07/07/2023 - The debuting Czech director behind the genre-blending coming-of-age film details his personal inspiration, environmental anxiety and the nuances of character development

(© Film Servis Festival Karlovy Vary)

Budding Czech filmmaker and documentary student Albert Hospodářský revealed his feature-length fiction debut, Brutal Heat [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Albert Hospodářský
film profile], which doubles as his graduation work, in the Proxima section of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. We talked with the director, whose previous short documentary effort screened at the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, about his genre-blending coming-of-age film, and discussed his personal inspiration, environmental anxiety and the nuances of character development.

Cineuropa: Brutal Heat is billed as a coming-of-age flick, but it is also a story that makes a generational statement. What motivated you to write and shoot this kind of film, which is also your graduation work?
Albert Hospodářský: The very first glimpse of the story came to me when I saw my brother Vincent in an uncomfortable situation at a bus stop on our way to summer camp. I saw how open and tender he was, how perfectly the emotions within him came to the surface. From that moment on, I knew there was a story connected to him, and I felt an urge to somehow capture him just as he was stepping over the line between childhood and adulthood. Within him, I found a troubled, cautious, yet lively character which, in my mind, captured the feeling of what it means to be growing up in present times. Without any specific ambition, I wrote a script that felt like a good way to let those feelings shine through. And luckily, he agreed to be a part of it.

The film uses the backdrop of a strange astronomical event, a piece of the Sun hurtling towards the Earth, as a metaphor and driver of the plot. How did this idea come to you, and how did it evolve?
The idea came later on in the process, first as a way to bind the characters together and create a common narrative, but then, as it felt right, I realised it was a good metaphor ripe for interpretation. It became a platform on which, hopefully, the viewer can project their own fears and emotions. My own personal interpretation has to do with environmental issues and the anxiety that stems from them.

The climate motif is clear throughout the whole film. Why did you decide to reframe it with a sci-fi premise?
Unless you’re making a documentary or a strictly fact-based film, it’s better to let the reality shift to something a bit broader and more playful. If I had used a real, concrete event or problem, it would have been much harder for me to keep the story intact, as I am neither qualified nor attached to anything specific. This way, it has more to do with an overall feeling, rather than informational value.

Besides coming of age, road movie and pre-apocalypse, were there any other genres that inspired Brutal Heat? It almost appears the zombie genre was an influence, since the people the protagonist encounters are suffering from some kind of madness caused by the heat.
I wouldn't say madness, but rather honesty. They have less self-control, and that makes them connect. They share a common threat, and for that reason, they tend to stop pretending. In all honesty, the zombie genre has not popped into my mind with this specific film, but I think it’s as good an interpretation as any.

You mentioned that your films often focus on character-driven stories. What, in your opinion, makes a character compelling enough to carry a film, and how do you achieve this in Brutal Heat?
So far, in my very short career as a filmmaker, the thing that has made a character most compelling to me is when he or she is inspired by someone real – either somebody close to me or a person I have heard stories about and felt struck by their presence. As for specific characteristics, the most important thing is some form of internal struggle, an inner fight that leaves the protagonist in a constant battle with the two polar opposites within themselves. I think that’s something everyone has to go through, and it’s what makes us human.

Your previous films have showcased a strong sense of location, bringing audiences into settings that feel incredibly real and immersive. Could you discuss how you select your locations, and how they contribute to the overall narrative?
The locations were mostly all selected together with the team of very talented people with whom we created the film. It’s a mix of intuitive, emotional decisions and practical steps towards functional, realistic goals. In the end, all of the places should mainly feel real and allow the actors to feel as immersed in the story as possible. If that works out, then the dramatic situation will feel believable and appropriate to the narrative.