Lady Tabares

Lady María Tabares (Medellín, May 31, 1982) is a Colombian actress, businesswoman and writer. She is known for her participation as a "natural actress" in the leading role of the Colombian film La vendedora de rosas, directed by Víctor Gaviria. She was a special guest at the 1998 edition of the Cannes Film Festival in France. At the age of ten, she went out into the streets of downtown Medellin to beg for money from passers-by. She was institutionalized and raised in an orphanage because she was found abandoned. Three years later she was reunited with her family, who, due to economic problems, opted to leave her in the institution. Until the age of 13, Tabares survived on the streets as a rose seller, which led filmmaker Victor Gaviria to select her as one of the main characters in a film project. In fact, the purpose of the film was not only to reflect the life of ordinary teenagers in the streets of Medellín in the 1990s, but also the life of Mónica, which is why the director had chosen to cast "natural actors" instead of professionals. Pre-production and filming of the movie took place between 1996 and 1997. The film was released in 1998 in Colombia to great acclaim.