Czech director Zuzana Kirchnerová might be heading to Cannes with “Caravan,” but she’s already shooting a miniseries tackling domestic violence — “with a very strong female character” — and developing a new feature under the working title “Bodies.”
“I want it to be a very sensorial project, exploring the subject of aging,” she told Variety.
“I like it when you can ‘touch’ a film. Every time I make one, I need to deeply connect to its theme. It needs to be something I think about every day.”
In her feature debut “Caravan,” selected for Un Certain Regard — marking the first return to the official selection of a majority Czech production in over 30 years — she decided to reference her own experiences as a mother of a disabled child.
“I wouldn’t say I ‘regret’ being a mother, not at all. I’m really happy to have kids, but sometimes, I would love to escape and get my old life back. It used to be so difficult for me to admit, even to my closest friend or to my sister, or to say it out loud. But it’s so important to be able to do that,” she said.
“There will be many people who won’t exactly punish me for it, but they will comment on it. It’s one of our last taboos, for sure. We have this idea that once you become a mother, you turn into a saint. Especially when it comes to disabled kids. It didn’t happen to me. I love my child, but I also wanted to be a filmmaker and have my career. I wanted to be more than a mother.”
In the film, Ester and her teenage son David head out on a road trip to Italy.
“When I started to write, I was a single mother with a disabled son and second son who was just a baby. I was sitting in Prague, in my room, and realized: ‘I don’t want to make a depressing film,’” admitted Kirchnerová.
“I wanted to make a film which would be joyful and full of sun and colors. I wanted something which would open up the horizon and feel transcendental.”
Imagining Anna Geislerová in the lead role helped her distance herself from the story.
“This way, Ester became more like her and not me. But there’s a bit of me in every character. I really enjoyed writing Zuza [their new friend played by Juliana Brutovská Ol’hová]. She reminded me of how I used to be with my friends when I was younger. Italy is basically a metaphor of a summer dream. Ester becomes more open also because of Zuza — she’s the one who triggers this playfulness in her.”
“Caravan”
She spent six months looking for David, played by David Vodstrčil.
“The funniest thing is that he goes to the same school as my son. I had him right under my nose. I saw many families, which in a way was a good thing — they shared so many stories. Unlike his character, he’s completely independent and has no trouble communicating, he doesn’t need assistance, so he really needed to play that role. With Anna, they had a great chemistry. She calls him her fourth child.”
Despite lighthearted approach, Kirchnerová wanted to be honest — also about her protagonists’ sexuality.
“I didn’t want to hide these aspects, and when we talk about the dignity of disabled people, we have to acknowledge their sexuality as well. They are sexual, just like you and me. We accept these kids when they are small and cuddly. But once they become teenagers, it’s harder. This is something we need to talk about,” she said.
“If you are a mother of a disabled child, you are not allowed to be joyful or passionate. For me, sex means energy. It makes you feel alive. When Ester embarks on an affair, it feels like she’s saying: ‘I want to be alive. I want this for myself, because I am giving so much to others.’”
It was a long road to get the film made. But Kirchnerová credits Torino Film Lab with making her believe it could be done.
“In the Czech Republic, it was harder. Not because of this subject, but because I wanted to make a film in Italy. They probably thought it was too personal, even though I’ve never gone on a trip like that, and didn’t finance it for many years. There were many men who couldn’t connect with the main character. They would say she’s ‘unlikeable’ and ‘doesn’t know what she wants.’ Or that the film should be more plot-driven, with some big ending. I would always ask: ‘Do you want me to go to Hollywood? They like big endings over there’.”
Ultimately, the project was picked by Cannes’ L’Atelier. Before, Kirchnerová was also awarded the Cinéfondation Prize for best short film for “Baba.” Now, she hopes “Caravan” will make people less afraid of portraying disability in their work.
“Fear is probably the right word. Disabled people are just like other people. Zuza is such a great character, because she’s not prejudiced. She looks at David and sees a teenage boy, not a diagnosis. She would behave the same with everyone else,” she said.
“For me, it’s about freedom. People push you into the prison of what you should be. Especially when you’re a mother, you’re supposed to fulfil all these societal expectations. Making this film was like delivering a final ‘fuck off.’ Saying: ‘Ok, now I’m going to do what I want. I’m going to live’.”
“Caravan” was produced by Dagmar Sedláčková of MasterFilm, with Nutprodukcia (Slovakia) and Tempesta (Italy) co-producing. Alpha Violet handles sales.
