“When we went to the premiere of ‘Lipstick’ with my father I told him how he had taken me to see a movie where they raped us”

Next November she will turn 63, but she is still the American beauty who conquered the world when she filmed at just 13 years old. Lipstick along with his late sister Margot. Granddaughter of Ernst Hemingway and muse of Woody Allen in Manhattan, Mariel’s life has not been the princess story that many would imagine. Focused on the mental health problems that have affected her family so much, she traveled to Madrid to give a conference at CIS University, an event organized by María Díaz de la Cebosa, focused on these educational events that promote dialogue and awareness in the community. mental health. After the talk we met at the headquarters of this American university and she received me early in the morning, with her face washed, her long blonde hair and a black dress that fits her like a glove. She has the hands of a woman who loves the countryside and goes for walks with her dogs and a penetrating gaze that reflects more than her beauty conveys. Mariel has also fought against her own ghosts and that is why she knows what she is talking about and how to put an end to the negative thoughts that can plunge us all into an abyss. A testimony that deserves the five senses and that explains what the reality of a problem is like that does not distinguish between races, sexes, status or ages.

Mental health has been a serious issue among several members of his family. His grandfather Ernst, his sister Margot… Today he wants to make young people aware of this other reality that was often ignored in public.

For me, speaking in public about mental health is something that gives me a very special emotion precisely because it is an issue that affects my own family. I have verified that when you speak in public about this problem, there are more people who also do it and it is a way for everyone to become aware of the need to expose and understand the problems that happen to us all. We must end old stigmas and learn to understand people better.

In Spain, suicide has been a taboo topic, especially in the media, because there was a belief that suicides multiplied when they were published.

It is precisely the opposite. When things are not talked about, silence is much more harmful and problematic. Sharing problems and being able to look people in the eyes is more beneficial and when these issues are exposed, so many fears and misunderstandings end.

In Spain, 11 people commit suicide a day, not counting all those who attempt it. What is happening?

After the pandemic there has been an increase in mental health, especially in young people who suffer a lot of anxiety. One of the problems is that we are over-informed through so many channels and I think it is very necessary to make a selection and avoid everything that is negative to us. We have to do self-reflection to know what is happening to us and to be able to move forward without that pressure of so much negative charge.

What are your tools to become strong in the face of the dark days that cloud us all?

In my conference I talk about my doctors: the sun, the water, the earth, rest, exercise, nutrition… Waking up every morning connecting with yourself without being so aware of the outside. Everything we have at our fingertips, the simplest, is where our best doctors are.

Is American policy doing any good for mental health? Do you have your favorite candidate?

I never talk about politics or which candidate I like because I don’t relate it to these conversations, but I do believe that when Ronald Reagan decided to close all mental institutions during his term, he made a serious mistake because people who do not have the financial means to go to centers Private homes have been left without a place to go in case of mental need and this affects all ages. All people, not just homeless that we see on the streets suffer from mental health and something should be done to reverse that situation.

What is your life like in Los Angeles and Idaho?

Well, I only go in Idaho in the summer because I don’t like the cold and where I am delighted is in my house in Malibu, which allows me to enjoy nature every day. I go for walks with my dogs, I live next to the sea and I feel super happy. The truth is that I don’t go to the city much and even less so with my current partner who is an impressive athlete (he’s a movie stuntman) and I have to be very fit by his side.

How do you see yourself in your role as a mother?

I have two daughters and a granddaughter and with my daughters it is a delight because we have become friends but once they turned 30 (laughs). My youngest daughter is an artist and the eldest already has her own family, but over the years it is a pleasure to see how you reunite with them as friends who have the same blood.

How do you remember your work in the film Manhattan the Woody Allen?

Very exciting. Consider that I was 16 years old when my mother told me my name was Woody Allen on the phone and I had no idea who he was. He had discovered me in the movie Lipstick. In the end I got on the phone and he told me that he was preparing a film and wanted to meet me. They took me to New York and suddenly I found myself filming a movie in the streets of Manhattan and I assure you that it was all incredible. That trip and that job changed my life. I was nominated for an Oscar for my role and it was all so powerful that I couldn’t believe what I was experiencing. Remember that when I was 17 I moved to New York and I still don’t understand how my parents left me, but it was fantastic because it was the beginning of my career as an actress.

Do you have any kind of relationship with Woody Allen today?

In these years we have met on a couple of occasions but it is really not easy to maintain contact with the people you work with at a certain time and the filming ends. Then everyone goes back to their lives. This is not the case with Diane Keaton, who has worked with Woody in more films, but if you don’t do it again, it’s hard to maintain ties.

the movie Lipstick It was a milestone in the professional lives of the Hemingway sisters.

In that movie I was 13 years old and living in Idaho. Imagine what that meant! I never thought I was going to be an actress but I thought it was fun to go to Los Angeles and learn so many new things. At that time my mother was suffering from cancer and I had become her caregiver. In a way it was good to get me out of there and have other people take care of her. I remember that when we went to the premiere with my father I told him how he had taken me to see a movie where we were both raped.

Has beauty been a very heavy burden in your life?

Nobody likes getting older, especially if you’re in Hollywood and you’re a woman. It seems like you are always going to stay with the same face and that is why they do whatever is necessary to maintain their beauty. I have written a book on this subject because I believe much more in inner beauty and your happiness, which is what is ultimately transmitted on the skin. In Europe I have the feeling that they are more tolerant with the passage of time. I have really been a very insecure woman and I never felt beautiful. I have learned to love myself over the years.

Was it difficult being Margot Hemingway’s sister?

My sister suffered from many addictions. Drugs, alcohol… Those years I judged her too much because I didn’t understand why she did those things or the problems she was going through. Today I look back and regret not having been more compassionate. At that time I was getting very good reviews in the cinema despite its poor results and I even felt guilty for its failure.

Have you managed to forgive her?

Of course. But I have had to forgive myself for not understanding so many things. I experienced my depression, I had my negative thoughts and I know from experience what goes through someone’s head when they want to get out of the way so as not to be a burden.

Negative thoughts are a stigma in your family.

One hundred percent. I am a vulnerable person with my good and bad days but today luckily I have the necessary tools to be able to move forward and not let myself be dragged by those thoughts.

Are you in favor of the use of drugs?

I do not resort to drugs but I understand that there are cases where they are necessary. I prefer to stick to my good habits and I think that if many people practiced them they would take less medication.

What has interested you about your grandfather Ernst that you never met? Did your father talk to you about him?

My father never told us about our grandfather. It was such a huge presence in the world that my father suffered from that enormous weight. I began to get to know him through his books and the trips I took and I learned personal stories. I am involved in my grandfather’s projects and I assure you that I am fascinated by everything I have researched and the mental health problems that coexist in our family that I study and analyze. It was very complicated for my father to handle the Hemingway surname.