review personalities which flowed through their behaviours, their dialogue, and in their reactions to what is happening around them. I did however create the character Pete. Pete represented a reminder of who she really was and provided a balance to the two worlds she was straddling. Ashley is here marvellously interpreted by Charlie Lewington. Can you describe your experience directing her? Charlie has the brilliant capacity for sitting into a performance. Simply "being" without pushing. She doesn't seek out the emotions. She steps into the world and allows the situations and interactions flow organically. Lashes, being a realism comingof-age needed actors that were capable of organically being part of that world. Teenage angst is so easily over exaggerated. Following her character Ashley on this one day, it was important the audience really stayed with her and felt the depths of her emotion. Any exaggeration would haveruined that connection the audience feels. The first time I saw Charlie perform, was in another London Film School production. I called up the Director of the other production, got her contact details, emailed her and fortunately she loved the script. She had dyed her hair red for another production, so I had to have her dye it back blonde and cinemakers // 41 cut her hair shorter so Ashley's change in our film would be more noticeable. Without hesitation she was willing to do what was needed for the film.We were so fortunate to have the most lovely, talented, driven cast on this film. Directing Charlie Lewington, Scarlett Byrne, Jack Brett Anderson, and Charlie Clarke play off each other was a real pleasure as they were all so brilliantly talented and collaborated well in this journey. Sonia 's striking use of light andcolor depicts emotions and feelings in places where dialogue could not even scratch the surface. We were impressed by your use of tight shots in interior settings, reminding us of Jean-Yves Escoffier's cinematography in Mauvais sang (Leos Carax, 1986). How did you collaborate for this film? It was imperative that we maintained a realism look and feel to the film. We wanted to go on a journey with Ashley in this one day in her life. Every choice we made had to keep us connected to her and in her world. The key element with lighting was to maintain a natural realistic look. However we did address some of the intricacies. When she was inside was when things were slightly cooler in colour. She was being disappointed by someone. When she was outside, we experienced a more honest true to herself Ashley. The use of natural sunlight helped heighten those moments. And finally in the bathroom scene where she goes from not only dealing with betrayal from both her friend and her boyfriend, but makes the decision to reclaim her true self, we went for a darker, more intimate feel while still maintaining a level of realistic lighting tones. Jean-Yves Escoffier's cinematography in Mauvais sang (Leos Carax, 1986) help
cinemakers // 18 interview Yasmine Mahet (France) you stay tight and intimate with the characters. Which is exactly what we were looking to do with Lashes. However, we wanted to maintain that intimacy with Ashley the entire way through. There's only one shot in the film that is either not from Ashley's POV or has a at least a little bit of her in the frame. Even that one shot was still capturing the fallout from when Ashley lashed out and we saw the potential consequences of her actions, maintaining that link to Ashley. Pre-production took 6 months. Sonia and I agreed that before we did casting, before location scouting, before the majority of what needed to be done, we had to establish the look an the tone of the film. That would be the soul of the project which everything would work around. And it did. Sonia and I actually had a sleepover at her where we got into our pyjamas, ate lots of food, had a few beers, then proceeded to watch and discuss every film that helped express what we were each looking to achieve or in some way influenced some of our thoughts on what we wanted with this film. Really helped us get into each others head. Did any specific director appeal to you? When we saw Lashes we immediately thought of Vera Chitilova, her playful yet utterly subversive sensibility. Another film that came to mind was Polanski's Repulsion, especially for its expressive camerawork. As filmmakers, Chitilova and Polanski are very inspiring. To notice the nuances we took so much time to craft and explore in Lashes and then to think of their work, is quite an honour, and I thank you. In Lashes, Ashley is a teenager, full of angst and trying to discover herself. However, I wanted to make sure we always caught a bit of lightness to her. A sense of brevity, and playfulness. That's what reality is after all...multifaceted. The cinematography was crucial in presenting that, and every shot very specifically chosen to express Ashley's emotional journey. How long was the project? The films length is 20 minutes. Found the short story at the end of 2012, filmed May 2013, submitted a nearly finished version of the film for my MA in Filmmaking at London Film School in July 2013, however, due to time and monies, completed the film beginning of 2014. We filmed 6 locations, some of them exteriors in 4.5 days, never once running over in time. Fantastic cast and crew. The era of imperfect memory
Can you describe your experience of studying filmmaking at the London Film School? London Film School has a strong exploration for world cinema and a great practical and comprehensive approach to the craft. Developing the skills and discipline, working together in a collaborative process, while exploring our own sense of individuality is what drew me to the programme. We started off filming Black and White on a 16mm Aaton, to 35mm SuperAmerica, and more recently they've incorporated the Arri ALEXA. We learned to build studio sets, production design, sound design, and editing. Narrative to documentary. I've worked on films throughout my time at LFS in every capacity. Name it, I've done it. London Film School has played a huge part in the development of some of cinema's greats worldwide. From Mike Leigh, Michael Mann, and Duncan Jones, to Cinematographers Roger Pratt, and Tak Fujimoto and many more. When you work every aspect behind the camera, whether being the director or being the spark, you not only gain a huge appreciation for the amount of work and collaboration that each position plays a part in, but knowing the capabilities of each of those departments I feel can make you an even stronger Director if that's your path. We would like to catch this occasion to ask you to express your view on the future of women in cinema. For more than half a century women have been discouraged from getting behind the camera for decades, however in the last decaded there are signs that something is changing. What is your view on the future of women filmmakers? Strong women, from the beginning fought hard to find their place in filmmaking from Alice Guy-Blaché to today's pioneers. It's a really exciting time for women. Not only is societal changes occurring, but with the continued development in digital filmmaking. Digital filmmaking is providing greater access to those who may not have had the means to pursue cinemakers // 19 interview
U JO VIKTOR IS AN EXTRAORDINARY PORTRAYAL OF THE TIES THAT BIND US. THE FILM’S DELICATE BALANCE OF HUMANISM AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INTROSPECTION UNDERSCORES ITS POWERFUL SOCIAL MESSAGE. VIKTORIA RAMPAL DZURENKO'S REMARKABLE DIRECTORIAL DEBUT CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES HER STRONG COMMAND OF FLEET CINEMATIC STORYTELLING. KEEPING DIALOGUE TO A WONDERFUL MINIMUM, VIKTORIA EXPLORES THE EMOTIONAL DEPTH BENEATH THE CHARACTERS’ HARD-ROCK EXTERIORS. FILMED WITH AN EXQUISITE DETACHMENT, UJO VIKTOR STUNNING WORK ABOUT SOCIAL ESTRANGEMENT. WE ARE PLEASED TO PRESENT VIKTORIA RAMPAL DZURENKO FOR THIS YEAR'S CINÉWOMEN EDITION. VIKTORIA, HOW DID YOU GET INTO FILMMAKING? Viktoria: It was a destiny. I always loved to paint and I admired any kind of art. Before I started my studies of film direction at FAMU, Prague, Czech republic, I completed my master degree studies in painting and teaching of painting in Slovakia. After that I felt desire to start storytelling with moving images. My inspiration is simple - life around me. And my family which is completely multicultural - my father is from Slovakia, mother from Lithuania and Ukraine, my husband Ranjan Rampal and his family are from India and we live mainly in Prague. So thanks to all that I can see many approaches towards life and I believe I became more tolerant. World around me is simply my strong inspiration and I love to observe it as well as I am trying to understand it too. And as now I am also mother I can see things again from more different perspective. Parenthood and married life brought new colorful flavours to my life and I am very much thankful for that. Ujo Viktor is your final master directing project at FAMU, one of the most prestigious film school in Europe. How has your experience at FAMU contributed to your artistic and professional growth? Viktoria: The experience was simply amazing. I studied and shot my films under very inspirative guindance of such directors like Věra Chytilová, Jan Němec, Drahomíra Vihanová, Lubor Dohnal - who are world famous as "czech new wave" directors and filmmakers. I ll forever remember unique attitude of Věra Chytilova and her provoking question: Why? She was always searching for exact meanings and reasons for each scene our student films. She was teaching us as upcoming directors to always know what we want to express by each scene and why. Till now when I am making film, her face with this question "WHY?" appears in my head. Why I want to shoot this kind of film and what is it really all about for me? Why this and this scene is there? Why this subtext of the scene and what it will bring to the whole film. Constant questioning of Věra Chytilova tought me not to waste too many creative, but “For me to shoot film means to dedicate part of life time. Same like when you are carrying a baby. You give him everything. Your own blood, your own energy, your own time, your own love. ” Talents from FAMU The visionary universe of Viktoria Rampal Dzurenko
not concentrated ideas and my time and time whole film crew. Its very important for true filmmaker to know what he really want to express and WHY. Eastern European Directors address questions of cultural identity in a way Americans and Western Europeans rarely do. What attracted you to this topic and how did you come up with the idea for Ujo Viktor? Viktoria: Why Eastern European Directors address questions of cultural identity in a way Americans and Western Europeans rarely do? Its is really difficult question and I just can try to answer it from my point of view. Maybe because of different pressures and also specific roots and influences of our society. And also because of physical location of our countries too. Slovakia and Czech republic are situated in the heart of Europe, in between "west" and "east". Our nations are very small and bigger nations during whole history were trying to occupy us and force us their cultural and political influence. There were many many forbidden topics in art as well as later in film for a long time... But strong filmmakers were not afraid to speak and to open up these hidden topics.. My idea of Ujo Viktor was very much natural as it is a story from history of my multicultural family.. The whole film story is actually based on true events and the pain, passion and fear of characters are also real. Ujo Viktor uses an energetic narrative structure. How did you collaborate with Marek Grajciar? Viktoria: Marek Grajciar is a very talented writer and scripwriter, who was able to rewrite story of Ujo Viktor based on real incidents of my real Uncle Viktor and other family into a beautiful and exciting film script. He did it in very sensitive, smart and creative way, as he was able to keep professional distance from the characters. I really appreciated our cooperation very much and recently we are preparing new film story, called Eternal memory. The story about dark sins in family and forgiveness is again based on real incidents but creatively transformed into a catching film story.
interview were working with full concentration and whole the time perfectly in the characters... I ll tell you, with some of actors I even don´t know their real characters as whole shoot they were so concentrated on the character whom they represented.. I called them not with their real names but with the names of the characters... Gorgously shot on RED, Ujo Viktor uses an elegant, simple camera style which favors a restrained naturalism that is by turns handsome and melancholic, reminding us of Šar nas Bartas'cinema. What were some of your aesthetic decisions? Viktoria: My aesthetic decisions were very much simple. I wanted to shoot story of Ujo Viktor - of my real uncle Viktor and whole my family as realistic and true as possible. We even shot in the same hotel where the real incident in between my family some time back happened. I wanted to make kind of personal intimate and natural cinema, not any stylized artificial show of. That was my intention and my DOP Jan Skriečka really did his best in this matter. What do you hope viewers will take away from the film? Viktoria: I just believe that film will find its way towards the audience and it will share its true message. Any time and anywhere as time and space for art doesn´t matter. We have previously mentioned Šar nas Bartas, who among international directors influenced your work? Viktoria: For me the great personal inspiration are directors and my teachers from Czech new wave as I mentioned before Věra Chytilová, Jan Němec, openspace Can you tell us something about the shooting of your film? What did you enjoy about working on this project? Viktoria: I enjoyed whole process itself very much. From very beginning till the end. It was really amazing and challenging experience, and I learned a lot. It took us whole tree years to make this movie. From the first draft of the story till the final version of the edit and sound... For me to shoot film means to dedicate part of life time. Same like when you are carrying a baby. You give him everything. Your own blood, your own energy, your own time, your own love. I was also lucky I had really amazing crew without whom this shoot might not be impossible. I am very much thankful to my DOP Jan Skriečka, who was not afraid to shoot with me sometimes even around 20 hours per day, as we had very much tight budget and we had to shoot so many scenes. Actors also did their great job - they Still from Ujo Victor(Prague) interview by Melissa Duncan(Belgium) cinemakers // 23
fiction cinemakers// 18 interview Patricia Curtis (France) Drahomíra Vihanová, Lubor Dohnal, except of them directors from different countries like Michael Haneke, Ulrich Seidl, Mani Kaul, Ritwik Ghatak, Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, Babusenan brothers, Jim Jarmusch, David Lynch, John Cassavetes and many others. What is your preparation with actors in terms of rehearsal? Viktoria: I am very much fascinated with work of actors in general. I admire actors very much. With all their sensitivity and emotionality. Every actor is completely different and needs also different approach while directing him. One needs more rehearsals and practice, another prefers improvisation and fresh approach without much rehearsing. The most important facts about work with any actor is communication and trust. All is really about that. If you as director are able to comunicate properly your vision and intention, the subtext - what is each scene about, than you are able to shoot your film.Generally I prefer to combine non actors with actors, what for me matters is true in his eyes and the unforgetable face which speaks even without any words. Ujo Viktor is your first feature film, what did you learn and what were some of the challenges? Viktoria: While creating my first full length film Ujo Viktor I learned to be more humble but in the same time more exact in what I really want as a filmmaker. Direct comunication and pure intentions are the most important for me. I learned about value of time and energy of people who are working for you with full trust. Film shooting is a live chain of inspirative relations in which every one matters and you as a director should never underestimate it. Can you tell us something about your creative relationship with Ranjan Rampal? Viktoria: My beloved husband, poet and film editor Ranjan Rampal is from India. We met in Film and television institute FTII in Pune almost six years ago and this our meeting was one of the most important in my whole life. The most Metaphorically seeing: Ujo Viktor
cinemakers // 19 interesting and funny fact about this whole thing is that I had never planned to visit India, but FAMU sent me there for four days for film festival in FTII. I had never expected that these four days will completely change my life. So it was simply destiny. Since that time we made together with Ranjan many projects, we have our son Vincent, we live partly in Prague as well as in India and we are starting our own production company - all details you can see our website viktori.cz. We would love to create kind of intercultural bridge between filmmakers and artist from India and Europe and for their cooperation. We want to catch this occasion to ask you to express your view on the future of women in cinema. For more than half a century women have been discouraged from getting behind the camera, however in the last decades there are signs that something is changing. What's your view on the future of women in cinema? Viktoria: Frankly speaking I am very much sure that many many women are ready to became great filmmakers. It just depends from each to each case if we are able to reach our dreams or not, sex doesn´t matter I hope. What does matter is individual talent, dedication, belief and hard work and also kind of stubbornness. Personally, I also got into many unpleasant situations while studying film direction because I am woman, but also in the same time for same reason I got many advantages too.. I see future of women in cinema in very bright lights and I wish to whole women all around the world not to be afraid to express themselves and to go for their dreams. All your acts good or bad anyways will come back to you in return, just remember that.. interview
Off Screen I tried to find a language for the film - not just telling stories. I picked the Picasso painting because it said more than I could explain. I need images, I need representation which deals in other means than reality. We have to use reality but get out of it. That's what I try to do all the time. Agnes Varda Sally Fenaux Barleycorn In the photo:
Inspired by true events, UP ON THE ROOF is a story about Marcus, a 12-year-old kid who’s been abandoned by his mother and left with his hard-nosed grandfather. Resigned to hiding out on a rooftop, Marcus’s life takes a turn when Trish, a girl he’s always liked, comes looking for his help. I was immediately drawn to this story of innocence lost. These kids emulate a youthful feeling of joy and a carefree view of the world but beneath it all they are riddled with so much heartache, fear and disappointment. This characterdriven narrative took inspiration from the poetic and existential ideas of Italian cinema, and Bertolucci in particular, who was focused on the individuality of people dealing with changes in their lives and no straightforward solution. Even though these kids are both in difficult situations, I was adamant to capture a certain lightness of spirit. This was achieved with subtle and nuanced performances from Michael Matias (who I discovered in the west end play ‘The Bodyguard) and Maisie Williams (‘Game of Thrones’), and a decision to use dramatic closeups sparingly. The music’s intricacy which represents Marcus’s journey and the light-handed touch of the bouzouki’s plucked strings, complimented by the fluid style of shooting were also key in setting the desired tone. When Trish spontaneously arrives, Marcus’s world immediately becomes more whimsical, graceful and dreamlike. Reflecting Marcus’ seemingly carefree existence, the rooftop is a character in itself, symbolizing tranquility and a sense of being on top of the world. In contrast, when we follow Marcus to his granddad's shabby flat the look and feel of the film shifts. Illuminated by discreet shafts of light, the flat is dark, dusty and neglected – as if frozen in time. Tension builds as it is revealed that Trish’s boyfriend Darren and his crew are looking for Marcus. My intention was to move away from typical heavy-handed depictions and disheartening stories about council estate youths in the UK – at its core is a bittersweet tale of love between two neglected kids. The film aims to capture something of the poetry and charm in life and relationships. It strikes a balance between the lyrical and the gritty, interweaving moments of stillness with the spontaneity and disarray of youth. W ��� ����� ���� �� ��� ��������� ����� ������� ���� ����� ��� �������������, U� �� ��� R��� �� � ��������� ���� ���� ����� �� ��� ������ �� � ������� �� ���������, ��������� �������. E�������� ��� ������ ������� �� ��������������, N��� W���� ������ ��� ���� ���� �� ����������� ������ ������� ����������� �� S������� B�����'� ����� ����. M����� �� ��� ���������� ��� ������ �� ��� ��������, �� �� ��� ���� ��������� ��������������� ������� ��� ������� ������ ��� ��������. N���, W��� �������� ��� �� ������� �������� �� ���� ������? Thank you for the beautiful words about my short, I'm very touched and humbled. I have always loved film - from birth my mother would put me in front of the TV screen behind a couch to distract me from the sounds of the bombs and bullets outside. I grew up as a film addict and as a result had a vivid imagination and loved telling stories. As a kid I used to direct my friends in little plays we'd perform to our families. At the time I had no idea you could actually do this for a living, and while I wrote short stories in my free time, I grew up believing I'd become a surgeon or biochemist and do something worthy with my life like find a cure for cancer! Little did I know life had other plans for me, and when I moved to London in 2003 everything changed for me. The first time I directed a film, it's like everything finally made sense. Bringing stories to life brought me to life. I'd finally found my calling. Up on the Roof is a rare example of true film poetry, a work of astonishing intimacy and tenderness. Can you tell us what attracted you to this particular story? At the time I was on the hunt for a thriller or science fiction story as that is direction I intend to be going in the features and TV shows I'm developing as a producer/director. I was introduced …..NOUR.WAZZI………………………………………….
P ��������� �������� ��� ������������, ��������� �� 2012 ���� ��� A����� R. B������� A����. I� 2011 ��� �������� ��� ����� ����� ����, M� S�������, ��� �� 2012, ��� ������, A� ��� D��� W��� B�. H�� ����� ���� ���� �������� ������ ��� ����� �� USA, F�����, P�������, P�����, K���������, T�������, G���� ��� B����� – ��������� ��� �������� ��������� �� C��������� F��� F������� 2013. I� ��� ���������, ��� ��� ���� ������� �� ��������� �������� �� ���� �� ��� ������ ��������� ��� ������� N���� T���� �� L�����, �������� �� B���� A����� – ���� ��� ��� �������� �� B����� I������������ F��� F������� -, ��� ��� 26 ������� ������ �������� O� F����� �� R���, �������� �� P���� V����� ��� �������� �� ��� ���������� �������� ��, RTP. W���� A� T�� D��� W��� B� �� ����� ������ ��� ��������� �������, F����� �� ������� ������� �� ��� ���� �������. With its beauty and melancholy, As The Days Went By is a psychologically complex portrayal of the dyna mics of love. Keeping dialogue to a wonderful minimum, Filipa Ruiz closely follows the intimate details and rhythms of her characters' daily life. The story of Hans, a writer seeking for inspiration, and his unconfessed love for Jenny is told with a mixture of naturalism and magic realism that infuses everyday life with a special vibrancy. And behind the came ra, the talented director uses an energetic narrative structure to inject unexpected images and fresh emotions into the film. We are pleased to present Filipa Ruiz for this year's WomenCinemakers Edition. Filipa, tell us about your trajectory as a filmmaker. What inspired you to express yourself in this medium? I understand Arts as the medium that human beings found to preserve their memory through time. It through pain tings, photographs, sculptures, writings even music and architecture that we are able to know and study the human being from pre-historical times till modern times. Art is a cultural record, and people have always fascinated me. My trajectory into filmmaking happened in such a natural way I always loved painting, writing, and photography has always been with me as well. I attended the Fine Arts University for my Bachelor degree in Lisbon, and soon I flew to Finland where I wanted to continue my studies. Cinema is known as the Seventh Art as it synthetizes all the traditional arts together (the spatial arts and the temporal arts). When one thinks that to make a film one has to go from a written script into drawing shots, building sets, developing characters, music composi tions... being an Art lover, I easily found this being the medium I would like to express myself in. My inspiration is People, absolutely. And my will is to instill hope. As The Days Went By is a poetic and immersive film. What attracted you to this project? At the time I was making some studies on the essence of where the artists get their inspiration from. I went to visit a friend of mine in Barcelona. He collects everything he might find interesting from the street or objects that people give him and he builds his own pieces out of it. Every item in his house is unique, and has his handprint on it. The lights built with nets shading the rooms in different textures, his bed built over long wooden structures which allows you to walk under it, he places canvas over walls that he covered with pages from his favorite musical orchestrations and projects images over it and so on. It became this one whole installation, which I believe that reflects both his soul and the world he is in. I wrote some notes down and started building my own character. For me, the way artists think they are seen by the society and how the society gets reflected on them plays a major role in the art they produce. Artists are observers by nature. But it was only when I visited my sister, she was living in Denmark by then, that the story took form. I visited Hans Christian Anderson house in Odense and it was there that I had the opportunity to read some of his diary notes. I was surprised to find out that they fit exactly in the line of thoughts I was developing I felt I got to know the person behind the writer and that was the last motivation I needed to write the first draft. Once again it the people who inspire me. I grew up listening to Hans Christian Anderson stories but it was the complexity of his thoughts that ..................................MARIKA.KRAJNIEWSKA......
attracted me now, as an adult. This worked as the last missing key that I needed to find - in order to complete my vision. I am a visual person and I need to ee or fully understand the character I am building in order to write it. As The Days Went By is an immersive film: mixing humor and emotional depth, the character of Hans is rendered through a sapient game of silences and looks. Can you tell us something about the shooting of your film? We had five shooting days. And we were shooting right outside of Paris, in a town called Marcoussis. It was the perfect setting for a short film crew. We rented out a three-storage Ch eau in which we could all stay in. Our set was on the ground floor (we shot both interiors and exteriors there). Then, on the first floor, we had our basecamp (with make up room, costume, production base and on the last floor the dormitories. For such few shooting days, staying all together in the same place and away from the big town really brought everyone together. I remember we all arrived at the location the night before, with the exception of the Art department that was obviously there before everyone else - building and dressing the set. Dimitri Michelsen (the actor who plays Hans) really wanted to stay with the crew at the Ch eau and so, when he arrived, we all had our first dinner together. It was only after that, that we walked him in the room that the production designer, Sophia Jacques, together with her assistant, Martina Bragadin, have meticulously prepared for him. It was dark, all lit by candles. The bookshelves filled with novels, poetry the papercuts all laying down on his desk, the fish swimming in the bowl, the dried out leaves over the fireplace, the bedsheets roughly placed as if he had just been laying there a minute ago Dimitri walks in the room and becomes speech less. Walks around in silence. Then, he sits down on the bed with a tear in his eyes and is only able to say: n my mind, I had an idea of how this room would be but it is so much better than I could ever imagine. Thank you. This all makes so much sense! The next day we had our extras coming in, and it the day in which we would be shooting all the scenes where Hans plays alone. We are confronted with the first unexpected situation The phone rings, and it the makeup artist who got a flat tire on her way to the set and needs to take her car back to Paris It is the 1st AD who brings me the news while the electricians and camera crew were already setting the equipment down stairs. I knew that whatever we would capture on the first take, would be our reference for the rest of the shots. And being on a short film, we could not afford to wait half a day or a full day even to get someone else on set. Therefore I remem ber turning to the 1st AD and saying: ive me one hour. and that moment I was so glad to have attended drawing classes at the University! I had that in common with my 2nd AD. So I went to talk to Dimitri while Lauren Brown (the 2nd AD) went to collect all the make up available in the house a couple of eyeliners, different colors (so great to have girls on set!). I wanted Dimitri to look pale, sick and needed to emphasize the wrinkles in his face to make him look a bit aged too. So I sat with Dimitri and Lauren in the Make Up room and one hour later we were ready to shoot. The humor and emotional drive, was possible through an immense sense of trust that we have built with the actors and the crew from day one. Everyone was aware of the film we were doing, and the intensity is built with every single choice that we make along the line. If you e talking to a friend, or someone you just met, and you look in their eyes They might be trying to persuade you to believe last night they had a blast at a party they went to, for example. But their eyes tell me more than that, the way they stand, a slide look away... Their eyes will tell you the truth. They might bring you more intensity to the enthusiasm, more depth, or they might just give it away. If you give the right keys to an actor, he/she will suggest you things. That where my work lays on, setting the tone and giving soul and texture to the characters. The staging of As The Days Went By is elegantly simple, as if the play were a Greek tragedy. Your narration-by-subtraction no doubt owes something to Vitor Erice. How did you develop the time structure of this film? I wrote the script as well as directed it, and I had a very clear idea of the hitting marks nevertheless, I think it is impor tant to leave some room to editing be cause one can never predict ……FILIPA.RUIZ……………………………………………
A moody film that delicately weaves personal pain and public anguish, Skinhearts explores a world where the sexual act has become an irre ve rent act of rebellion. An emotio nally complex portrait of human aliena tion, Sally Fenaux Barley corn's film raises disturbing que stions, reveal ing a psychological penetrating exploration of love and freedom reminding us of Yorgos Lanthimos's early work. We are proud to present Sally Fenaux Barleycorn for this year's WomenCinemakers Edition. Sally, tell us about your trajectory as a filmmaker. What inspired you to express yourself in this medium? I’ve always been really curious about everything that is visual. At the age I was suppose to be finishing high school and then attending college, I was jumping from one discipline to another, doing short and non formal education on photography, dance, theatre, video and graphic design. I started working in the film industry and commercial shoots in 2008 by chance. But when I think back, I can see how all my different experiences were actually a great preparation for the “Total Art” that cinema is. That is one of the things that inspires me the most about this medium and also, the high level of collaboration. Which means that you are constantly sharing influences and being affected by your collaborator’s ideas, life experiences and own influences. Working profes sionally in feature film and commercial productions has given me the training, since I didn’t attend film school and also the humility. I know first hand how hard it is to make things happen in this industry, how hard the people involved usually work and to respect that and prepare myself to meet their needs, don’t waste anyone’s time and achieve a piece of work worth their efforts, dedication and mine. But it isn’t until a couple of years ago that I started to feel that I wanted to direct. While I was still working in the costume department, I had an accident on set that obliged me to take a break. I had the time to think about my future, about who I really was and what it was that I really wanted to do. I had to deal with some personal issues related to my race that had made me someone afraid to be center stage. And also overcome the gender stereotypes: I had never thought about directing as a career for me, no one ..................................JENNIFER.DROTZ.RUHN....
had ever told me I could do it nor that I couldn’t neither… But it is something very unconscious, it is deeply accepted in our society and we don’t talk about it enough. I have no regrets, but I wish no other girls and women would feel that they haven’t started their careers earlier because of that. So after working on my level of self-esteem, I realised I had plenty of things I wanted to say, to talk about, to transmit and that film was the medium, no matter how scared I was of taking full responsibility of the outcome of a film production. We want to take a closer look at the genesis of your film: how did you come up with the idea for Skinhearts? I’ve always thought that being very sensitive was a curse! And now I can see how it is the birthplace of my unique experience of this world. And that is where Skinhearts comes from, my experience living in Amsterdam and the average touch behaviour of the Dutch. I had been living almost 2 years in Amsterdam at that time and feeling as if I was getting colder and colder in my inside or something was getting heavier to live with, but could not point to what that feeling was exactly. One day I met someone who talked to me about a script with a lot of sex in it and about why he wanted to do that project and his own ideas of sexual freedom and stuff like that. When I left this meeting I had a horrible feeling. I was almost shocked not by the sex itself or the lack of any love involved in it, but more by the objectification of it. Because of the lack of care and how it felt as a tool, just like a hammer to place a nail on a wall. Right after this meeting I was cycling home and I saw the end scene of Skinhearts playing in my head, I saw Zoe looking for something, using sex as a tool to find something else and not finding it. That end scene was the center of the film and then I wrote the rest of the short and created the characters to reach that scene. When I started analysing that scene to know what it was that I wanted to say, to speak about, is when I started my research on touch deprivation in the western society. And that was it. That was what my heavy feeling was about, why I felt so shocked about that conver sation and the reason why I wanted to do this film. Then I also realised that I knew on my own skin what Zoe would feel and what it was she was looking for. Most people have no idea how incredi bly important quality, caring touch is in their lives as human beings. Through my research I learned that it is our most basic sense and primal way of commu nication. It is crucial for babies to survive and for adults to have a healthy body and mind. When someone touches you there is a message that goes direct ly and deeply into your unconscious: “ I accept you” and vice versa, avoiding touch contributes to a low self-esteem, which is the birthplace of violence, addiction and mental disorders. In Skinhearts, most people are born already in the “untouchable society” and don’t know what it is to feel someone else's skin on theirs. But Zoe, the main character, having received caring and loving touch as a kid (by rebel parents), is looking for that same feeling, without really remem bering what was the source or how to get it again. It seems rational to think that going as deeper as possible into someone else's body would be the solution but it isn’t. Just as much as one night stands can’t cover for the needs of loving touch we all need and many people are seeking in the wrong place. The more I got into the research, the more I shaped the characters to my discoveries and finished writing the rest of the short film. We have been deeply impressed with your enigmatic approach to narrative and characters. How did you develop your filmmaking style? Well, thank you! This is my first film so it might be too soon to speak about having a filmmaking style of my own. I think my approach to narrative and characters has been very personal, and that might be the only reason why it looks rare. One of the things that I was determined to stick to was to make the film I wanted to make even if that would mean making mistakes in narrative or storytelling. And I listened to inputs from others and looked for tips from more experienced professionals, I love collaboration! But I was very careful to find the line between a good correction that I fully agreed with and a tip that would have made my film just by the rules and average. I don’t know that much, I’m just starting out, but I do know that that is the only way to make something worth watching and some thing that would look and sound like me therefore tell the story in a way I can only tell it. ……SALLY F. BARLEYCORN……………………………
I think that in filmmaking we just lie too much to only entertain or to maintain a system already established, stereotypes, just to please or create a certain effect. But the truth is that the only stories that really touches us humans, entertain us and bring something valuable to the world are those that are sincere and authentic. And I don’t know if that will show as a filmmaking style but it definitely is my working style and I hope it always will. That is actually one of the few things I’m sure I can do well. Skinhearts is a technically audacious and emotionally gripping work. What was the most challen ging thing about making this film? The most challenging for me was holding too many hats at once writerdirector-producer. Not only it is difficult to do, it is also a too lonely place to be when you have to manage such a complicated film and not being very experienced in any of those jobs. Also maintaining that vision and keep feeling the story and the characters while working in a highly technical environ ment, not so artistic place, that a film set is. But having a great director of photography and amazing actors asking you questions and suggesting new approaches always helps to get your head back to where it needs to be. Because we had a limited amount of film rolls we also had to make sure ….........................…………………………………………
every thing was absolutely ready to be perfect on the first or second take maximum. And I didn’t have any way to see with my own eyes what exactly Jakub Giza (DoP) was going to shoot. So it took a lot of time and a lot of trust! Since it is my first film, the most chal lenging parts were mostly related to my first-timer status, limited budget and my fear to not be a good leader. I won’t forget how I felt after each shooting day that it had been the most difficult and the most exciting work day I had ever had in my life. You have shot Skinhearts both in digital and 16mm film. Can you explain this peculiar aesthetic choice? We basically turned technical limita tions into an interesting aesthetic experiment. I wanted to shoot the entire film in 16mm because I wanted to make a futuristic film with an old film look, to really focus on the futuristic behaviour of the people living in that time, rather than getting distracted by any special effects or gadgets. But it became obvious that we would not be able to shoot in film the night scene, because there isn’t 16mm film stocks with the needed speed anymore and we didn’t have the budget to have the lighting of a football camp! Instead of witching the whole film to digital, we decided that to make a contrast between the two parts of the film would be very interesting and would also elevate the final scene which is the narrative center of the short film because you suddenly can see it sharper, crispier and more shiny. I’ve been a very active listener of all the discussions related to Film vs Digital in the past years and for me Skinhearts shows how beautiful both can be. Used in the same film it makes such a contrast that you can really notice it and enjoy it, which is something that most non-film-professional audiences never have the chance to do. There is obviously a romantic side of making such choice too… I studied analog photography, I had my grandfather’s Bolex available to use and I come from the traditional side of big production film making, so for me, wanting to become a film director, I will always carry with me the joyful memory that I shot my first film using actual film rolls, rolling inside of a camera, making the most beautiful noise. What is your preparation with actors in terms of rehearsal? I am quite old school in my filmmaking process… which includes as much rehearsal time and meeting with actors as possible. It is not so common nowadays, maybe even less for short films, but how limited would the experience of filmmaking be if you don’t have the time to rehearse, investigate, chat and play with the actors? I might feel quite comfortable doing that because it involves a lot of improvisation but it is also a process for which I have huge respect. After shooting Skinhearts, I have been studying a lot more about working with actors because it is incredibly interesting and fun, but also they are the people who most deeply affect you while making a film. For Skinhearts, I offered the role of Zoe directly to Zoëvan Weert (and was lucky enough that she accepted), met Max Croes for the role of Sky a couple of times and we did a couple of improvisations as auditions . We kept on meeting and working on the character while I forgot to tell him that he was selected for the role already!) and we did an open audi tion for the extras and the Skin hearts roles to which Selma Copijn arrived late and did a jaw dropping audition on the corridor (and got the role right there). Then we did rehear sals in couples with ZoëMax and Selma-Max, more around improvisa tions experien cing the characters rather than specific scenes of the script. I am so grateful that they gave me the opportunity of having that time with them because I learned so much and I was so inspired by the different ways in which each of them work. The first time we watched your film we thought of Yorgos Lanthimos's cinema. Can you tell us your biggest influences in cinema and how they have affected your work? I am actually very influenced by photography so it isn’t strange that my biggest reference while making Skinhearts was Chris Marker’s short film “La Jeté” (1962). Also the photography of Anton Corbijn and his first film Control are among my main influences. But I look to a lot of things, many things visual and sensory experiences influence me. I have a full ....SALLY F. BARLEYCORN…………………………….
Lashes is my graduation film from London Film School. I had been working on another script when I came across the short story “Feathers and Cigarettes” by Andrew Lloyd-Jones, which won an award with Fish Publishing, and knew instantly I had to adapt it, and share this cinematically. The protagonist, whom I named Ashley was so raw, disturbed and in a place and time in her life where she is figuring out who she is. Her journey has her transforming from trying to fit in to figuring out that she needs to walk away from all that nonsense and be herself. I loved that she wasn't a good girl caught up in something bad. To me, that’s not real. Ashley is a real girl. She’s flawed. She has a foul mouth, an attitude problem, and until she stands up for her self can sometimes be a pushover. That is when she’s not doing the pushing herself. Exploring Ashley in her own world, in her own life, in this one-day, where she has come to a realisation that the road she was on, was a false one for her. Even if you’re a young, directionless, foul mouthed kid, figuring out who you are is what everyone is trying to figure out. Sometimes well past their teens, which is why I think everyone can relate to Ashley. Her journey goes from being messed over to emerging from the chaos with a better understanding of who she was. That's not to say she won't continue to explore and learn and find herself in more chaos, but in this one day she learns a little bit more. It was very important for me to portray Ashley as who she is. To capture her raw feelings. The moments when she refrains from saying anything to the times that she lashes out. Too often women are not represented authentically. We come with scars, and bruises. Some visible, some not. Each one represents a journey, a story, and discoveries. Real raw emotions; regardless of gender, or genre is where I find the truly interesting stories to be. Based on the short story “Feathers and Cigarettes” by Andrew LloydJones, Lashes is an arousing cinematic experience, one that deserves repeated and in-depth viewings. Christine Sherwood's talent as director shows itself in the balance the act of narration: she hares with Yorgos Lanthimos the desire to look at the world in new ways following a close examination of reality, reminding us of Maya Deren's words "It is not the way anything is at a given moment that is important in film, it's what is is doing, how it's becoming". We are pleased to present Christine Sherwood for this year's WomenCinemakers edition. Christine, tell us about your trajectory as a filmmaker. What inspired you to express yourself in this medium? To wrap someone up into a new world, to a new story in just a few moments is rather exciting. I always liked the idea that it's not the length of time you're in someone's life that can have the most impact, it's what you do with your time that matters. Pound for pound, some of the most impactful films I've seen have been short films. The short film format has been a great vehicle to develop a discipline for storytelling. Very much looking forward to continuing that drive, discipline, and passion into feature films. Ashley is here marvellously interpreted by Charlie Lewington. Can you describe your experience directing her? Charlie has the brilliant capacity for sitting into a performance. Simply "being" without pushing. She doesn't seek out the emotions. She steps into the world and allows the situations and interactions flow organically. age needed actors that were capable of organically being part of that world. Teenage angst is so easily over exaggerated. Following her character Ashley on this one day, it was important the audience really stayed with her and felt the depths of her emotion. Any exaggeration would haveruined that connection the audience feels. The first time I saw Charlie perform, ……………………….…CHRISTINE.SHEERWOOD……
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Photo by courtesy of Aleksandra Chciulk ©