Hernán Méndez Alonso, actor of cinema, theater and television, is one of the protagonists of "El silencio del rio" (Colombia, 2015), first feature film directed by Carlos Tribiño Mamby. Awarded at European and South American festivals, the film will be premiered at the next edition (XI) of terre di confine filmfestival in the presence of the director.

In this interview held in January 2017, Hernán Méndez Alonso explains how, becoming an actor, he was allowed to pursue a path of socio-anthropological investigation. The implementation of different perspectives and the impersonation of different human beings is combined with the pleasure of acting. Art as a source of knowledge, the clearest path to keep in touch with life.

Born in Bogota in 1956, in the neighbourhood of La Candelaria, Hernán Méndez Alonso started sociology studies, later abandoned to enrol in Escuela Distrital de Teatro de Bogotá and then in Escuela Nacional de Arte Dramático. In 1985, with other 40 actors, he was selected to form the first Colombian "Compañía Nacional de Teatro" directed by Paco Barrero. He played Moliere, Dostoevsky, Tennessee Williams, Fernando Arrabal and Shakespeare; he participated in many tv productions. In cinema, he was directed by Jorge Ali Triana, Pawel Noviski, Juan C. Moyano, Fernando Paut, Hector Naranjo, Andi Baiz, Paco Barrero and Rubén Mendoza (whose short 'La Cerca' was selected at the Cannes Film Festival in 2003 ).

The interview, edited by our team, was originally published on youtube by Nelson David Rodriguez Tequia.