Camino is a white-knuckle jungle thrill ride from director Josh C. Waller and writer Daniel Noah. Nacho Vigalondo (Timecrimes, Extraterrestrial, V/H/S Viral) features as Guillermo, the charismatic and volatile leader of a band of Colombian revolutionary missionaries. When photojournalist Avery Taggert (Zöe Bell) captures Guillermo on camera committing a brutal crime, she flees into the wild with Guillermo’s band of would-be killers snapping at her heels. A run of violent confrontations between Avery and her pursuers culminates in a dramatic showdown, utilizing Bell’s physicality to great effect. Vigalondo’s jagged portrayal of an unbalanced sociopath lends hovering menace to Camino, and Frightday was thrilled to correspond with him about the film.
FD: What drew you to Camino, which, on paper, seems like a fairly straightforward action film?
NV: Better ask the filmmakers what led them to me! I’m really flattered to be picked for this extremely funny role in this movie, which I perceived as a clever, tight and classic from the reading. Now I can say I did a crazy monologue in the jungle, covered in blood!
FD: Did you find the writer/director in you creeping into your performance as Guillermo?
NV: Well, the guy is a sinister sociopath with this developed social skills and, yes, when you are directing you are supposed to know how to communicate, guide and convince people. But I would be horrified if my labour as director contained a 1% of Guillermo.
FD: You seem to gravitate toward projects that offer non-standard interpretations of classic themes: Time travel, aliens, stalkers, the anthology, and now chase films. Could you discuss this tendency a bit?
NV: Is not something that I plan consciously, but I can assume that I love to pick all the rules we all know and share and twisting them. When you make a movie you are supposed to satisfy expectations, but I believe in ways to do that while subverting those same expectations. I don’t know, I think the best and worst of my movies is due to me trying hard on this.
FD: Camino must have been an incredibly demanding shoot. Can you talk about some of the difficulties you encountered while filming in the jungle?
NV: You know what? I won’t complain. I love acting as much as directing, and playing a role like this is a privilege to me. And yes, it’s the jungle. But it’s Hawaii. They paid me the tickets and the stay in Hawaii, while doing something one million times more fun than tourism!
FD: Keeping up with Zöe Bell must have been interesting…
NV: Absolutely. I’m one of those who fall in love with her in Death Proof and yes, she is that cool, clever and funny as it feels on screen. I´m happy to consider her my friend.
FD: Did you research Columbian history to prepare for your role in Camino?
NV: My biggest addition to the character comes from my spanish, thus European origins. All the racism of the character, all the condescendence, that´s my commentary on Spain, a nation that has a large tradition of feeling superior to Latin Americans.
FD: Can you tell us a little about your next project?
NV: Colossal, a monster movie with Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis and Dan Stevens. It doesn’t get better than this! It’s going to be my biggest so far. I hope you like it!
FD: And something we always like to ask: What’s your favorite scary movie?
NV: Right now? The Tenant!
Catch Nacho Vigalondo in the excellent Camino, out now on VOD.