Actress Olivia Panainte, MMXX movie: "As long as there is generosity, the blend functions brilliantly"

The latest film by Cristi Puiu, MMXX, is currently in cinemas across Romania. Recently praised by the International Cinéphile Society as “bewildering, captivating, fun, and wonderfully played,” the film had its world premiere in the official competition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival and has already had an impressive festival journey, with official selections in Zurich, Warsaw, Cottbus, Rio de Janeiro, Montreal, Thessaloniki, Lisbon, Trieste, Vilnius, and Goa. Business Review interviewed actress Olivia Panainte to delve into the happenings behind the scenes.

With the well-known situational humor in Cristi Puiu’s style and a lot of candor, the film MMXX (the year 2020 in Roman numerals) “immerses us directly into the lives of its characters, refusing convenient clues and letting us navigate its often loaded maze of evasive meanings” (Screen International) and presents four short moments in time that capture the wanderings of souls stuck 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?

The labor of giving birth to the script and the character happened very close to the moment of shooting in the circumstance of both actors/writers initially assigned for this scene giving up on it just a few days before the shooting day. This meant I wrote my version of the script and Cristi wrote his and we shot Cristi’s. There wasn’t too much time to contemplate on the idea of divergence – my character “on screen” was the character “on paper”.

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?

It was my first time attending Dragos Bucur and Dorian Boguta’s Acting for Film School, though I know some of my colleagues had previously attended their courses. I remember a good friend of mine who is also an actress showed me the link where they promoted the workshop and my enthusiasm simply exploded at the thought I actually had a chance to work with the author I admire the most , Cristi Puiu.

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?

We were very lucky to witness a quite unique workshop format, in which we spent around one month together, some 10-12 hours a day, Monday to Friday, to get to know each other, talk about ourselves and the world and the pandemic, watch movies, talk about philosophy and art and go as deep as each of us could in understanding life, society and truth. The workshop setup and Cristi’s generosity in sharing a lot of who he is helped build a strong sense of intimacy and safety for all of us, which I think transpires in MMXX.

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?

Cristi Puiu is unique in the way he raises the bar to the same level for both established and emerging actors and what I understood from him matters in terms of acting is the ability to be and tell the truth. He has a unique way of putting a mirror in front of people and signaling the instances where they lie, so as long as you are brave enough to take responsibility for your lies, acknowledge them and get to the truth, you have an ally in him. As an emerging actress who still needs guidance and mentoring in acting, I feel I was taught the concentrated fundamentals of acting and being a human in this world at this workshop.

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?

In my opinion, Cristi Puiu speaks the exact same directorial language with both experienced and emerging actors and asks for the truth and total presence in the artistic process, in which he is equally engaged. Making a movie is the same with giving birth to a child – there are contractions, there is pain, there is labor, there is a haunting will to give up, but then it’s done and nobody actually remembers how hard it was in the making, we simply enjoy what it is now.

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 think this is for the viewers to decide. What I noticed in working on set for MMXX is that generosity is crucial. As long as there is generosity, the blend functions brilliantly. And Cristi inspired generosity in all of us so for instance I was comfortable acting aside Dorian and Dragos for our short shot together.

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

For me, 2020 was just a continuation of my isolation from the world. I was anyway leading a very solitary isolated life so I didn’t really feel something was taken from me. On the contrary, with the pressure to be indoors I opened myself to learning online in international actor communities all over the world, process in which I actually got to have an agent and, one year later, was accepted to be part of the cast of the For Tonight musical which played this autumn on the West End in London. I didn’t worry much about the pandemic back then, but after going through the workshop I was left with some questions on whether not worrying too much about it was the right thing to do.

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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