Jennifer Connelly premieres “Aloft” in Spain

She was a junkie in “Requiem for a Dream” (2000) and the wife of a deranged genius in “A Beautiful Mind” (2001); nevertheless, actress Jennifer Connelly (New York, 1970) admitted in an interview with EFE that her character in “Aloft” was the most difficult role she has ever played.

The film, directed by Peruvian director Claudia Llosa, premieres on Friday in Spain. It tells the story of Nana Kunning (portayed by Connelly), a woman with the ability to heal people through art and nature, who reunites with her son 20 years after a being separated by a tragedy.

The actress said she thought Claudia Llosa had been very brave when she decided, for her Englishlanguage debut, to choose this unapologetic woman as the narrative’s main character.

She added that, as a mother, she was completely different from her character and did not identify with Kunning’s choices.

However, she noted that she understood Nana Kunning’s actions in the film, and that there was “something wonderful” about her.

Connelly had already seen Llosa’s “The Milk of Sorrow,” a film that won the 2009 Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Their first meeting took place in New York and was scheduled to last 45 minutes. They ended up talking for four hours.

The actress, who also starred as Russell Crowe’s fictional wife in the blockbuster “Noah,” acknowledged that since she met Llosa she had the feeling that she was a person with whom she would enjoy starting such a journey.

With “Aloft,” which was filmed in the middle of Canada during belowzero temperatures, Connelly proved that she was willing to risk everything and give it all, providing the role is worth it.

Besides maternity and the difficulties of overcoming a tragedy and being forgiven, the film also deals with the therapeutic power of nature and art.

In 2015, Connelly will keep on proving that, no matter how fragile she looks, she likes taking chances: she will premiere “Shelter,” a film in which she plays a homeless woman living on the streets of New York. It was directed by her husband, Paul Bettany.