– The Australian director wonders how far we can go in the name of God, and if it’s really worth it
Ruth Maderincluding the previous film, Life Guidance [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Ruth Mader
fiche film]had its world premiere in Venice in 2017, invokes some of his personal experiences in Serviam – I Will Serve [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Ruth Mader
fiche film]unveiled in competition at Locarno Festivalnow on the program at Sarajevo. The film takes place in a prestigious Austrian Catholic boarding school which receives only girls, and where it is less a question of spirituality than of social status. One of the sisters who manage the establishment (Maria Dragus) is not happy about this situation, and encourages a young student to truly welcome God, in particular by punishing her flesh with a special belt.
Cineeuropa: I know stories of young girls seduced by religion, or at least strongly attracted to it. It’s strange, yet believable, that a child wants to “suffer for the sins of the world.”
Ruth Mader: As a child, I was particularly receptive to religion myself. I can say that I was a convinced believer. But I went to boarding school, I met girls who were even more committed to their faith than me. This is where I found a model for the character of Martha, who herself wants to follow the path of Christ, including physically. In Latin America, there are even more traditions of this type.
These schools seem from another time, but they do exist. The one you show here doesn’t seem to have much to do with spirituality: it’s more of a symbol of people’s social status.
Yes indeed. These private Catholic schools are reserved for the elite of society, who see Catholicism only as a decorative element. As I studied in such a school when I was a child, many impressions from that time, about the atmosphere of the place etc., are reflected in the film. The parents of these girls didn’t really believe [en Dieu]they were just using the institution to confirm their status to the outside world.
The building is very empty, deserted, devoid of joy, almost like a haunted house. Is this the memory you have of it? How did you proceed to create this universe?
The girls feel very alone in boarding school. That’s why in the film, they are isolated even in the crowd scenes: in the canteen, in the showers or at the school sporting event. It is a hermetically sealed space. And at the same time, the large glass doors at the entrance give a sense of transparency and openness. It was exciting to show this huge contrast and talk about it.
In Serviam, what initially feels realistic then becomes weirder. Did you have genre cinema, thrillers, in mind when developing this story ?
The idea was from the start to make a thriller, also because I like watching thrillers myself. The films of Hitchcock, Kubrick and John Carpenter have undoubtedly greatly inspired me.
The nun played by Also Maria Dragus is very mysterious. It is difficult to determine what is the momentum that motivates his conduct. What did you say to yourself about this character?
Faith is in rapid decline in this secularized world, that’s clear, but this good sister continues to believe deeply and fights for the faith of every child entrusted to her. She has a special relationship with Martha because she understands her, and her faith is particularly strong. She is just happy to have found such a child in this place. She’s very zealous and radical, I would say, and of course she goes way too far in the end.
The relationships between the young girls, who are basically on their own in this boarding school, can be very intense and cruel. Is that why you decided to introduce animated imaginary elements, for example? Somehow it’s the only way out.
The relationships we build in boarding school are very formative. Girls can be violent too, yes. However, you can also make lifelong friendships here. In terms of animated sequences, this is the first time that excerpts from the Revelation of Saint John [le dernier évangile du Nouveau Testament] appear in a movie. This section of the Bible is very mystical and to me is the strongest visually. The animation depicts how these girls live out their faith and at the same time, it should also stir the viewer simply by asking this question: what if God existed?
(Translated from English)