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Est. Reading Time: 8 Minutes

MARK (M) Tell us a little about yourself - when did you become interested in film and filmmaking?

REINIS (R) I have been interested in writing since I was a kid. I liked putting my thoughts on paper in different forms - stories, short poems and diaries. Then as a student, I started to get passionate about philosophy so I pursued it at university. I liked it but didn't see myself becoming an academic. One night, I was wandering around the library in Preston University campus and found this book called ''Philosophy In Film’ - it was a defining moment, a lightning strike for me as I thought ‘maaaan, this is it’. I realised that film was the perfect platform to play around with meaningful ideas as you don't need to be overly precise in definitions. The following day I started to do everything to become a filmmaker.

M Doors and doorways have a rich history of artistic meaning and symbolism so I enjoyed watching their connection to intimacy, relationships and identity within your film. Please tell us about your ideas and thoughts behind using a door as one of the key storytelling elements - where did this inspiration and instinct come from?

R At first, I was looking for everyday activities that could be annoying and indicate tension in relationships. I also googled the most annoying things people don't like and ‘closing the door’ came at the top. It's a straightforward symbol of separation and a clean visual setting. The door creates privacy which is something that is challenging in a young relationship. Finally, I liked that we could use the physicality of the door, it was fun to find different ways of closing it with the different character archetypes we developed. I always like to avoid direct symbolism, I like when symbolism is not too pushy and there is a space for the audience to add their own meaning.

On Cinematography

M I really liked your film’s visual aesthetic and texture - it’s eye-catching and prolific! Please tell us about the importance of analog film in allowing you to capture and portray the depth of the main character’s relationship as well as her physical surroundings.  

R We wanted to develop a contrast between colourful, hopeful youth and grim, depressing post-soviet environment. The analog film helped us to establish this contrast in natural light conditions. In addition, we wanted to find authentic 360-degree locations in the abandoned areas of the city. It was a tough task as most of these buildings are renovated or closed down. 

Secondly, 16mm film has this imperfect and timeless look. We wanted each image to as if it was from a personal journal. We wanted to enter the intimate space of these two people and become part of their everyday life.

Finally, the analog film has a special aura during the whole process, it creates a different concentration within the cast and crew. We celebrate every moment we shoot because of the limited takes we can afford. This approach mimics life itself, it adds extra meaning to every moment. I love such tension, I think it brings the best out of everybody.

M It was interesting to see the camera move with a degree of freedom and shakiness throughout the entire film. Please tell us about your approach to the film’s shooting style - how do you think hand-held camera movement portrays and reflects the inner world of the main character?  

R We wanted the camera to be part of the world of our characters, a following eye that has close access to their lives. A hand-held camera gives us more flexibility to find shots during the process and use 360-degree locations. As a result, there is more space for actors and the cinematography to use these visually rich spaces. When I'm on set, I always like to keep myself open to new possibilities and be ready to react to the momentum of what’s happening around and in front of me, I think it's a skill that can be developed.

On Analog Film

‘We celebrate every moment we shoot because of the limited takes we can afford. This approach mimics life itself, it adds extra meaning to every moment’

— Reinis Spaile

On Process & Discovery

M In making and finishing the film, what did you discover and learn that you might adopt or further explore in future projects?

R The most exciting part was working with our actors, Nikola and Tomass who didn't have any acting experience. They were raw and real. Our main goal was to establish mutual trust and understand the story. We had many discussions and reshaped the script significantly.

Secondly, I liked the energy that the crew created. I think it's essential and you can feel it in the outcome. We had a relatively experienced crew for a passion project, and there was this raw joy of ‘coming together and doing stuff’, a bit like in student films. Sometimes you miss this energy and feeling in commercial sets. I think it's important to feel excited whenever you step foot on the film set. You are creating a new world. It's magical.

Finally, I loved trying non-linear editing and a monologue-driven story. It's a style I feel comfortable within and I would like to keep progressing in this direction.

M It would be great to learn more about the evolution of your script. Many moments feel very natural and spontaneous so I would love to know, how much freedom did you give actors to improvise during scenes?  

R Firstly, we had rehearsals where we blocked core interior scenes. Then we had different improvisation tasks so Nicola and Tomass would feel more comfortable using the space and adding their own mannerisms. Most of the exterior scenes were scripted but we kept the blocking open. We worked around one main task and gave actors freedom to interpret it in their own way.

Secondly, we kept longer takes as I like moments in-between scripted actions that suddenly begin to feel ‘real’.  It's also the outstanding work of our Director of Photography who reads the situation well and becomes part of it.

On Inspiration

M What are some of the films and who are some of the filmmakers that inspire you, and why?

R My fundamental inspiration is Paris, Texas (1984) - it’s one film I keep coming back to in terms of visual style as well as the sensible and sensitive way of telling a personal story. Watching this film is a truly mind-blowing experience.

My favourite directors are David Lynch, Lars von Trier, Roy Andersson and Milos Forman, each of whom have a distinct storytelling approach.

On The Future

M What are you planning to make next?

R I keep myself very active through working on commercial films as an international director.

There are two short stories and two feature films on my desk that I want to develop. I want to keep myself busy, I think it's very tough to make a film so I better have more options to choose from when the timing gets right. Besides writing, I schedule time to read a lot. At the moment, I do it much more than watching movies. There is a certain kind of hyper-joy when I read a good book - it opens a gate to a new world and is an insanely rewarding feeling.

Mark’s Final Thoughts

• Really interesting to feature another film that symbolizes the use of doors - I was proud to launch our platform with a film called Descent which connects the closing of a car door with anxiety and depression. So I’m always curious to see how we interpret and symbolize the same objects in completely different ways.

• As I mentioned, I really like the way Reinis connects the closing of a bedroom door to identity and love. His answer also demonstrates how you can develop quite broad and generalized ideas (i.e. Google searching ‘most annoying things that people do’) into distinctive, personal and relatable films.

• I’ve heard many directors discuss how shooting on film creates a special energy and focus on set so it was really interesting to see Reinis take the conversation further and essentially link the finitude of film to human life.

• When Reinis discussed his approach to working with actors on set, I really resonated with this line - ‘…I like moments in-between scripted actions that suddenly begin to feel real’. I think it is related to a quote from one of my favourite directors, Derek Cianfrance who has essentially said that he tries to ‘create moments where the story stops and life begins’ on set. I think this is possibly what Reinis is alluding to when he mentions looking for and liking ‘in-between moments’ - these singular looks, reactions and/or actions that feel truly natural, instinctive and ultimately come from a person’s soul.

  Tags  Analog Cinematography Experimental Live-action Narration
  
  
  
  

  
  

The founder of Hommage, Mark Shaba published this interview on 18.01.2022. Mark is a filmmaker from Victoria, Australia. He respectfully acknowledges the past and present traditional owners of the land on which he creates, promotes and screens art, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation who are the custodians.