In summer 2011 the scenario “The killer’s love” was claimed to state financing. The experts’ reviews about interesting idea & detailed heroes were very positive. But they were denial of financing because of conflicting & irritate subject, which Ukrainian people couldn’t apprehend adequate

till this time. In October 2011 the festival “Youth” took place. There was a presentation of the project. Many admitted, that:

a) The film is about contradicted person Stepan Bandera

b) The film is about contradicted person Stashinskii

c) The interesting in this topic from Georgian

But everyone had a high opinion of Zaza Buadze script. Till Fresh Production Co. producing “Caucasian Ursus arctos”,- another Buadze film, “Killers love” is waiting for its time.

Zaza Buadze had a talk to Jaroslav Pidgora-Gryazdovskii about interesting & complex scenario.

J.P-G.: Five years ago one of the central Ukrainian TV channel realized the project “Famous Ukrainians”. According to it, Stepan Bandera became the second most famous Ukrainian, after Yaroslav Mudrii. Was it the reason for you to write a scenario about Bandera murder or it was John Still article “Murder, disarmed by love” from Life journal in 1962?

Z.B.:  Yes. It was Life Journal. As I remember, I have read it in 2009 & felt story is mine. Though on a project pitching critic Vladimir Voitenko & director Vladimir Tihii were worried about ethical side, cause the Ukrainian history is interpretating by Georgian. But I am a professional script writer. I am a story hunter. It does not matter, where they are found. I wrote script not about Bandera. I was astonished by love story, described in that article. But a common dislike in that story is about national hero murder. You have to understand, that it is a strong temptation for script writer to keep out from such a vigorous story, a sin to close the eyes on it. Our curator Simona Baumann said, outside the Ukraine nobody cares who was Bandera especially if his part in the film lasts only two minutes of the textual time.

J.P.-G.: So, what is the main line of the scenario – women’s love or terroristic activity of the Soviet Union. which is withholding but impending under the heroes? I mean, is it drama, political detective, action or melodrama with thriller elements?

Z.B.: This question was also on a festival “Youth” – if it is a spy film or a drama? We were forced to specify a niche – what is “Love…” like? I called two relatively similar films – “Reader” by Stiven Doldry & “Others life” by Florian Genkel von Donnersmark. Poland producer & director Dariush Yablonskii, considered my story more powerful, persisted in “spy” aspect of the story. As for me – the story is completely drama, couse you also could not call Lars von Trier “Melancholy” called as science fiction. Some elements are obvious, but not more. My “Love…” is a love drama with elements of spy film.

Y.P-G.: So you deliberately avoided all possible political or national questions?

Z.B.: Of cause!  For me, more important was to tell a universal human story, clear to a large audience.

Y.P-G.: But then in the foreground appear a moral aspect: you are making a human from the murder.

Z.B. & what is wrong about that?

Y.P-G.:  It is immoral.

Z.B.: You know, a men lived two thousand years ago said, if anyone throw a stone on him, who innocent. There are mad dogs, but rabies is not a common sign for dogs, it is an illness. There is no good or bad people, they are strong or week. I am not a moralist & hate morals, but sure, that any peace of art should have at list one of Ten Commandments in its background. All people have one big temptation – to close an eye on a conscience. A strong one are resists, a week one – becomes betrayers & drags of society. I am not saying now about maniacs – right they are insane. It is roughly of cause, & I didn’t take into account an intermediate, buffer zone, which includes simply conformists. But you know what is interesting: my scenario is not about week person. From the very beginning the main hero was not Stashinskii, but Inge – his beloved. Only after working a year, the practice in the Greece Mediterranean Cinema Institute under guidance off very good editors, I realized Stationskii as a main hero. Because, he is changed, not Inge. The fact is the same – a love saved murders sole. A women has force inside, capable of saving. He is nominally the main hero, a man who travels from Borshovitsy village, where he betrays to West Berlin, where he admits his guilt. But the main figure is Inge. She is mentor, shade & guide. The film slogan could be connected to that, that a weak woman could be stronger then KGB.

Y.P.G: Seventeen years ago Oles Yanchuk shoot a film about Stashinsii & Bandera murder – “Attendant – autumn murder in Minchin.” It seems, like “apology for a murder” more interesting then victim.

Z.B.: Yes, & we can’t avoid it.

Y.P-G.:  There is an opinion, that in it is not proper to shoot a film about Bandera’s murder in Ukraine till there is no film about himself.

Z.B.: I clearly understand a state of affairs & political reality; – I am not wool-gathering. But truly believe it mistaken, cause an art should be separate of the   politics. But they are together forever. I do not refuse of my intention & ready for shooting.

Y.P-G.:  But are you ready for complexities, connected with historical material implementation. You have to study environment & customs of the West Ukraine of 40’s & East Berlin of 50-60’s?

East Berlin, 1950th

Z.B.: I like the part of scenario preparing, when you have to absorb in a work of the necessary epoch. I tell you a story. One of the heroes had to be Inge’s father Kurt. He met to his daughter & Stashinskii. I saw tat scene as if it came into my view. I knew everything, every detail.  I also new, that Kurt was smoking a cigarette. I had to find out, what sort of cigarettes. I almost went out of my mind in searching the name for a month! Cause different people smoke different cigarettes. And which one fits Kurd? And I found out – it was F1. But in spite of wasted time & forces, I extracted the fact from the scenario. From some moment it made no difference…

Y.P-G.:  I a moment, after the scenario, the heroes heard a song by Doris Dey from Alfred Hedgehog film “A men, who knows too much”. I wonder, if you know that Doris was German with genealogical tree for 400 years?

Z.B.: No, I didn’t. As animated cartoon “Panda Kung Fu” said, coincidence are not accidental. I studies photos of that time – banner, which covered Inger’s window, we took from a real photo & baseball match, which Inge took part. I lived in Berlin for two years & studied the city thoroughly. So as Inge. All sources say that Inge was not pretty. But Stashinskii was a handsome man.  Why & how he falls in love with Inge – is a secret of this story.

A house is in East Berlin in which lived Inge

Y.P-G.: Rude face futures & nice shapes – as says in your scenario, is reminding German actress Franco Potente. Were you wrote a scenario for her?

Z.B.: No. For the matter, Franca is much elder of my heroine. One of our partners from Bavaria Film Co. offered Veronica Ferres, you saw her in a main role in “Klimt” by Raul Ruis. But she is not Inge so much as she has a perfect beauty.  As for me, an excellent choice will be Kirsten Dunst, for a matter is German, she is German in a half (her father is from Hamburg).   We already sent her a script. According to her agent Erik Kransler, she marked the script as “interesting” & could take part in the work. Hollywood Co. Stone Village (“Spot reputation”, “Lincoln for the lawyer”) also interested in the project. If Dunst agreed, the Co. would take her fee upon them.

Y.P-G.: Those who saw “Atentat” by Yarchuk, – the film was very popular for the period of time, – remembered an actor & famous theatre director Jury Odinokogo as Stashinskii. Whose face will replace that lasting association?

Z.B.: It is hard to say, cause from the very beginning we have to choose the language of the film. If it becomes an international co-production, the marketing strategy makes us to produce in English.  We considered two candidatures with our German partners. They are Moritz Bleibtreu (“Run Lola run”) & Ken Duken (“The Gran Paradise”). But if Moritz is not a handsome man, but a powerful drama actor, then Ken’s situation is contrary. Anyway we have to abandon some of our illusions. Though, one more name was heard – German actor & director Til Schveiger. For the present period of tine casting is on the second place. We have to solve a problem of the financing. Everything is already decided from the German side but nothing particular from us.

Y.P-G.: The lust scene is Stashinskii & Inge are transferring by American agents to the West Berlin at the day of starting building the infamous Wall. How do you expect to shoot? The Wall is removed & a part of the wasteland on Potsdam Plats between West & East Berlin was built long time ago.

Z.B.: Fortunately the modern technologies aloud us to finish drawing of a part of already built decorations. Though, even they couldn’t solve problems of some moments in my scenario filming. The Berlin of 50-th is not exist any more. The Germans itself filming Berlin of the middle XX century partly in Warsaw, partly – in Lithuania. The Americans found Berlin in Budapest, while filme “Atonement”  with Helen Miller.  But not everything could be found. That’s why we greatly stake on our guys from AMAVI films.

Y.P-G.: To my mind, the hardest thing for you will be to show film in Ukraine so, that you could eat a cake and have it.

Z.B.: Yes, I understand. I am going to avoid a political moments using lovingly – dramatic subtext. And if somebody asked me about slogan of the file, I could suggest “Love is stronger then KGB”. It fully reflects the sense of the film & allowed to draw the viewer.

Talk Yaroslav Pidgora-Gryazdovskii

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