Florida Film Festival 2019 – Happiness
Three characters at a different age seek love, peace and success. As they will all learn soon enough - sometimes happiness simply depends on luck.
Interview with Director Maciej Buchwald
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Happiness was my diploma feature in National Film School in Lodz. For the last school film, I wanted to tell an entertaining and dynamic story with strong characters and complex visual side.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
If you like bittersweet comedies, where laughter often is mixed up with sadness. If you want to be surprised in the cinema, you should definitely watch Happiness.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I believe every movie is somehow personal. As a writer and director I use, sometimes unconsciously, themes and subjects from my life, which interest or bother me. I think we live in times of shortcuts to everything - love, health, success, both physical and mental well-being. Everyone wants to achieve happiness, whatever it means to one. And that is universal. I think that a lot of people will sympathize with the characters who learn that there are no easy ways to achieve it and find that we can try as hard as we can but the reality will always do what it wants.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The original version was quite different than the one I shot the movie with. Primary, the idea was to shoot the story in five long takes with disturbed chronology. The viewers wouldn't understand the whole story until the very end of the movie. But during the process of writing, I gave up this idea and just followed the characters and their stories. The first scene I wrote was the one at the speed-dating meeting which turns into an orgy. In the first version of a script, it was an opening scene of a movie. Now it is much close to the film's ending.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
I have received very positive feedback. What is most important for me, people are really inside the story and with the characters when they are watching the movie. What is interesting, for some the movie is very funny and ironic, for others sad and realistic. I guess it depends on each viewer's sense of humour, sensitivity and view on, for example, therapy.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I was surprised that a lot of people think of the last scene as a happy ending. For me it's rather awkward and not very optimistic for the main character - she laughs because she cannot do much more. But for many viewers the laugh means kind of victory or relief for her - and maybe they are right. I think the audience decides what the movie is about, not the creator of it.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
It is rather difficult for school films to gather bigger attention, especially worldwide. So I hope more people would learn about Happiness, my other work (also music videos and other shorts which I have on Vimeo), myself and my future projects.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Since Happiness is a short school movie, it is much more artistic than a commercial project. That's why I think film festival directors and journalists alongside distributors could help push the film further and gain more audience for it.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love people to talk about this movie, even if they don't like it. I'd rather have a movie which will split the audience and start a discussion, than show a film that nobody would care about.
I would like this film to create emotions in the audience, to make them laugh, cry and think after it is over.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
We could choose the banal one like - What is happiness? What does it mean to you? or a little bit more sophisticated - Is it true that in modern times people don't have patience and can't wait for the real happiness to come, so instead they are choosing shortcuts, placebos and fake replacements to feel happy for a little while even though they know it is not true?
Would you like to add anything else?
I would like to make movies which are equally funny and sad, cause life is like that, so I don't divide things into sad or funny - the two come somehow always together for me.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am writing my feature full-length debut and I hope to start the pre-production process this year.
Interview: May 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Happiness
Three characters at a different age seek love, peace and success. As they will all learn soon enough - sometimes happiness simply depends on luck.
Length: 23:01
Director: Maciej Buchwald
Producer: Agata Golańska
Writer: Maciej Buchwald
About the writer, director and producer:
Born in 1986 in Warsaw. MACIEJ BUCHWALD graduated from Warsaw University and Theatre Academy in Warsaw and National Filmschool in Lodz (directing). He is the author of awarded shorts, features and music videos and member of an improv group Klancyk, comedian. Happiness (2018) is his feature diploma. His filmography includes Worried man (2016), Hangover (2015), 21 years a student (2014). Horoscopes of love (2012), Signal (2012), Growing up in Imielin (2010), I’ve got you on tape (2010) and There is nothing to be silent about (2007).
Key cast: Jowita Budnik (Joanna).Roman Gancarczyk (Tadeusz).Ewelina Pankowska (Julia).Przemysław Sadowski (Coach)
Looking for: journalists, film festival directors, distributors, sales agents
Facebook: Maciej Buchwald
Instagram: @buchwi
Hashtags used: #happiness #szczescie #maciejbuchwald #pwsftvit #dramedy #comedy #short
Other: Vimeo
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? OKFA/Konin - 29.05