Discreet for a few years, the Quebec singer Eva Avila resurfaces to defend the role of a young drug addict mother in the film The coyote, which opens on Friday after being presented in several festivals. A project that gave her the film bug, she says.
“I think this role was made for me, launches the former winner of Canadian Idol [en 2006]in a telephone interview with the Journal this week.
“Everything was lined up nicely. I didn’t have a lot of film experience, but you had to start somewhere. When I was contacted to audition for the role, I thought, “Wow, what a great challenge!” »
The second feature film by Montreal director Katherine Jerkovic (The Roads in February), Le coyote focuses on the journey of a cook of Mexican origin (Jorge Martinez Colorado) who finds a job in a restaurant in La Malbaie. But just as he is about to leave Montreal, he receives a visit from his drug addict daughter (Eva Avila), who had cut ties with him. In addition to announcing to him that he has a grandson, she will ask him to take care of her little boy while she undertakes a detoxification treatment.
“He is a character who had a lot in common with me, underlines Eva Avila, who herself has already fought a problem of alcohol addiction. It also allowed me to reconnect with my Latin American roots. It struck a chord with my personal story. »
American series
If this role in Le coyote allowed her to taste cinema for the first time, Eva Avila had already had several filming experiences before, especially in English. In recent years, the singer and actress from Gatineau has played small roles in American series filmed in Montreal such as The Bold Type and Alert.
“Of course I like acting in English, but I’m from Quebec, I grew up in Quebec and I would like to have the chance to play more often in Quebec films. I really got hooked with Le coyote, ”insists the 36-year-old artist.
In an ideal world, Eva Avila would like to find time in her schedule to continue acting on the small and big screen. However, her job as a singer keeps her busy for several months a year. For several years, she has accompanied the Brit Floyd band on stage, which pays tribute to Pink Floyd.
“I love doing this show,” she said. We tour the world, with an average of 130 shows per year. I’m on the road between eight and nine months a year. But what’s fun is that this year, I’m going to be able to choose my tour blocks. It will allow me to come and spend part of the summer in Quebec. »
