Interview with actor and martial arts star, Marco Zarora, for the Film Combat Syndicate resource.
It's been over ten years since the Chilean martial artist and stuntman... Marko Zaror, began his career by debuting in a leading role in the action-packed film "Watchdog" (Kiltro) The film was marketed as the first action film of its kind from South America, and helped Saroru and his director, Ernesto Diaz Espinosa, become favorites of the film festival and open the way to the heights of success.
Currently, the fourth film Sarora и Espinosa - "Savior" (Redeemer), is ahead of its release to North American audiences next month. It's certainly great to see films like this on the big screen (albeit in limited release), as well as on VoD (video on demand). Marko Zaror and action stars are no longer held in high esteem in Hollywood, as they were in the 1990s, when audiences eagerly awaited Jean-Claude Van Damme's crowning glory. So, I don't mind supporting films like this financially.
As you can see, Marko Zaror - fresh blood in this genre and my fandom (here: fan club for fans of fighting films). He achieved a lot, becoming one of the biggest stars in fight cinema, he "grew up", his career took off, and fans gave him the nickname "Latin Dragon", which he wears with pride. In addition, he continues to accumulate knowledge, which marks him as someone with experience that aspiring filmmakers in South America can learn from, while he himself never stops learning.
Film Combat Syndicate: Hi Marco, and thanks for taking the time to talk about your career with Film Combat Syndicate. How did 2015 start for you?
Marko Zaror: Hi Lee, thanks for your support! 2015 started off really well for me with The Green Ghost filming in Austin, Texas and it was a really good experience. I played the main villain and also choreographed the fight scenes, plus I ended up getting offers for several upcoming projects.
FCSyndicate: Do you mind telling our readers about yourself? Who are you, and how did you come to the world of martial arts and combat cinema?
MZ: I started doing martial arts when I was 6 years old. My mother had a black belt in karate and trained me as a child, but my passion for martial arts was awakened when I saw the movie Enter the Dragon. Then I realized that there is a connection between martial arts and decided to practice several of them, such as karate, kung fu, taekwondo, boxing, gymnastics, etc. Over the years, my interest grew, I observed how the human body develops, what high performance training is, how record-breaking athletes prepare, and began to apply these methods to my training regime. I traveled to Mexico where I trained with Jose Luis Mosca and Roberto Perez. At that time, Mosca was acting in DTV films, thereby encouraging me to follow his example. A year later I headed to Los Angeles. When I arrived, Mosca helped me get a job, and together we worked on stunt choreography, and subsequently I got to work on set with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson on Andy Cheng's film, Treasure of the Amazon (2003). This is where my story begins.
You mentioned your interest in high performance learning. What specific workouts make it up? Describe them.
Three times a week I work my major muscle groups, preparing my body for strength training. Then I start lifting heavier weights and combine these exercises with plyometrics (initially - a sports technique using the shock method; in the modern sense - jumping training). After six weeks, I start reducing weights, focusing on explosive training, using resistance bands, exercise balls, etc., not forgetting circuit training of plyometrics combined with strength exercises to develop endurance for filming. When you're doing an action movie, you have to be in shape all the time, despite 10-hour fights, jumping, explosions, so good training is really very important.
My diet consists mainly of tuna, pasta, rice, broccoli, egg whites, lots of greens, almonds and honey. In the morning - a big fruit salad, plus I prepare snacks so that I can have a snack about every three hours.
Ten hours is a lot! [Laughs] You also mentioned working with Andy Cheng in "Amazon Treasures." How did this experience affect you? And what inspired you to play leading roles in films?
Andy is the man! It was a pleasure to work with him; he showed how to push the boundaries, how to make a trick even more spectacular. This experience and all these memories will remain with me as the best moments in my career. Andy is a good person and I really admire him.
This experience provided the opportunity to apply everything I learned on the set of Treasure in Chile. After the film came out, I decided to make Kiltro, taking on the responsibility of releasing a martial arts film in a country that had never seen one before. First there was an audition where I recruited a team, and then six months of training in the peculiarities of presenting martial arts on camera. This task in itself was motivational for me.
I'm glad you brought up Kiltro because, as it turns out, you've already made four films with director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza and you form a great team. What was it like working with Espinosa for the first time? Did you know each other before "Kiltro"?
Yes, we have been friends since school. He was always a big fan of cinema and constantly made amateur films. One day in English class we were given an assignment to make a film in English, and as a result we made an action movie with fights. We received the highest score for it! [laughs]. Ernesto and I have been friends for a long time. He moved to the US while I was working there, and after spending time in Los Angeles, we returned to Chile to film Kiltro. And we haven't stopped since then!
Obviously not. [Laughs]. Your last film with him is “Savior” (Redeemer), which I had the opportunity to get acquainted with last year, by the way, thank you again for this opportunity. So, your role in this film is in some ways similar to previous ones. Your character, Pardu, makes a deal with God that allows him to hunt down and kill the people he previously worked for. How difficult was it to get used to such an image?
It was fun! This is our first film where I play a character who lives in such a trap. We can say that Mirage (in the movie "Mirage Man") was a similar character, but the character in "Redeemer" has more depth. What I liked about Mirage I brought to the character of Pardu, who is trying to break free of old beliefs and is essentially looking for redemption.
The film also contains fight scenes, and the final scene with Mosca is especially good. Were there any specific challenges during production and rehearsals?
The main problem in the final fight between me and Mosca was the location. It was windy, the floor was icy, and we were constantly trying to stay warm during the fight. The shoot took us four and a half days due to the intensity of the scene and the lighting. I wanted to show the fights more realistic, but not “dirty”. After working with Larnell Stovall and Isaac Florentine on Undisputed 3 a few years ago, I tried to apply that experience to the new film. Seeing the result, I was happy about the difference between “Redeemer” and my previous work with Ernesto.
You mentioned training with Mosca before your career began in Los Angeles. How would you describe your friendship with Mosca, what was it like working on this film?
When I arrived in Mexico, Mosca invited me to train at his gym. He is from Chile but has lived in Mexico for over 20 years. He is a martial artist and actor whose work includes television, film and the Mexican entertainment industry. He gave me my first film opportunity when I was just 19. We became good friends and always stayed in touch in the hope that one day we could act together. "Redeemer" finally gave us such an opportunity.
I have to say that you are one of several big stars who have opened an important chapter in the history of fight choreography today by bringing your capabilities to the screen. I know you don't want to give away all the secrets, but I would like to ask, do you think fight choreography has reached its limit in 2015? Or do you think it will move to a new level over time?
Let's just say, in our conditions, what we are filming here in Chile is the maximum we are capable of. This is all due to the low budget. Now, if we had more money... After watching “Redeemer”, I was pleased with the result, but I know that with more finances we could have filmed better, especially when we have time, more props, stuntmen, rehearsals, etc. But in the end, you can show yourself with what you have. It seems to me that Redeemer turned out to be head and shoulders above my previous films.
When it comes to filmmaking, especially young talent, they now have access to the whole world. Don't forget, I belong to a generation that didn't have YouTube or the Internet. I still remember selling VHS tapes of Bruce Lee.
I come from the same generation. Your "Redeemer" will be released next month, and you also mentioned filming "The Green Ghost" with director Michael D. Olmos. Apart from playing the villain, what else can fans expect from this film?
We had a great time in Texas and it was a great opportunity to work as a choreographer with some really talented people and good friends! You guys will see a lot of fighting, it's a really fun movie. I can't say much more, but hopefully there will be official information soon so we can talk about him again!
End of the first part of the interview. Expect the second one.
Source: FCSyndicate
Translation: Maxim Kovalishen
Special for Fight Films Info
Once again Maxim pleased us with decent material. Thanks a lot! Marco is a colorful movie fighter.