A Day On Solid Ground

Kristina Lipatov directs ‘A Day On Solid Ground’.

Song written and performed by Elsa Steixner

Words from the Kristina Lipatov below:

There’s a unity in the details and colours, can you tell us about that?

KRISTINA: For me, sad or emotional moments don’t have to be gloomy and dark to be understood. For the protagonist in the film, it is of course a terrible moment, but at the same time, he feels the beauty of sharing his feelings. So that was my focus. The one-shot was a good way for the viewer to be a silent observer.

How did you prepare for the long-take?

KRISTINA: We only had an afternoon to shoot the project. Valentin and I did some quick tests with an iPhone a few days before, but since we couldn’t do them together with the actors, we could only roughly determine how we would proceed. On the day of the shoot, we were able to do some proper tests for the first time. The sun put a lot of pressure on us, so we had to act quickly. After a few test runs, we managed only three final takes before it got too dark.

How did you build the performance?

KRISTINA: The first existing component of this project was the song that Elsa wrote. It was important for me to understand what she wanted to say and achieve with it. The story was built on that

In terms of cast, I find it helpful to find people who can identify with the role. They don’t have to have been through the exact same thing as their character, but they should be able to transfer experienced emotions to the situation. I talked to both actors about their roles to help them understand the characters; such as why the woman is quite calm and why the man lets himself be calmed down by the song.

Any key photographic or film references?

KRISTINA: I come from a photography and design background, and so photography of any kind is a huge inspiration and influence for me. I especially love the work of Stephen Shore and Martin Parr – but also fashion photography.

When it comes to films, I couldn’t possibly settle on a handful of filmmakers but ‘Beautiful Boy’ by Felix Van Groeningen is probably the most beautiful film for me.

What are you reading at the moment?

KRISTINA: I am currently reading a 1950’s edition of ‘Moulin Rouge’.