Put yourself in the shoes of Nina in Olmo Omerzu’s short film, The Last Day of Patriarchy. She is visiting her partner, Jakob’s, dying grandfather, and it’s the first time she’s meeting most of his family for the first time. The hospital is mostly quiet, and you try to be respectful as the family waits in anticipation of an update on the man’s condition. After being introduced, the grandfather makes an unexpected request to see your breasts. What do you do?
Omerzu’s film took me by surprise because I kept thinking of how I would handle the situation. I am a man, so I cannot grasp how someone like Nina would take the initial question. A man dying surrounded by his family should be thinking of his loved ones or his legacy, but he clearly only has one thing on his mind. It makes you wonder how much he has used his privilege and his power to ask this very thing of so many young women. The fact that he asks so casually is shocking.
Omerzu’s film grew out of an experience he heard about, and he couldn’t stop thinking of the evolution of emotions behind the incident. He knows that this film could aid in leading conversations between men on how they should behave, and that makes for a fascinating watch.
Awards Daily: What influenced you to make this short film?
Olem Omerzu: I was sitting with friends who are a couple over coffee. They started telling me a story about how they visited their grandfather who was lying on his deathbed. To everyone’s surprise, he expressed an indecent last wish – he wanted to see his grandson’s girlfriend’s breasts. The friends initially told the story in a humorous way, but it soon escalated into a real argument that I witnessed. Although the situation happened years ago, it was clear that there were still a lot of unresolved issues between them, full of small unspoken resentments. This moment became the starting point for writing the screenplay. With co-writer Peter Pycha, we therefore chose the perspective of Nina and Jakub, a couple, who find themselves in this situation and tell the story through their point of view.
AD: While the actions of the characters can be shocking, there is an edge of humor to the film. How did you want to balance that with the real-life themes of being in charge of one’s body?
OO: In my films, I often focus on situations that trigger a feeling of discomfort in viewers. Discomfort stems from something we are well acquainted with but which we are often uncomfortable talking about and watching. We’d rather avoid these feelings because they touch upon something deeply personal. Discomfort in situations goes hand in hand with humor and irony. I often use both devices to lift the mood because they create a certain level of distance from the characters and situations.
AD: I liked how dark the hospital was. How did you want to create an atmosphere to invoke physical darkness along with the patriarch’s request?
OO: This patriarch, an old doctor, is dying in hospital, yet not in a regular hospital room but in his former office. I found this idea incredibly moody and meaningful. It speaks volumes about him, about the type of person he is and about his relationship to his family. He always put his job above family relationships. The story takes place at night when the entire hospital seems peaceful and quiet. Some of the hallways aren’t lit, the pharmacy is closed for the day. All activity has been suspended and the only drama going on in this enormous building is in one hallway and inside the dying chief physician’s office.
AD: As Nina questions her own pregnancy, do you think she regrets telling Jakub that she’s pregnant?
OO: I don’t think so, but the other question is how they characterize certain situations that may seem innocent at first glance, how they shape their relationship. The fact that Jakub doesn’t take Nina’s side, that he doesn’t stand up to his family. Over time, small accusations may grow into resentment or mistrust and they can bubble over into an explosive argument or a breakup.
AD: What did you want your film to say about the generational gap between Jakub’s family and Nina? Some older people would insist that the patriarch is dying and Nina baring her breasts isn’t a big deal. Or they may insist that he is so far gone that it doesn’t matter.
OO: The fact that the patriarch is dying in the film doesn’t mean that patriarchal thinking is dying with him. This is well imprinted in the generation represented by the relatives in the film. They’re part of the older generation and have no problem talking about Nina as if she’s not there. The question is to what extent this can also affect the younger generation. Certain patterns of behavior are adopted through upbringing and people are often not even aware of them. That’s why I think it is important to open a discourse on these topics because it touches us personally. Talking about patriarchy and about its mechanisms is always, in a way, a personal dialogue with our fathers.
AD: Do you have any plans for your next film?
OO: We are in the process of financing a new feature-length film titled Ungrateful Beings.
The Last Day of Patriarchy is streaming now on MUBI.