Grandma

A documentary for slightly pervert viewers

A film about a woman who must deal not only with ageing

55-year-old Tamara has had enough of men of her own generation whom she sees as permanently philosophizing, bitter and devoid of all ideals.

She takes out an add in the personals section: Mature, slightly pervert woman is seeking for young men between 18 and 24.

650 boys answered. Since then she has been sorting answers, choosing boys and meeting them. Soon she realizes that her role is to substitute their mother, a sex instructor and a soul healer.

This film is about a woman whose life as a grandma starts to mingle with her love life.

A story of escape from death to sex.

An Interview with Zuzana Piussi, director of Grandma film:

1) How did you meet Tamara and when did you get the idea of making a documentary about her? How long did the filming take and how many shooting days did you have?

Tamara called me one day and asked me to help her and one Czech director write sialogues for some film. I didn’t like the screenplay but Tamara became my friend. When she got into the stormy phase of her life I told her straight away that what she was going through felt like a proper film story I’d like to make. I offered her to write a script with me. Tamara was describing all the details with a great sense of humour. We were writing a script and having fun at the same time. Once she went on a date and I sat to the next table pretending I didn’t know her. Tamara was yelling at the boy so I could hear dialogues. Even though I’m not an actress I couldn’t help bursting out with laughter.

I never rationally set a goal of what I should film and I hardly ever stick to some rigid idea, I let my topics take their course. I never concentrate on one topic, there are always several of them at stake, I even make more films simultaneously. I don’t know why but that’s the way it is. When we finished the script I wondered if Tamara’s character shouldn’t be played by another woman. The reason was exactly what you’re asking about; so I didn’t have to consider myself a hyena. My neighbour is actress Zuzana Kocurikova, I always watch her walking uphills wearing stillettos and a red mink furcoat. I guess she could be very good in the role of Grandma but it would have made a different film. I’m not sure if better but it wouldn’t be a documentary.

i asked Tamara if she wanted an actress to play her role but she refused. She was keen on acting. So the decision was made. I have to admit I was worried because I know that when someone plays himself he is never relaxed because he wants to present himself the best he can. He wants to see himself in his own mirror, not in the real one. And I don’t want my films to be presentations. i f Tamara hadn’t wanted to put all her emotions into the film, it would have made no sense to make the film at all. To be honest, we struggled a lot. I’m not the nicest person, I don’t know how to be diplomatic, and even though my voice is pretty weak I’d hiss at her all the more.

We were shooting this film for about two or thrww months and a year later I shot some additional scenes. Altogether it was about 25 shooting days.

2) What did you think about her idea to take out an ad searching for a young partner? Did you support her or did you try to talk her out of it?

I am an observer. I never tell anyone how to live, I haven’t figured that out myself. I was fascinated by Tamara’s question qwhich she laid upon herself and she also justified her answer: Is it better to live in a stale relationship with an old man or is it better to go for a shaky relationship with a youngster and make the most of it while it lasts?

3) How did you manage to get so close to Tamara’s privacy? Did you have to talk her into it? What do you think was her motivation to invite you and your camera into her private life?

We were looking forward to make a film, I hadn‘t pushed anybody into anything. If I had, it wouldn’t have worked out well. I want them to persuade me. Tamara knows that many women share her feelings. She wanted to talk about it, as well as about boys who answered her ad. I sneaked into Tamara‘s privacy just like Tamara sneaked into mine.

4) How did you feel during the shooting and afterwards, on your way home?

When I’m shooting a film I always think about its composition. i keep thinking about the film, I’m like a pilot who deals with more operations at the same time. I have two children which goes with many responsibilities, different activities but the film stays in my head all the time. I do shopping, cleaning, cooking, ironing... I just had to start making a film otherwise I’d hardly survive this kind of life, it’s my redemption. I recommend it to all housewives. There were days when I was happy for what I’d filmed and sometimes I‘m sad when things don’t work out well. I shoot my films myself, I hold the camera so I can get angry only with myself and I don’t have to break fingers to some cameraman.

5) Did you experience or learn anything important? How did Tamara enrich you?

I’m definitely afraid of ageing. I admit that. Otherwise I’d never make a film like this. I don’t know any formula for a beautiful old age. One can be saved from self-humiliation only by a clear, self-critical mind and love.

6) How do you feel about your film and what does it go to show?

Where is the quality of an emotional life? One must learn not only to grow old but also to be young. Everything can be done better, this feeling always remains. The film developed in front of the camera, I wanted it to be authentic. I like books and films which make me think, which don’t give me instructions. I hate psychologizing. I’m looking forward to a time in twenty years when I realize why I’d actually made this film.

7) How do you see yourself in twenty years‘ time?

If I’m not dead, demented or dead by then, I’l be engaged in films and theatre to save myself.

 

 

 

Zuzana Piussi was born on October 21, 1971 in Bratislava. Since 1992 she has cooperated with Stoka Theatre. Besides Stoka she also cooperated with a theatre ensemble Disk in Trnava and with a theatre company Hubris (Murphy), together with Lubos Burger she founded an association For Contemporary Opera – SkRAT. She studied directing at Directing Department of Film Faculty at VSMU, where she also realized her documentary films Disk – Zatva (Disk – Harvest) and a film Výmet (Sweep) which was awarded Grand Prix at an international film festival in Beirut and also recieved an award for the best documentary at a national competition of student films Acko Bratislava 2004. She also made documentary films Bezbozna krajina (A Godless Country, 2004) and Anjeli placu (Angels Are Crying, 2005), in 2007 she graduated at VSMU with a film Stoka – epilog (Stoka – Epilogue). She lives in Bratislava with her two children.

An interview with Tamara Archlebova, the main protagonist and co-writer:

1) How did you get to meet director of the film Zuzana Piussi? What led to decision to make a film about your life?

We used to go (and still do) to the same restaurant, a popular meeting point of artist. I’d been watching her for about a year because I found her interesting, later I adressed her when she was sitting with composer Ilja Zelenka who she was making a documentary film about. I felt right from the start that one day we’d work together (in that time I’d had already one film screenplay written...).

2) In the film you say that men of your age do not appeal to you. What do you think about them and what are the advantages and disadvantages of men in their twenties?

Of course, I don’t want to generalize, it never works. But many of them disappointed me, or made me feel uneasy later. I talk about the reasons in the film (the main reason is that many of them are disenchanted by their lives, even malevolent; a great part of my generation fancies drinking alcohol and I can’t stand it). Sure, older men have also their advantages and disadvantages, just like young ones. Young girls often seek older men, especially father figures (in worse cases because of money). Mature women, on the other hand, often try to find a substitute for their children who left home, and they want to fulfill their maternal instinct (I myself have this instinct extremely developed...) I’m the type of a woman who needs to look after somebody, protect him, be gentle and create a warm home.

3) The key moment of the film is your taking out an ad in which you are searching for a young man. Were you really looking for a serious relationship back then or were you sceptical in this respect? Have you managed to find who you were looking for, whether by means of the ad or without it?

This whole thing was preceded by an episode in my life when I fell in love with a young man whom I was seeing irregularly for almost three years. When I lost him (I don’t really feel like giving any more details), I was searching for something similar. I was alone for quite a long time and then I got this advice to try internet personals. I was checking what types of young men answer ads of mature women and what makes them do so. I realized that a big percentage of them is looking for surrogate mothers. All in all, I didn’t plan a love story but I also didn’t exclude this possibility. I don’t like planning things. I live spontaneously, the way I consider suitable at the given moment. Thanks to the ad I found several nice and pleasant boys, whether they became my lovers or friends for life. Eventually (after about two years) I got over this phase of searching and meeting young men. I felt apathetic, it all seemed to repeat itself over and over. After a few months I happened to find myself a boyfriend whose age is quite adequate (he’s also a bit younger than me) and we get along really well. We share an interest in music, plus he is unusually sensitive and thoughtful.

4) What motivated you to invite Zuzana with her camera into your house and your bedroom? Were there ever moments when you wanted to cancel the whole shooting?

The idea of making a film about this experience of mine came out of Zuzana Piussi’s head who probably liked the fact that after two divorces which almost knocked me down I managed to get myself together, and after years of raising my children I got a life again and started to enjoy what I really like, including writing, dancing, and last but not least singing. I accepted her offer and together we wrote a script which was to preserve attributes of a documentary but wouldn’t precisely copy a real life. I don’t deny a certain amount of exhibitionism (for example I like to dance in public, I posed for photos), so I agreed to let the camera come as close to me as possible and reveal many details from my intimate life, or more precisely from what we staged. I didn’t feel like cancelling the shooting, on the contrary...

5) How did shooting with Zuzana Piussi enrich you? Did the filming or Zuzana help you in any way? Do you think that the shooting and your searching has changed you in any way?

I may have said many things about my feelings, motives and experiences, it worked as a kind of a therapy, just like my poems or short stories in which I also reveal a lot. (Since I was a child n active contact with music has played a similar role in my life). It may have been a good thing to see myself in a rear-view mirror, sometimes I saw myself acting ridiculous and undignified.

6) How do you feel about your film and do you think it carries any message for the viewers?

I feel pretty good about it. I especially like Piussy’s work with camera which created an atmosphere of a pure documentary and made me act honestly and naturally. This might be a message; encouraging people to be themselves, live their lives, stop pretending they are perfect, no to let themselves be knocked down by misfortunes which life can bring and enjoy their lives while they can. I myself enjoy like a child even little things.

Tamara Archlebová was born in 1951 in Bratislava in a family of Hungarian journalists and translators, her mother was also a writer. She graduated at Hungarian High School and succesfully finished studies od history of art at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University. She worked as an editor in art and cultural magazines, and translated from Hungarian and Slovakian. She published two collections of poems, one in Hungarian, the second one in Slovakian, she is about to publish a collection of short stories. Both of her ex-husbands were poets. She has two children and two grandchildren.

An Interview with Cestmir Kopecky, producer of Grandma film:

1. How did you get to meet Zuzana Piussi and what made you support her film Grandma?

I know Zuzana as well as others from Stoka Theatre. I saw her previous three films and I was enchanted. It’s a completely different approach to a documentary film than I’ve ever seen.

2. How did you as a producer feel during shooting and post-production? What were you in charge of, how did you help the film?

I guess I was trying to help find a way to present a story of Tamara Archlebova.

Zuzana was free to shoot the film any way she liked and we mainly discussed what a viewer should gain from the film. This time it took me a long time to find my own problem in the story.

3. In the film Tamara takes out an add in which she searches for a young man. However, some of them refused to be filmed and others also changed their minds concerning the filming later on. How did you deal with those situations? Was there any general difference between those who accepted to be filmed and those who refused?

Tamara is free to interpret to what extent it is a documentary, a stylized documetary, or even a fiction. Sometimes we came across an ethical problem concerning what had already been shot, even though we’d already had a consent. I was surprised by the amount of answers which arrived after this relatively lascivious ad had been published.

4. How could this documentary attract viewers?

People might want to see all the sympathy and honesty with which director treats our protagonist.

5. How did Zuzana Piussi’s film enrich or influence you personally and how did Zuzana herself enrich or influence you?

Zuzana not only showed me a new approach to a documentary film, she also influenced me as a human being.

6) What does the film go to show? Does it carry any message?
Tamara is one of us and in this awful world she wants to and sometimes even manages to be happy. She herself causes many things that happen to her.

The fact that this film is a lively and comical parade of young wooers eager to have sex, only underlines another fact that a woman’s attractiveness doesn’t have to be only her credit.

Fortunately, this film does not carry any vocable message whatsoever.

Čestmír Kopecký

Born in 1952 in Prague. After graduation at FAMU (Producing Department) he worked at Czechoslovakian Television as a head of production staff, from 1990 as a head of a creative group. After leaving Czech Television in 1999 he becomes a manager of The City Theatre of Karlovy Vary. He founds Prvni Verejnopravni company in which he as a producer participated at films like The Key for Determining Dwarfs or The Last Travel of Samuel Gulliver (2002), Boredom in Brno (2003), The City of The Sun (2005), It’s Gonna Get Worse (2007), The Karamazovs (2008), Marbles (2008). In years 2005-2007 he assisted Vladimir Moravek as a manager at Goose on a String Theatre. At present, he teaches at FAMU and DAMU in Prague, prepares an extensive project for Ostrava, lives in Cesky raj and makes long phone calls when driving so he does not fall asleep behind the wheel.

Grandma
Release Date 26.02.2009

Cast and Crew:

Cast
Tamara Archlebová
Daniel Archleb
Bronislava Markušová
Matej Borovička
Lukáš Chládek
Lukáš Slovák
Milan Chalmovský
Ladislav Mirvald
Vít Bednárik
Štefánia Vejchodská
Gabriel Levický
Horňák Michal
Juraj Hajdin
Jozef Schottl
Ivona Ševčíková
Pavol Kalman
Barbora Vyoralová

story, screenplay

Zuzana Piussi
and
Tamara Archlebová

soundtrack
Živé kvety

album: Bez konca

Slnko records (2007)

musical piece: Slovník živých slov

music and lyrics: Peter Bálik a Lucia Piussi

interpret: Lucia Piussi

(www.zivekvety.sk)

Živé kvety

album: Na mojej ulici

Slnko records (2004)

musical piece: Je to v poriadku

music and lyrics: Peter Bálik a Lucia Piussi

interpret: Lucia Piussi

Ida Kelarová

album: Ida Kelarová & Romano Rat

Lotos (1999)

musical piece: Na Birinav / Nemůžu dál

music and lyrics: traditional gypsy song

arranged by: Ida Kelarová a Desiderius Dužda

interpret: Ida Kelarová

poster graphic design
Martin Kaiser

sound mix
Petr Neubauer

executive producer
Petr Koza

editing
Maroš Berák

producer
Čestmír Kopecký

direction and photography
Zuzana Piussi

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