Living in Los Angeles for over 20 years, São Paulo-born actress Gabriela Kulaif transforms a difficult personal experience into art with the film BitterSweet . Starring alongside names such as Erik Marmo, William Baldwin and her husband, actor and director Steven Martini, the production brings to the screen Gabriela’s own journey as she deals with Martini and her son’s autism diagnosis. With screenings at major festivals and three presentations at the Marché du Film , during the Cannes Festival, the feature film promises to thrill audiences around the world.
Gabriela, your career as an actress and producer is truly inspiring, but you’ve already said that your story was, in a way, shaped by a very personal experience. What was it like to see your own life being turned into a film, especially with such sensitive themes as autism in your family?
Luca, the film was inspired by one of the most difficult situations in my life. At the time, I didn’t know that my husband was on the autism spectrum and it was very difficult to deal with his anxiety and meltdowns without knowing where that behavior was coming from. During one of the many therapies he had to do, we received the autism diagnosis and everything made sense. Making the film was using art as a cure for everything we went through, and acting in a role inspired by me, while easy, brought back very intense feelings.
The film ” BitterSweet ” is an important milestone in your career, in addition to being a production that involves your entire family. What was the process of working alongside your husband, Steven, both in real life and on the big screen like, considering the difficulties and discoveries you both faced?
It was wonderful to produce this film with him, we discovered a huge compatibility in this area and it brought us even closer together. At home, there are many more challenges because Steven is super focused on writing scripts and the artistic side in general, and has zero point zero focus on any practical day-to-day issues, so it’s really tough for me! The positive side is that he is super talented in this creative side and writes scripts very well, which brings us great feedback on the professional side.
As you mentioned, your autism diagnosis was a turning point for your family. Could you tell us a little bit about the impact that diagnosis had, not only on your marriage, but also on your worldview and the creative process behind “ BitterSweet ”?
The diagnosis brought us clarity, information and many tools on how to deal with autism. It completely changed our lives. I am in favor of all people on the spectrum being diagnosed, because everything changes when we have access to information, tools and support. In Steven’s case, he is super focused on music and cinema, his scripts are brilliant, proof of this is that two of his films were produced by the master Martin Scorsese. What he needs help with is more the practical side, which luckily I have in abundance.
Throughout your career, you’ve had a journey that has involved many twists and turns, such as moving to the US with a young son and working in various fields before establishing yourself as an actress and producer. How have these experiences influenced your artistic approach and your outlook on success?
Oh Luca, I believe that all the seeds we plant come together and become the tree of our lives. Being a mother at 18 brought me immense maturity early on, not to mention how much our hearts expand when we have a child. I loved teaching Reiki, Kundalini Yoga, and working with alternative therapies. It was magical. It showed me that we have the power of self-healing and manifesting our dreams. As an actress, it gave me even more depth to play different roles. The fact that I worked in advertising for 5 years also helped me a lot when it came to producing my first film. I plan to direct my next film, and I feel that the years I spent as a photographer will help me a lot in directing. Everything we learned will come together.
Your career includes a lot of work with self-improvement and adaptation. At what times have you felt that the art and the process of producing and acting in films like ” BitterSweet ” helped you heal or deal with difficulties in your personal life?
I confess that I felt like I had superpowers when I managed to produce my first film and see everything go well! And acting in it with Steven after his autism diagnosis, discovering how well we work together, everything fell into place. I am living proof that art heals!
You’ve won Best Producer and received multiple nominations for ” BitterSweet .” How have these achievements impacted your confidence and your outlook on the impact this film can have on people who, like you, have gone through similar experiences?
I hope that “ BitterSweet ” will help many people and families on the autism spectrum and/or neurodivergent who have gone through difficulties like we did.
Kundalini Yoga teacher has also formed a rich foundation for your professional life. How have these different facets of your career helped shape the person you are today, especially in the context of your life as an actress and producer?
Practices such as Reiki and Kundalini Yoga have brought me awareness of who I am and what I want, and this is an essential determinant in the success of our personal life and any career we want to pursue.
Brazilian cinema has always played an important role in your life and you have expressed a desire to work on projects in Brazil. What aspects of Brazilian cinema do you believe have the power to reach international audiences in a unique and special way?
Brazil is a country with a unique and contagious energy, which is reflected in our music and art. Brazilian music is valued all over the world! And cinema is a powerful medium through which we can show huge audiences who we are, our grace, our joyful energy, our unique poetry.
As you look back and reflect on the woman you have become, what has been the biggest challenge you have faced in your career to date, and how have you overcome the difficulties that have arisen along the way?
Look, I’ll tell you that the biggest challenge I’ve faced and continue to face is combining motherhood and work. Being a good mother and having a successful career isn’t for everyone! Especially in my case, since I live in a country where babysitting isn’t as common as in Brazilian culture, and I don’t have family nearby to help. Society needs to value mothers who decide to pursue a career much more. Not to mention mothers who have no choice but to work to survive.
What does it mean to you to “open your own doors,” as you mentioned about your journey in the United States? How do you see the role of women in the global film market and the impact that stories like yours can have on future generations of artists?
Living and working in a country where I was not born, where I don’t know many people, made me have to fight harder and be very focused to get where I am, unlike Brazil, which is the country where I was born and where I know many more people and automatically have more doors open to me. As for women in the film industry, in some situations, unfortunately, I still have to deal with toxic masculinity, but we are getting stronger and stronger, we have had many achievements and we are in the spotlight. Our time has come!
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