Actress Adelaida Perjoiu, MMXX movie: "Whether you’ve done tons of movies or none, there can be no shine unless you’re all in with what you’re going on in that moment."

The most recent cinematic offering from Cristi Puiu, MMXX, is currently in theaters throughout Romania. Garnering recent acclaim from the International Cinéphile Society as “bewildering, captivating, fun, and wonderfully played,” the film premiered globally in the official competition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival. It has since embarked on an impressive festival journey, securing official selections in Zurich, Warsaw, Cottbus, Rio de Janeiro, Montreal, Thessaloniki, Lisbon, Trieste, Vilnius, and Goa. Business Review engaged in an interview with actress Adeliada Perjoiu to uncover the behind-the-scenes dynamics.

With Cristi Puiu’s distinctive situational humor and a substantial dose of candor, MMXX (representing the year 2020 in Roman numerals) “plunges us directly into the lives of its characters, rejecting convenient clues and allowing us to navigate its often intricately layered maze of elusive meanings” (Screen International). The film unfolds four brief moments in time that capture the meanderings of souls trapped at the crossroads of history.

Tell us more about your character. In what ways does she diverge from the initial conception crafted during the workshop compared to her portrayal on screen?

In the movie I play Consuelo, who appears in the fourth part of the movie. She is a very heavy character, whom I find difficult to describe in words. She’s what one might call a villain; she’s spent her life participating in prostitution, human and child trafficking, organ trafficking… involving even her own child… so the level of gruesomeness is high and runs deep in her veins… yet, in the movie we come to find her in a pivoting moment of her life.

From what I understood from the rest of the team, this script was not written like the rest of the stories from the movie. It was not co-written by the participants from the workshop. It came to be as it is, written entirely by Cristi Puiu at the request of Dorian and Dragos whom both expressed their desire to be in this movie, after having assisted the workshop taking place. So, regarding the divergence from the initial conception, I cannot give many details. But what I can say is that the part where Consuelo talks about her first love, of which she seems to had forgotten until she met a certain man- that part was written by Cristi right before the camera started rolling.

And I find that bit in Consuelo’s confession a stroke of genius on behalf of Cristi, as it is the only glimpse of light and innocence in what otherwise would have been an irredeemable character. We are reminded in that moment that behind all the darkness we see in a human being, she is still bearing the image of God, thus looking for Love. And the story comes full circle as we get to see from what an abysmal hell a person can crawl back up by remembering their first true love, embracing the truth and embracing life.

I personally believe that this is how miracles happen…sometimes in such discrete ways, that we might even dismiss them, in the search of great wonders, that catch our eyes.

Can you elaborate on the role of workshops organized by Dragos Bucur and Dorian Boguta at Acting for Film School in recruiting you for MMXX?

I guess that if the workshops hadn’t taken place, then the movie wouldn’t have happened as it did. I myself did not participate to the workshops, I had just had a baby back then and so my attention and presence was all pointed to that event of my life. So, the workshops were the starting point to creating this movie and the making of the movie then led to them recruiting me for the part of Consuelo. And I am grateful that the workshops happened to begin with, even though at that time I did not know of them.

In what ways does the collaboration between Cristi Puiu and the participants from the workshop impact the authenticity and depth of the performances in MMXX?

Since I did not participate in the workshop, I can only speculate based on my experience in working with Cristi Puiu. I guess it has a lot to do with the fact that Cristi is very truthful in what he does, and he is very compelling in bringing truthfulness in the people he’s working with. He does not cut corners, does not embrace illusory attitudes and ideas, always faithful to his beliefs, without compromise. This, I think, is what makes the performances in this movie to be so good.

What does the collaboration between Cristi Puiu and the workshop participants reveal about the director’s commitment to nurturing new talent and providing opportunities for emerging actors in the industry?

Again, without having participated in the workshops, I dare to say that, in reality, there are very few real “teachers” or “promoters” of new talents, without being somehow tainted by personal gains or personal issues. And he is one of the few artists that really gives actors the chance of great achievements in their development as artists, which is huge.

Considering the involvement of workshop participants in the film, how does Puiu’s directorial style adapt to accommodate both experienced actors and those new to the industry, ensuring a harmonious and compelling storytelling experience?

Funny thing is that with Cristi Puiu I don’t believe there is such thing as experienced actors and new coming actors. Once you manage to drop all the masks and fears of losing who you think you are, once you manage to just be who you are, and not what you’d like to be, you feel all of a sudden like a lifetime long actor and like a newbie at same time. And it’s very impactful to any actor, regardless of his experience or lack of.

What impact does the blend of seasoned actors and debutants have on the overall atmosphere and authenticity of the film, particularly in portraying the challenging and complex scenarios presented in MMXX?

I find it difficult to say in what way the fact that there are seasoned actors and debutants performing in the movie has impacted the film, because Cristi Puiu does not have different standards when it comes to actors, be it seasoned or debutants. He expects and he looks for the best in both categories. Sure, there may be different types of challenges when dealing with a debutant versus dealing with an experienced actor. But ultimately, both have the same task: lose their fears and and be who they’re expected to be in that story. A debutant might be fearful that they don’t know how to act, or that they don’t have enough experience, but a seasoned actor can be just as captive to their fears, as a debutant. It’s the fear of not losing their status, their good image as seasoned actors, the fear of being less than previous role they’ve done. The fear of disappointment. And so, the work is no less for any of the two categories.

In your opinion, how does the inclusion of both well-known actors and debutants contribute to the overall dynamic of the film?

I think it’s a wonderful mix between the two categories, and it really comes to show that when you’re involved into something without any holding backs, great things can happen. It all comes back to how committed you are when doing something, regardless of what happened previously in your life. Whether you’ve done tons of movies or none, there can be no shine unless you’re all in with what you’re going on in that moment.

How do you personally perceive the significance of the year 2020, separate from any influence or representation in this particular movie?

2020 was a pivotal year for me. It is the year I got married, the year I gave birth to my wonderful daughter and the year I sifted my life and what really matters to me. It was a tough year, because of the pandemic we all went through, but I felt that God had created this little island, which was the forming of my family, in which I felt protected and recast in a bigger role in my life.

Alongside Dragoș Bucur, Dorian Boguță, and Dan Bordeianu, the cast includes: Bianca Cuculici, Otilia Panainte, Laur Bondarenco, Florin Țibre, Igor Babiac, Adelaida Perjoiu, Aurelian Chioveanu, Marin Cumatrenco, Roxana Ogrendil, Adelina Ioana Toma.

MMXX is a Mandragora and Block Media Management production in co-production with YOUBESC (Republic of Moldova) and in collaboration with actoriedefilm.ro, Fit4You, Farmacia Ana, Chainsaw Europe (Romania), Shellac (France), and is distributed in Romania by Iadasarecasa. The film’s producers are Dragoș Bucur, Dorian Boguță, Sergiu Cumatrenco, Viorel Chesaru, Cristi Puiu, and Anca Puiu.

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