“When I am producing a film, it matters to me what its characters are looking for, but today I am selective regarding both the story and the director. It is difficult to predict what the final result will be. Still, I want to enjoy the process,” says Živilė Gallego, head of the film production company “Fralita Films”. The list of films produced by her includes several well-known, critically acclaimed works: “The Summer of Sangaile”, “Emilia”, “Remember to Blink”, “A Butterfly’s Heart,” and “Muza.” At the beginning of autumn, another film, „Sand in Your Hair“ by director Mantas Verbiejaus, was wrapped up.
“When I chose my profession, I had no idea how complicated it was,” the producer, who has been working in the film industry for over 20 years, admits. In a conversation with the Vilnius Film Office, she opens up about her first steps in cinema, the films that impressed her, and her latest projects.
Živile, the shooting of “Sand in Your Hair“ (dir. Mantas Verbiejus) ended recently. How do you feel about it?
I am happy to have had the opportunity to work with legendary actors of the older generation: Jūratė Onaitytė, Juozas Budraitis, and Liubomiras Laucevičius. I was impressed by their stamina. Difficult roles, many shifts, long working hours… The actors told me that the most important thing is to have a strong will, an understanding that you must do your best on the set.
We shot in gorgeous locations—the Curonian Spit, a nature reserve near Smiltynė, the Baltic Sea coast in Latvia. All this made the atmosphere surreal; the team would work, and then they would jump into the sea for a swim during lunch break. We needed sunshine and good weather for the shoot, we were afraid of getting stuck in case of bad weather, but luck was with us even in early September, when the weather is often unpredictable. I experienced a lot of joy during shooting—I could go to the site and be there without the stress of having to put out fires. I believe the film’s mood reflects the mood during the shooting.
However, the film I shot is only the middle of the road, because as a producer, I will live with the project for another couple of years. I think about when the film will be finished and released, what result we will achieve, and how many people will see it. The number of Lithuanian films is increasing, but they are given a very short period to shine, sometimes just a few weeks.
You recently presented the documentary “Muza” and two years ago—the feature film “Remember to Blink”. How do you choose the projects you want to work with? What does it take to believe in a film, its director, and its team?
Maybe it has changed with the years, but today I am selective regarding both the story and the director. It is important to me how we will travel along this road together, whether we have similar values in life, and if we see things in the same way. It never happens that I simply take a script and look for financing. I participate in its development, I feel creatively responsible for the story that I sign. It’s hard to predict the end result, but I want to enjoy the process. Therefore, I know very well what kind of relationship I do not want with the filmmakers, and it matters to me.
Of course, I also care what the film is about, and what my characters are looking for. The topic “Sand in Your Hair” is the life of older people, self-expression, and the opportunity to love and be happy. It will probably be one of the first Lithuanian films to touch upon these issues. The life of seniors in Lithuania is not yet what it could be, so I believe the motion picture will contribute to greater freedom and a different attitude towards older people.
I wonder how you became a producer? Have you ever had doubts about this choice?
When I graduated from my studies in Paris and did an internship at “Canal+” television, I already knew that I wanted to work in the audiovisual field. The experience at “Viasat Broadcasting” in London took me further into the field, but I needed the depth I felt only cinema could provide. I often went to cinemas and watched premieres. I realized I wanted to contribute to filmmaking as a producer. After studying in Los Angeles at the New York Film Academy, when I went to the Cannes Film Festival for the first time, I had a producer’s business card made for me, even though I had never produced a single film (laughs).
This job is fun when everything goes well, however, life doesn’t always go well—sometimes relationships with other team members fail, sometimes you don’t get the necessary funding, and you experience various highs and lows, so there are moments when I ask questions. Production is interesting to me, and it is my main path, but there are new areas that I would like to delve into. I can feel that my desire to contribute to the creative, directorial side is gradually growing.
What do you think is the most difficult about being a producer? What qualities do you need to have to work in the film industry?
When I chose my profession, I had no idea how complicated it was; it seemed to me that everything was much simpler. Patience is a key quality a producer must have—never accept that something has failed; try to approach the situation from a different angle because project development is a very long process. You never know how much time and energy it will take. You need to believe in the project and trust the people you work with. A producer is both a good manager and a good psychologist—after all, we work in an industry with many creative personalities with their own expectations. We maneuver between strong people and big egos we need to bring together to work together for the team to achieve the final result.
Do you remember the first film you produced?
In Paris, as an assistant, I contributed to the romantic short film “The Short Life of an Angel” after receiving an internship. At that time, we didn’t understand much about cinema, we didn’t have anything, but we shot in beautiful locations in Montmartre and dreamed of a future in cinema.
The first film I contributed to as a co-producer was Algimantas Puipa’s “Whisper of Sin,” and the first independently produced film was ” Dance in the Desert,” which tells the story of writer Jurga Ivanauskaitė. This was probably the most difficult story I could have started with: Jurga’s passing, the sadness of all her family and friends, many emotions… After that, there were many more films, and they all helped me mature a little bit. Films are like children.
Which of them moved you the most emotionally and taught you the most memorable lessons?
It was good to work on “Emilia”, A Butterfly’s Heart” is a heartwarming project where I worked with children for the first time. “Muza” opened the world of music to me, “The Summer of Sangaile” taught me about aviation, and in “Remember to Blink” I had a chance to work with wonderful French and Lithuanian actors. The documentary helps me grow the most; although this genre does not receive so much funding and often presents difficult challenges, it gives a lot to my soul. From documentaries I take what I do not get in everyday life; they open my eyes and allow me to grow in the most unusual topics.
How, in your opinion, has the Lithuanian film industry changed during these years? What can we be proud of, and where, on the contrary, should we make more effort?
In Lithuania, everything is done very professionally; we are no longer different from other European countries. True, we are in a worse situation in terms of budget, but the critical acclaim and performance in A-class film festivals prove that our film industry is strong on its feet. Previously, when abroad, we had to explain where Lithuania is; now we are asked what is new in Lithuanian cinema and what kind of films we produce. Recently, the films created by our directors have integrated into the context of European cinema; we work on topics relevant to the whole world.
I am always in favor of the story rather than the form; the narrative is paramount to me, so I would say we still have room to grow in terms of scripts.
And how, in your opinion, is the Lithuanian audience growing? How is its taste changing?
People still mostly go to the cinema to relax, so comedy-genre films are in the lead. We do not doubt that even when watching a film that focuses on a more serious theme, people can have a good time, but how to attract them? It is complicated, many marketing and communication experts are working on this issue; the actors, and directors’ reputations and fame play a role as well. I think that people today look for stronger sensations and want to be moved emotionally. I believe nowadays the cinema can offer this kind of excitement and impact.
Thank you for the conversation.
