Saldana In The Book of Life
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Zoë Saldana‘s first major animated work will be heard in The Book of Life, which opens today.
The Book of Life is the story of the journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans three fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears.
Saldana voiced the character of Maria in the movie. Maria is an “independent girl loved by Manolo (Diego Luna), a boy “who loves to play the guitar but is destined to become a bullfighter like his father and grandfather;” and his best friend, the warrior Joaquin (Channing Tatum).
“On the Day of the Dead, Manolo must travel from his small Mexican village into fantastical worlds — the Land of the Remembered and the Land of the Forgotten — to discover his true destiny.”
Familiar with The Day of the Dead courtesy of her Dominican roots, Saldana explained how Dominicans celebrated the day. “I wish Dominicans were more festive in remembering their dead,” she said. “Every anniversary, you light candles all over the house and they have to be white candles. You get flowers, you go to the cemetery, but nobody really laughs. Everybody’s crying, and it’s a drama all the time. Your grandma is fainting and you have to grab her…every year.”
Saldana was “excited” about being able to “share an aspect of our culture, as Latinos, that we are excited about, that we really hold dear to us, that we admire within each other.
“Now that the world will be able to see that, it will give them another layer of knowledge of what the Latino culture encompasses when it comes to their heritage.”
The Book of Life opens today.
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