Victoria Oliver: “The route was a revolution”

How did you get involved in the cast of ‘La Ruta’?

Result of a representative search. One of the people I was interested in said it was a casting for someone my age, it was one of the series. I went through the first phase online, at home, and then face-to-face.

Who’s playing?

To Vero, the sister of one of the heroes, Toni (Claudia Salas).

How would you describe the character you play?

Vero is a brave, fun young woman who is eager to discover new things. He has great admiration for his sister and admires everything on Bakalao Road. She only knows the club world by word of mouth because she is so young. I play Vero, the first two episodes of the series, when I was 16 and 14 years old.

The plot is going against the grain.

Yes, ‘La Ruta’ starts in the 90’s so my character appears to be a teenager. Then it goes back. The series shows the life of my character from 16 to 4 years old. Ruta del Bakalao has a total of 12 years.

What kind of Valencian family do Vero and Toni belong to?

They come from a very humble Swedish family and this is evident in the series because they don’t enjoy much comfort. They are a very Valencian family.

Did the production team manage to capture a reliable world of Valencia?

Yeah, definitely my favorite part of the show is that it’s so faithful to everything that’s going on. It connects both people who have lived the Route and young people like me who only knew about this phenomenon from our parents. When we did the costume test, I said to my mom, “Mom, I’m coming from you.” I saw those clothes in the youth photos of my mother, aunt and uncle, the clothes I wore in the drama.

What did you know about Ruta before you went to the casting?

A little. I knew they were nightclubs that were open for hours. There have always been a lot of people in my town talking about Rota, so I knew this phenomenon was important on a musical level. But he was unaware of his huge impact on Valencian society. This series will help young people to fill any gaps on the Route.

What image do you have of this phenomenon after shooting the series?

Now I see Rota as a revolution, as a before and after in the way of relating, in music, in nightlife… In fact, the series captures all these changes over the years. It was a complete revolution.

How do you see today’s youth? Do those on the route have something to envy?

I think when we were more superficial they went out to have fun, we take pictures, we post them on social networks and it takes a lot of energy and time. They are completely different environments, they cannot be compared. Neither better nor worse.

How was the working environment on set?

I was shooting for three weeks, not taking into account previous rehearsals. When I found out who the protagonists of the series would be, I said “Wow”. For me they are references. Working with them gave me some dizziness, but they welcomed me like a little sister (laughs). It was very comfortable to work with them. The team led the way from the very beginning. We were one big family. There was so much harmony between everyone during filming.

Most of his scenes are with Claudia Salas.

I met him on ‘Elite’ where he did an incredible job. I admire him as a professional. Also, it helps you a lot. I learned a lot from him.

The shooting crew consists of people from Madrid and Valencia. Do the two worlds get along well?

(Laughs) Yes, they were very comfortable. Although it has only been a few months when it has rained (laughs). They went crazy with the Fallas. They have fond memories of the five months they spent in Valencia.

What professional plans do you have?

Keep educating me. I hope the series opens doors for me. I started doing theater at IES El Clot del Moro in Sagunt. I worked for filmmaker Vicente Pérez Herrero from Gilet and trained with Cinescuela Méliès and Víctor Antolí. Now I train with Sergio González Román.