fun. And I would be like, ah, yes, this is why we're friends. Uh I love it. Yeah, like I just want to know who is, you know, because I just want to be like, yo, why just be green and proud if they're green.

SPEAKER_01 25:36

I have a friend who I think we're all gonna find out like she's an alien. Because she's been like, I feel like I'm an alien. And I'm like, you're too I I love Laura, she's too woo-woo. She's too woo, but I love her. But she's gotten so woo-woo that she's like, I'm an alien. And I'm like, honestly, we might just find out you are. I think you might find out what you really are.

SPEAKER_00 25:56

How did that woo-woo spiral happen? I'm curious because I'm beginning my woo-woo journey, and I'm like, when when when do I call it? When do I when am I like, this is too much, Ilse?

SPEAKER_01 26:06

When you start saying that you're an alien.

SPEAKER_00 26:10

I think that's a red flag, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:11

But you know what what the gateway drug was for her? Uh, those little candles from House of Intuition in Los Angeles.

SPEAKER_00 26:19

What do you mean?

SPEAKER_01 26:20

House of Intuition is a very LA culture thing. It's like this like very woo-woo store. So like they sell sage for you to burn. They sell like candles, and they she's taking notes. She's taking notes. You know, here I am giving you the candles. Candles. And so, yeah, candles the gateway drug. Uh, and so they have different candles, and they'll be like, light this one under the full moon to get something or other to have whatever it is, you know what I mean? And so they have all of these like manifest candles, which I'm like, oh cute, try it out. But I think I think it it's too woo-woo for me. I love a candle. I like setting a candle with intention. A candle for me to set under the blue moon to get my old love too much.

SPEAKER_00 27:04

Yeah, yeah. It's like the crystals. I'm like, uh, I'll buy like a cute little road rose quartz, but then when it's like, oh, you have to recharge them under the moonlight, I'm like, I'm too lazy.

SPEAKER_01 27:16

I think they look pretty. Do I think they have powers? No.

SPEAKER_00 27:20

Uh yeah, yeah. So that's where you draw the line. You're like, pretty, functional, but then anything outside of that, you're like, ah, I'm good.

SPEAKER_01 27:28

Yeah, I think, yeah, because I don't think I'm woo-woo. I think I'm like it's so funny. I don't I don't know how to describe this, but I don't think I wouldn't say that I'm woo. I think I'm I'm pro like inner spirituality of like finding peace within you, and then I think the world follows suit. Because again, bless my therapist, she's done great work.

SPEAKER_00 27:52

Yeah, yeah, we gotta love therapy.

SPEAKER_01 27:54

She fixed a lot of shit in here.

SPEAKER_00 27:55

Oh, love it. Yeah, love it. I I keep referencing therapy like uh getting your car, you know, your yearly car check. Like you gotta open the hood and make sure everything's working fine and close it up and you be on your way. That's how I think of therapy.

SPEAKER_01 28:09

I'm like, because otherwise your car may crash, it may break down. You just don't know.

SPEAKER_00 28:13

And you never know when you have a check out spell. Yeah, is the AC working? Yeah, you gotta you gotta you gotta make sure all the knobs are being turned from time to time.

SPEAKER_01 28:21

I think that's how we sell it to men.

SPEAKER_00 28:24

100%, because I know nothing about cars. We just tell them it's like an oil change, but for your brain. Yeah, that's that's it. That's it. Um anything else, any other woo-woo stuff that you have?

SPEAKER_01 28:39

Any other woo-woo stuff.

SPEAKER_00 28:41

Or you want to talk about whatever happened to Rosa Elena.

SPEAKER_01 28:46

We can talk about that. It gets a little creepy. I love I love the creepy stuff. I'm also I cannot watch horror. It's so funny because I'm like a horror film.

unknown 28:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:57

I'm like, I think I believe in the presence of like things. I believe there's like a little, but I'm like, I'll say this. Like, I believe that like a lot of my grandmother is alive through me because I feel very like just connected to that woman. And so, do I think she's a spirit that follows me? No, I just think she's left a lot of teachings and a lot of good feelings inside of me to live on. No matter how long she's gone. You know what I mean? Like, that's the kind of stuff I believe in. Do I believe there's an 18th-century girl like chit-chatting with my grandmother behind me? No, you know.

SPEAKER_00 29:33

Um, because no.

SPEAKER_01 29:37

You're like, I see some shadows.

SPEAKER_00 29:39

I was gonna tell you there's an 1800 lady talking to your grandmother behind you. I lit this candle.

SPEAKER_01 29:47

So funny. And it's from House of Intuition. Um, no, uh we plugged so many things. I see, I'm not brand safe. I'm not PR says. Um, whatever happened to Rosalena. Oh, whatever happened to Rosalena. See, yeah, it's creepy. It's a it's a horror comedy, which is what I can do.

SPEAKER_00 30:07

Like horror horror. Girl, we need to talk. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 30:11

Okay, it's a horror comedy. I love a horror comedy because it's creepy, but I can sleep at night. Yeah. Um, so whatever happened to Rosalina is uh a story about at its core it's about belonging, but I but it's really fun because we do it with a lot of blood and body good litter. Because it's about this uh telenovela star who uh secludes herself to Palm Springs because she's aged out of her roles. And so she throws pool parties for the only men that still adore her, which are hordes of gay men. Um and she takes one as a pool boy every summer until one summer she takes uh as her protege one of the like previous child actors that used to act in her infamous Salonovella, but has now grown up and wants to have a career in the US and she wants to help them. But it turns out that like things are a little creepy in this house as he lives with her, and the previous pool boys disappeared. And uh I'm not gonna tell you anything because you gotta watch it now. We're gonna shoot it at the end of the year, and you now have to watch it.

SPEAKER_00 31:10

Anything Palm Springs related is like just cinematic gold. It's just so pretty, it's just so pretty. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:19

It's stunning, it's a beautiful place. It's also just a fun place, and I think it has a lot of fun lore. And it was written by Jorge, who's uh the other half of my heart and brain, and uh he uh has spent many a time in Palm Springs, so he's like poured his soul into it and all of his love for Palm Springs.

SPEAKER_00 31:35

I love it, I love it, awesome. Well, thank you so much for being an awesome guest.

SPEAKER_01 31:39

Oh my god, thank you for having me. It's been so fun.

SPEAKER_00 31:47

Oh my gosh, that was so much fun. Like Lorena seems like a long-lost relative, you know, like the goldfish, the cursing, the you know, doesn't like watching horror, but wrote a horror script. Like, I mean, so much fun. If you laugh, enjoyed, or wanna wanna keep up with what she's doing. Please follow her on Instagram at Lorena MML. So fun. Can't get enough. I I hope we get to go have a drink and then just like talk a little bit more because it feels like um aliens are taking over and we need uh we need to start, you know, assembling our teams. Thank you so much for listening. Appreciate you. Please send us DMs and messages. I cry when you do. It's really nice. Um, follow us and uh catch you on the next episode. Bye. Ilse Will Say is an Intrepid Entertainment podcast produced and edited by Jacob Cagle, music by Eric Facus, and photography by Joel Masonet, and I am your host, Ilse Sachary Rivera. The views and opinions expressed on Ilse Will Say are entirely those of the host and guests, and do not reflect the views of any employers, sponsors, or innocent bystanders. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. Nothing said here should be taken as professional advice, expert opinion, legal guidance, or a reason to DMSU conspiracy theories. We're here for the laps, y'all. Carry on.