PODCAST| Matt Micucci interviews Rafal Lysak, director of the film Unconditional Love.
This is an intimate documentary about Lysak himself, a young gay man, and his 80-year-old grandmother, whose close and loving relationship is put to the test when he opens up about his sexual orientation to her. In this interview, Lysal discusses how making documentaries helped him deal with certain aspects of his life and communicate with others. He also talks about when he decided to make this particular film and when his grandmother, whose name is Teresa, agreed to be in it, among other things.
Unconditional Love: Grandma loves her grandson very much, and for this reason she patiently waits for God to rid him of his homosexuality. He understands that it does not make sense to blame her and quarrel endlessly, and so he responds to her expressions of dissatisfaction with silence and nervous laughter. The film captures the clash of old Catholic Poland with a new generation ready to fully adopt modern values. But it also casts a personal look at specific characters who breathe for themselves and who, despite their opposing feelings, try to find a way to live together. For these suggestive self-portraits Rafal Lysak has chosen a raw approach, using a handheld digital camera that does not invade the characters’ personal space in order to achieve a very intense experience that captures all the present emotions.
The Lovers Film Festival celebrates 40 years with 70 films from 26 countries, international guests and tributes to LGBTQI+ cinema icons. Directed by Vladimir Luxuria, from 10 to 17 April at the Cinema Massimo in Turin.