With 40 years of experience, Dolores Heredia chooses to tell only what matters.

At the 40th edition of the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) , Dolores Heredia was recognized with the Silver Mayahuel , an award that celebrates her career spanning more than four decades in film, theater, and television. Calmly, with words measured but full of conviction, the actress shared with EL INFORMADOR her vision of the acting profession, the ethical decisions that guide it, and the profound connections between the stories she plays and her own life.

“My approach to characters hasn't changed much,” he says, with the certainty of someone who has lived his profession intensely. “I think about the story. I think it has to be a story that touches me and speaks to me, as if it were a story you're going to tell me and I want you to tell it again, like when we were little, those mythical stories that will help sustain you throughout your life. I keep searching for that.”

Heredia , known for portraying complex, emotionally intense women with deep social roots, has chosen her roles with a criterion that not only reflects the artistic, but also the human and personal. “Each film and each project is embedded in your own life. From the most basic things… If you know the character is going to be covered in blood all day, and I have to take my daughter to the set, I don't know if I want that to happen,” she reflects.

This vital awareness has translated into firm decisions. “I've had to say no to projects where I don't think talking about, say, cannibalism, extreme cruelty, or drug trafficking is something I want to talk about at that moment. There came a time when I decided I didn't want to do any stories related to drug trafficking. Zero. I'm not going to collaborate with them on anything. I've been very adamant, and I continue to be.”

Despite the accolades, Heredia isn't clinging to her role as an actress. During the Mayahuel de Plata awards ceremony, she joked that she only had "about 20 years" left as an actress. But the truth is, she's already projecting herself beyond the stage and the camera.

“I have many passions in life. One of them is being in nature, watching the sunrise, watching the sunset. I have a piece of oceanfront property in a spectacular part of the world… Seeing the sky, living in nature, that's what I really want to do. I love planting, I love farming. I want to read a lot, I want to know a lot of other things. So, not being an actress all the time. I've never imagined myself that way, I've never been just an actress.”

With over 40 years of experience in Mexican cinema, Heredia also reflects on the structural challenges facing the industry. From his perspective, it is urgent to review and rebuild the foundations of the national film system.

“It's not an easy answer… A forum should be created to discuss these issues. It can't be summarized; I don't want to give a simplistic answer. It's complicated; there are many facets to it,” he notes seriously. “A new film law is needed, and it has to be done hand in hand with the film community. That's vital. There need to be more theaters and film libraries in every state in the country. It can't be that there are only three film libraries in Mexico City.”

She also emphasizes that a culture that recognizes screenwriters as authors must be fostered. "There needs to be more people interested in writing scripts, in feeling like an author with a long life as an author," the actress concludes.

Heredia speaks with the serenity of someone who has traveled a long road without losing his way.

Dolores Heredia revives her acting career in a new editorial work

At this year's FICG, Dolores Heredia took home the festival's highest honor. In addition to her award, the actress was honored with the presentation of a book chronicling her artistic career. More than just a recounting of films and characters, this publication becomes an intimate chronicle of the moments, decisions, and emotions that have shaped her career over the past 40 years.

The volume, designed by Alejandro Magallanes and coordinated by Roberto Fiesco, compiles previously unpublished posters and photographs of her films and also narrates the most significant episodes of her life in first person. Heredia participated in the book presentation, accompanied by her two collaborators, and shared with the audience heartwarming anecdotes and profound reflections on her profession and her life.

“I don't do anything expecting recognition,” the actress expressed with serenity and simplicity. “I do it with great joy. I decide things, I seek out stories, and I'm immersed in life, enjoying it. I think about it, and it's my daily mantra: a little bit of life is life.” This phrase, which gives the book its title, sums up her understanding of art and life: as a succession of moments that deserve to be lived to the fullest.

Heredia recalled that her encounter with acting was fortuitous. Although her father wanted her to be a writer and she herself dreamed of being a war correspondent, life took her down a different path. She decided to participate in a theater competition with a group of friends, never imagining that this decision would determine her destiny. They won the contest, and she hasn't left the stage since.

From that moment on, theater became a platform for her expression, but it was film that ultimately captured her. Her film debut came in 1989 with the short film "La otra orilla," directed by Antonio Diego Hernández . "That short film was an extraordinary experience, truly, it was absolutely groundbreaking," she recounted. "All the people who collaborated on that short are filmmakers today; they're all working."

Heredia also spoke about her particular relationship with the camera, a deep connection that goes beyond appearance or vanity. “It's very strange; it has nothing to do with vanity, it has to do with self-knowledge. It helps you see better, in my opinion, to have a perception of yourself. Throughout my life, I've taken a lot of self-portraits; it has nothing to do with today's selfies. Self-portraits are also a way of getting to know yourself.”

The book, published as part of the festival's recognition of recipients of the Silver Mayahuel Award, is a work of more than 200 pages. The first pages are dedicated to a selection of film posters starring Heredia, a kind of visual gallery that reflects her constant presence in Mexican cinema. The text is then organized into 14 chapters, each corresponding to a letter of the name "Dolores Heredia." This structure, devised by Fiesco, allows for a creative and personal approach to various aspects of her life and career.

“In this case, it's very nice because the index is an acronym; in this case, 'Dolores Heredia' has 14 letters and, consequently, 14 chapters,” explained Alejandro Magallanes, in charge of editorial design. “Each of the titles Roberto gave each chapter begins with that letter. Then we decide which photo will be on the cover. There are few film books being published these days, so I want to thank and congratulate the FICG.”

In addition to the textual content, the book stands out for its careful selection of fonts. Magallanes explained: “Regarding the book's fonts, I chose three: a 19th-century, pointed typeface for the cover; then a 1960s Roman typeface for the body text, where Dolores's voice will be read; and finally, a Helvetica typeface.”

One of the most moving aspects of the book is the inclusion of photographs from family albums, which show Dolores Heredia away from the spotlight, surrounded by her family and in everyday moments. According to Magallanes, the volume begins in a particularly tender way, with Heredia speaking about her father, her siblings, and her mother, portraying life at home.

Art as a political tool

Prior to the presentation of her book, Dolores Heredia was part of the panel "Mayahuel de Plata: Her Career," where she shared the microphones with Ofelia Medina, Bertha Navarro, Dolores Heredia, and Arcelia Ramírez —four of the most influential actresses in Mexican cinema—in a space where they reflected on the political commitment of art and their role as women in defending cinema and social causes.

The four artists, recognized in different editions of the festival with the Silver Mayahuel Award, agreed not only on the importance of cinema as a vehicle for transformation, but also on the deep friendship that unites them. Despite belonging to different generations, all have had a large portion of their films screened at the FICG, and today they are members of the festival's board of trustees. Arcelia Ramírez recalled this fact with pride. "It has been a privilege to defend cinema and filmmaking as such."

The meeting began with personal memories: anecdotes about how they met, moments shared on and off the set, and a shower of praise that demonstrated mutual admiration and respect. “We love cinema and deeply respect each other,” said one of the participants, thanking the festival for providing this space for reunion and fellowship.

One of the questions that sparked the discussion was how they've managed to balance their artistic life with social activism. The first to respond was Ofelia Medina, who made it clear that for her, there's no possible separation between the two spheres. "The films we make reflect our society, our values. I'm not an actress; I'm a woman. My life has ranged from demonstrations to rehearsals, from the protest at the refinery to another rehearsal. So, I'm neither an actress nor an activist. I'm Ofelia, the one who places herself where she likes most and for what she believes she should be known for."

The actress also shared that she recently returned from Chiapas, where she continues to work with vulnerable communities. “Here we are enjoying this creative, artistic moment. I never gave up anything for nothing,” she added.

Dolores Heredia, for her part, recalled that her social awareness didn't emerge at a specific moment, but rather as a natural consequence of her personal history. “I think it began when I was very young… Since I was seven years old, I told my mom, 'One day I'm going to leave this house.' It was more the naturalness of being able to say what I think, enjoying consistency,” she explained.

Heredia spoke about growing up in a large, economically disadvantaged family, which taught her to think about community and not just personal gain. “I was never filled with resentment. I grew up in an environment of love, joy, and optimism. That's why I don't consider myself an activist; that word has never suited me. I'm a person who strives to be consistent, who thinks about community. And yes, I want to change the world. Imagining a beautiful future every day is a political act, and that's also reflected in my work.”

Producer and actress Bertha Navarro shared how her filmmaking career was shaped by the political unrest of the 1970s. “I started out during a very difficult time, especially in Latin America. There were struggles in Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador, and I went to document those struggles,” she recalled. Navarro described how she experienced historical processes firsthand that later turned into betrayals: “I was present in that Nicaragua that is now, unfortunately, a horror. It's an enormous betrayal of the ideal I documented in the 1970s. Making films meant making films of conviction, of quality, and of fighting for and by cinema.”

Arcelia Ramírez closed the event with a powerful reflection on the role of art as a tool for changing reality. “I deeply believe that art and culture are the most effective vehicles for changing the world because they change us as people and help us understand who we are. They humanize us,” she stated.

The actress spoke about personal experiences that shaped her, such as her participation in the play Todos Somos Marcos, written by Vicente Leñero during the political upheaval of the 1990s. “It was a very intelligent and wonderful play. Later, many years later, I made the film La Civil, which speaks to all the mothers in this country who are searching for their children. It's a deep wound that's still there. We felt an enormous responsibility to give voice to this tremendous problem.”

Ramírez also mentioned her work on Perfume de Violetas, a film that denounced sexual violence among adolescents in Mexico. “It was a tremendous catharsis because many women in the audience confessed that they had experienced it,” she recalled.

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