Rita Moreno, two West Side Stories and possibly a second Oscar at 90

Spontaneously Rita Moreno confessed to her daughter, “

», When she saw for the first time, the documentary film which retraced her life.

However, humble despite its volcanic character, it will have taken a year before accepting that film-loving directors come back to her unique journey in the seventh art.

To discover

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in Spielberg 's

The Puerto Rican superstar, revealed by

in the early 1960s, has more than 70 years of business today.

And she is one of the 17 artists of the very closed club of "

", reserved for those who have achieved the grand slam of American artistic prizes: Emmy Award (television), Grammy Award (music), Oscar (cinema) and Tony Award (theater) ).

Read alsoRita Moreno, the volcanic Anita from

supports #MeToo »

The only Latin American woman in this prestigious group, Rita Moreno had to fight against racism and sexual abuse in Hollywood long before the #MeToo movement, living in the process a tumultuous relationship with Marlon Brando.

Her busy career is at the heart of the documentary

, available since January 3 in France on video on demand.

Read alsoWith his

Spielberg in search of cinematic authenticity

At 90, she's back in the limelight with the

remake . The first adaptation of the musical won him an Oscar in 1962 for his portrayal of Anita. And today she still has a good chance of receiving a second golden statuette with the rereading of this iconic film by Steven Spielberg. This time in the skin of Valentina, a character created to measure for her.

Ariana DeBose took over the role of Anita, and she too could be on the Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress next month.

The two women are already competing for the Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globes, where they were selected in the same category.

The Oscars ceremony will take place on Sunday March 27.

Recalling a scene in which Valentina saves Anita from a sexual assault, Rita Moreno confides that “

“no, no, it's not Anita.

Anita, it's you! ””

From Puerto Rico to New York

The actress was born in Puerto Rico in December 1931. She emigrated with her mother to New York when she was only five years old, opening the doors of the show business as a teenager thanks to her talents of dancer. “

,” recalls Rita Moreno, who will therefore set her sights on Elizabeth Taylor.

At the age of thirteen, she made her Broadway debut and quickly went to the cinema, where she remained confined in stereotypical roles linked to her Hispanic origin. Even his Oscar for

, where her skin had been artificially browned with makeup, will not be enough to dispel this cliché.

The artist therefore continued to develop her talents in theater and television, becoming over the years herself a model for current stars like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Gloria Estefan and Eva Longoria.

A devouring passion for Marlon Brando

Many other stars of Latin American descent interviewed in the documentary share how inspiring Rita Moreno's work has been.

"

", she says forcefully in the documentary which is devoted to her.

However, she admits having had great difficulty in evoking in front of the camera her marriage - not so happy despite appearances - with the American cardiologist Leonard Gordon, who died in 2010: “

"

Read also King Marlon Brando delirium

The actress isn't quite so emotional when she talks about her passionate but toxic relationship with legendary actor Marlon Brando, which spanned eight years. With a touch of nostalgia mixed with irony, Rita Moreno remembers: “

Rita Moreno now lives in California, enjoys cooking and says she prepares a '

' gazpacho

, a gastronomic ritual that is likely to be shaken up a bit in the coming months by the movie awards season.

Rita Moreno and George Chakiris' cult scene in the