No depression, please.
What inspires you about Anny?
Anny never gives up. She takes care of herself. Always finds a job. She knows she is at the bottom of the social totem pole, but she never snivels. She works the public toilets, she turns tricks to make a better Christmas for her grandkids. She is an absolute realist. Her desire to find the way out of the situation and not to sink into the depression. That I can appreciate.
The realistic narration takes turns with the theater scenes. What was your train of thought?
Theater is one of the activities of Pleasure without Risk, caring for prostitutes of Prague. The plays are written by Dr. Malinová, the boss of the organization. The topics partially tie to their profession, writing roles to particular actresses. For example Anny, performing a song „Next to last cigarette“, which was a working title to our film. When I was finishing the film Rozkoš bez rizika twenty years ago, I utilized these theater scenes a lot. Maybe too much. They overpowered each other, it was a mistake I reckon. There are few now in Anny film, but, it is an authentic activity of Anny, who is living independently from our film.
How difficcult for you was working with the music?
Usually I do not use music, it is not my thing. But in Anny I let to sound the prelude to Verdi’s opera La traviata few times, because it also tells the story about prostitute. During the street scenes only the prelude to a prelude sounds off, the waltz theme itself plays out at the end. In my judgement it gives the film the reconciliation with life, harmony and compassion. Because life at its most ordinary level has merit, nobleness and dignity.
Heroes of the social basement
You filmed the recidivist, drug addicts, and homeless. What draws you to the heroes at the bottom of the social totem pole?
I have always been interested in the social issues. Marcela, René, Katka, Mallory – it is very easy to ostracise and ignore these people. I would much rather connect with them and find out something about their lives. At the same time I find myself in an unfamiliar environment and it seems interesting to me to discover it and tell the story that will be intriguing to the viewer.
You have followed Anny for 16 years, what is so attractive on time-lapsed documentary?
I am trying to capture ordinary people in a specific time period. They tell their life story gradually and we never know where their story will take us. These are basically diaries which show life in this country. And in my case these people are the lowest on the social scale. What were they interested in? What did they do? How did they react to it? It is a wager on uncertainty. At the same time I have to say that even when every single life is interesting, I have to feel the chance that there is a potential to make a film about it. You can- not go shooting in the dark.
What was your relationship with Anny over the years?
We had been in close contact. We had called each other, her telling me what was going on at the time – the wedding for example. We had filmed about eight times a year, but we had been meeting away from filming as well. That I show I co-experience her story. When she was telling me in the hospital about the light
at the end of the tunnel, the shiver came down my spine. At the same time I have to keep my distance so I don’t lose my mind.
To eliminate the „filming“ feeling
How do you achieve that the heroes open up to you?
I never put the heroes in an environment where they do not belong. We adjust to them, as well as to the situation we find ourselves in. We prepare questions and situations in advance, but it does not mean that something different hap- pens at the end. We need to get it on film, no matter what happens. You need to react with flexibility and improvisation.
How does the film crew look like?
I always try to eliminate the feeling of filming. That is why there are only three of us: DOP, Sound and myself. No lights, no one else.
Are you succeeding in having a stable crew?
Cameramen and sound operators change. What is important, that all of them connect to my style. We are not making beautiful, arranged shots. We need to capture what happens here and now. Authenticity is more than splendid camera shot for me.
The need of being homegrown
Your heroes have strong local roots, as film heroes they appeal to the festival viewers around the world. How come?
I had often asked the festival viewers how they comprehend the local issues in my films. Their answer is that these are universal stories. Social themes have different resemblance for different people, but globally they have something similar – authenticity.
How are you able to transfer it to the screen?
Today the documentary film makers generally travel abroad for their actual subject matter. They record the war conflict and social crisis in Syria and Afghanistan. I don’t do this and don’t know how. I defined myself as a local recorder. I am here in Czechia. This is the world I understand. When I get to see a picture on the wall at someone’s flat, it will help me to characterize this person. It is banal metaphor but I simply need to be local. To know the coherency and context so I could observe and particularly engagingly depict the destiny of local people.
