Speaking to inner midgets: A Report for Minerva 2 presented by creators and amateurs

A few years ago, psychologist Lubomír Smékal and director Miroslav Krobot set up the S 23 Theatre Company. “We wanted to revisit our earliest experiences of the theatre, just for the fun of it. We put an ad online – 130 people applied, and 14 made it. The aim was to investigate authenticity. We ended up with fourteen monologues based on real-life experiences,” said Krobot, describing the circumstances that led to the feature-length experimental film A Report for Minerva 2, which had its world premiere in Karlovy Vary.

“Mirek’s a great speaker; I enjoy listening to him,” said the more reserved Smékal, setting the tone for the duo, whose debate at times resembled a subtle comedy act. The film has its roots in a theatre production – partly improvised – which has already been reprised fifteen times. The artists were interested in shared experiences. They investigated the extent to which the monologues resonated with the audience’s feelings, whilst the actors drew on their own experiences when delivering them.

They employed the method of dialogic acting for this purpose. “Ivan Vyskočil had already been using this method. We talk to ourselves all day long, and then we make this conversation public. It’s liberating to pluck up the courage, and it’s a pleasure to get there, even if it takes longer for some people,” says Krobot, commenting on the basic concept. “We enjoyed treading water throughout the process. We all have midgets who shout or are shy. We wanted all to hear them. It’s a bit like having a chat with your inner midgets,” added Smékal.

The directing duo were joined by four actors, who shared their experiences of how this method had helped them to discover previously hidden qualities and to come to a better understanding of themselves. The audience also asked how one of the actresses had managed to act out a mobile phone with a dead battery. “I’m usually full of energy and positively charged; maybe that’s why Mirek thought I’d be discharged,” she replied. The cast then gained confidence in front of the camera thanks to a special training, where they were able to watch the footage that had been shot and work on their performances. The filmmakers selected the monologues that made it into the film from three or four takes.

Krobot explained how to work with cinematic language: “I like Aki Kaurismäki’s poetic style. For me, however, the theoretical aspect – exploring the boundaries of authenticity – was far more interesting. The fact that it actually added up to a film comes as a surprise to me. This is largely down to the editor Alan Sýs and the cinematographer Matěj Piňos. They gave it its cinematic form, allowing me to concentrate on the acting.”

The naturally lively and humorous discussion was met with positive reactions from the audience. One visitor said that for him, it was the best film of the festival so far, and went on to ask the filmmakers whether they wouldn’t like to make films like this all the time.