In 2010, the Copiapo mine collapsed, leaving 33 miners stuck for 69 days. The event was covered by news outlets around the world. Five years later Warner Bros. and Alcon Entertainment teamed up to release a movie version of the events entitled "The 33."

Latin Post had the chance to speak to director Patricia Riggen about her work on the film. Riggen is one of the most famous Mexican directors working in Hollywood, having directed "Under the Same Moon" and "Girl in Progress." Her next film is "Miracles From Heaven," slated for next year.

Riggen spoke about her experiences talking with the miners, working in a mine, and discovering the event after it had actually happened.

Latin Post: As the director of the film, why was it so important for you to tell this story?

Patricia Riggen: Well, for me it is always important to tell Latin stories to break through the barriers of making Latin stories and getting them to many screens, not just the big ones. We are very lucky that this is opening in 2,500 screens in the U.S. That is basically unheard of for a Latin cast and Latin movie. So I feel really satisfied with the way the movie is playing and how it is being embraced by Hollywood. It was made independently. If I had an all-American cast, it would have been easy to finance, but with a Latin cast no one would take it.

LP: Your cast is international and from many countries. How did you assemble this group of actors?

Riggen: We wanted an international movie because it was an event witnessed by over a billion people. Once Antonio (Banderas) signed on, we decided to get the best of every country and make it a global movie. And then we just went to work. We didn't have big roles or a lot of money to offer, so this cast had to fall in love with it and come in with passion. It was an arduous process.

LP: What were the biggest challenges of shooting this film?

Patricia Riggen: One of the biggest challenges was staying true to the real story. Not lying about it just for the sake of entertainment or to please an audience. We had to make a good movie and stay truthful. The other challenge was shooting in a real mine. That was dangerous and difficult under those conditions. We were all so passionate about doing it because we wanted to make it authentic.

LP: How did you come across this mine?

Patricia Riggen: We were so lucky. My cinematographer, who is from Peru and knows all of South America really well, told me that there were some really fascinating mines in Colombia. That is how we first found Zipaquira, and then we found Nemocon. It was at that point where I said, "We have a real movie." Those are real mines, and they are also more accessible to a crew and cast than a Chilean mine.

LP: What made the experience of shooting in Colombia special? And how did people embrace you?

Riggen: I loved shooting in Colombia. The people are really lovely, and they are very hospitable and really try to make you feel good. And even though it is a young industry in terms of trying to make foreign movies, they just embraced it full on, and I am appreciative of that. It was a very positive experience.

LP: I know you got to speak to the original miners. What was that experience like? And what kind of research did you do in preparing for the film?

Riggen: They were my research. I spent a lot of time with them. I saw them as a group. I met them individually. I met their family and the rescuers and tried to piece together a narrative from all those anecdotes. It was hard, but they had one thing in common: They have such big hearts. And I think the miners down there have big hearts and such love of their families and God. They just kept themselves alive for that reason, and I discovered how hard the families fought for their loved ones and never stopped believing that they were alive. They worked so hard to convince others that the miners were still alive. There was so much heart in each one of these people, even the government and rescuers. If you look at the pictures from the rescue, there is so much emotion in these people that were involved in this story. It's raw emotion everywhere.

When the event happened in 2010, did you watch the news actively?

Riggen: I did not. I was shooting a movie, and when I am doing a project I don't do or read anything else. I knew it was happening, but I didn't follow it. It was later when I was offered the script that I did the research and learned how powerful it could be as a story.

LP: One of the things I enjoyed about the film was the score by James Horner. What direction did you give him?

Riggen: I discovered that James had a very deep understanding of Andean music and instruments. He knew that music very well, and it was an easy conversation with him on whether we would decide to go there with that flavor. Every movie has a traditional western score, and I thought it was an opportunity to show a movie with a new sound that we usually do not get. So we went for it. He did not use the western orchestra instrumentation but instead used guitars, flutes, triangles. I thought that it made it rich and unique.

LP: Cote de Pablo sings a traditional song at one point in the film. Can you tell me about the choice to involve it in the film?

Riggen: "Gracias a la vida" is an emblematic song of Latin America. It actually was composed by a Chilean woman. So when I discovered it, I thought it was a great opportunity. It encapsulates the spirit of this movie and is also Chilean. All of the Spanish-speakers love this song so I just brought it in.

LP: You have an iconic TV personality in the film -- Don Francisco. How did that come about?

Riggen: Don Francisco was there at the time of the collapse. They opened the doors for him. They had never opened the fence for any journalist throughout all those days, and when he showed up, he just walked right in and was able to reach the minister and talk to the government officials and the rescuers. It made the people feel such hope to have Don Francisco there. And I thought, why not put him in the film? If I am going to have the world media in the film, then why not put the most Chilean of them all. So that is how I brought him in.

LP: What do you hope audiences take away when they watch this movie?

Riggen: I want them to have a great time. By a great time it is not just to be entertained and walk away with nothing. I love when a movie makes you laugh and makes you cry and it stays with you. It makes you think about it later, and I hope that they take that experience with them. I want them to see how important it is to not lose hope in the face of tragedies or tough times. Hope is what keeps us all alive. They are beautiful values that we should preserve and promote.

LP: Have the miners seen the film?

Riggen: In the past there have been books and movies on the miners' experience, and never have they been included in the profits of those efforts. They have always been ignored. This is the first time they are partners of the project. This is their own story from their own words, and for us it is important that they benefit financially if the film succeeds. They are in such desperate need, so for me it is really important to fight here and promote the film and hope that everyone sees it. Very rarely do we have Latin stories that get to so many screens and that it will ultimately do good for others. It is important that Latinos from the U.S. come. It is a responsibility for Latins to support it so that we can have more on the big screen.

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