00:00:00: Hello, Viesto Skyrish!

00:00:01: We are here at Cannes with your new film.

00:00:04: It's called Ulja and it is about iconic sports figure Ulja Semyonova basketball player from the Soviet Union.

00:00:11: How did you find her very unusual story?

00:00:29: some days just join our ensemble.

00:00:31: And then we of course forget this idea, I heard after a few years that he is telling or

00:00:36: D.O.P.,

00:00:36: Wojtek Starand during...or previous film about again the idea how he feel and they understand.

00:00:42: oh it could be a film!

00:00:43: Then i was convinced with ideas that he's playing Ulla.

00:00:47: Ulla Smyonović very legendary figure in Latvia.

00:00:50: everybody knows her she still alive at that time..and of course old health wasn't best shape but somehow It was not an idea to make, but it's somehow like a complex of just the idea that Carlos is playing her.

00:01:04: I can't explain why i felt because its something impossible Something greater.

00:01:09: No you cant understand how this is also somehow intuitively Because she has very strange person.

00:01:15: She really was this giant and she was very... Its not easy To be played by girl anyway.

00:01:23: Of course film touched gender questions.

00:01:27: Not about this, that was very important also in the beginning.

00:01:31: That we will try to be honest and personal trying to understand what Julia is thinking how she's feeling actually I can't answer but there are something like more touching some deepest levels of human being humans.

00:01:47: It's a more human story.

00:01:48: paradoxically it would be just...

00:01:51: And you mentioned her as still alive?

00:01:54: She was still alive.

00:01:57: Then was first thing, I convinced producer let's do this with cars which is very hard to convince producers.

00:02:04: And then of course we must get her accept make the film otherwise it wouldn't start.

00:02:11: First thing i went to her.

00:02:13: authorities from Latvian Olympic committee managed his meeting and explained this idea.

00:02:20: really strange ideas for her.

00:02:22: that boy will play but she such a did.

00:02:25: she understand You know, she was... She understand about.

00:02:29: there is some crazy people who want to make the film about you and shes very modest.

00:02:34: She don't want any publicity or something like that but she said yes!

00:02:38: And then of course I met also with her after we working few years this script and co-producing things before shooting because i still felt they dont have enough material what her feelings how she felt somewhere and it was very interesting conversation.

00:02:58: And they tried to, I asked how you feel?

00:03:01: You know... To get something out because she is kind of a very close person.

00:03:06: She was crying but still she sees her life as lit with this positive story.

00:03:13: It's really hard make film Because we want understand how she suffers or feels about herself How he is so different person.

00:03:24: Obviously, it's not like different what we feel but obviously because she... Every Latvian have story that he thinks oh you know I knew Ulia.

00:03:31: Because they met her on the trolley bus and everybody staring at her.

00:03:37: You always are this..I can't imagine this.

00:03:39: Let

00:03:39: us go back a little bit to aspect of her illness.

00:03:42: She has agromigalia.

00:03:43: Did your research that illness?

00:03:44: And did think about the aspect of representation.

00:03:47: This is also theory That she had this illness.

00:03:50: It was never scientifically.

00:03:51: Yes in a way speculation Probably true.

00:03:54: About gender thing, because they had this what we mentioned.

00:03:57: probably she have the illness cause.

00:04:00: suddenly she start to grow up and in Soviet times you know nobody cares about it some country side but its really truth.

00:04:07: that was very...

00:04:30: Tell us a little bit about the decision process that you decided to cast a male actor.

00:04:35: or was it purely connected?

00:04:39: Are you

00:05:02: aware of the gender discussions that go on at a moment, especially in American sports?

00:05:07: but also international.

00:05:37: because of the Trump policy, probably speculation I don't know.

00:05:40: Of course it was a really tricky thing.

00:05:43: It wasn't like this kind of.

00:05:44: oh let's this conjuncture decision?

00:05:46: Oh!

00:05:46: Let do now with everybody speaking about it and just somehow we fit in that time while shooting it especially now when topic arms come very important Especially for female sport, transgender sports and hot topics Somehow fits into discussion or conversation but probably deeper It will make sense.

00:06:07: Were at any point female actors cast for the role?

00:06:10: Or was it always clear that he would play a role?

00:06:12: Yeah, no producers tried to convince me sometimes but probably we could find some... But I wouldn't do this film because i'm not interested in coming of age.

00:06:22: My topic is something between what can say also feeling every person have some freak on your own What you deal with or are killing hit or trying to know.

00:06:34: Every person has these

00:06:52: And your visual style is very distinct, black and white shooting, pale images.

00:06:57: How did you develop it?

00:06:58: and

00:07:05: really happy person who find your own DOP because we are really happy to work together.

00:07:10: And of course, We're discussing immediately if there is many personal aspects Because it's a year nineteen sixty four This year when the film begins.

00:07:19: It was here where my parents met.

00:07:21: My father was this amateur photographer.

00:07:23: He was in love When he made a lot of photos.

00:07:25: Like many many episodes Are influenced by photos from my father.

00:07:28: Of course they were black & white Also these little bit historical aspect.

00:07:32: And somehow also.

00:07:34: I somehow was feeling let's not go in colors, like get rid of everything be very ascetic.

00:07:39: This format was influenced because she is tall and a little bit go vertical.

00:07:43: but this crazy if we calling it this crazy camera... It was looking how to show her inner world?

00:07:49: How will find some visualization?

00:07:52: just we show how she feels.

00:07:54: But you know.. Not putting into words trying the image that kind of inner giant point-of-view.

00:08:00: This invention avoided student film school, we're calling it crazy camera.

00:08:05: It's something you would never accept a film.

00:08:07: but Wojtek I love he so creative He likes those strange things and quickly understand that this is really what we need.

00:08:14: And then We Really work hard to develop This.

00:08:16: and What

00:08:17: do You hope will the audience take away?

00:08:19: Somehow i feeling its very emotional film.

00:08:21: Its in A way simple But was Very complex.

00:08:24: Everybody Will Take His Own Story.

00:08:27: For Me It Was Paradox.

00:08:28: I tried To Go Deep Deep In Her Mind Universal.

00:08:33: somehow suddenly the story become and it's really I start to felt this is a story about everybody of us.

00:08:38: I hope that It will touch every person because Every person in one moment on your life was will you feel this inner freak?

00:08:45: Nobody except you are look somebody totally different.

00:08:48: And to show also as his beauty or diversity This beauty be different, then that is.

00:08:54: you must be proud That you are different not try to hide but they're I really hope for ever person And

00:09:07: our personal memories of the Soviet times influencing.

00:09:30: easy also to convince them but they just must be honest.

00:09:33: But this system, the sport system it's very politically.

00:09:37: And

00:09:37: do you have a new subject your working

00:09:44: on?

00:10:06: who is researching the death of her daughter, who did a collective suicide in religious way.

00:10:12: But this was not worth it.

00:10:13: Sounds very interesting.

00:10:14: so thank you for that interview!

00:10:16: Thank You.