SXSW 2018 Women Directors: Meet Lola Arias — “Theater of War”
Lola Arias is a writer, director, visual artist, and performer. Arias’ theater works have been performed at numerous festivals and venues including Théâtre de la Ville, Paris, Parque de la memoria, Buenos Aires, and Royal Court Theatre, London.
“Theater of War” will premiere at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival on March 10.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
LA: In 1982, Argentina and UK fought the Malvinas Falklands War. The war ended with the British military victory and took about 1,000 lives, both British and Argentinean. While the conflict took place years ago, the sovereignty of the islands is still in dispute.
The film tells the story of how six veterans from the war came together to make a film. This film is a way of showing the whole social experiment of making an artistic project with one-time enemies of war.
The tone of the film playfully switches between reality and fiction, spontaneity and acting. It explores how to transform a soldier into an actor, urn war experiences into a story, and show the collateral effects of war.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
LA: The whole project started in 2013 when I was asked by the London International Festival of Theatre to create something for an exhibition called “After the War” in which artists from across the world were invited to reflect on the consequences of war.
I was a young girl when the Falklands/Malvinas War broke out. I decided to work with Argentine veterans doing re-enactments of their war memories in the places where they work or live. I then had the idea to bring together veterans from both sides to see what traces the conflict had left on their lives.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
LA: I can only talk about what I feel after the film or about what other people tell me. The film makes me think about the long-term consequences of any war. There are wars happening right now which will affect generations to come.
The Malvinas/ Falkland war happened in 1982 and these veterans met again in 2017. The fact that this film was made 35 years after the conflict put in evidence the time that takes to see the effect of war.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
LA: There were many challenges. I had to convince military institutions in England to support the project and put me in contact with the veterans and they were suspicious about me because I was a woman and an Argentine.
I had to convince artistic institutions in Argentina to support a project that was putting together veterans from both sides, and they were afraid that this could mean a reconciliation and a stop of the claim of the islands.
There was so much time spent in convincing people that at some point I started to doubt if it was possible at all to do it.
W&H: How did you get your film funded?
LA: We had funding from the INCA, the film institute in Argentina, and the support of IDFA, World Cinema Fund, British Council, Lift Festival, and ARTE. It was a film made with very little money and many different institutions and festivals collaborating.
W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at SXSW?
LA: It is a big adventure to have the premiere of the festival at SXSW because it’s a very prestigious festival.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
LA: As a woman working in art or cinema, you know you have to fight hard. You will have to fight to be respected, to be paid the same as your male colleagues, and you will have to fight for people to consider that sometimes you are also a mother, and you have many other responsibilities beside your work. So, if there is any advice is: Try to make visible the working conditions when they are not fair and always get together with other women to be stronger.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
LA: “Je, tu, il, elle” by Chantal Akerman. A beautiful film. Sensitive, clever, poetic. And has the best sex scene between women that I have ever seen.
W&H: Hollywood and the global film industry are in the midst of undergoing a major transformation. Many women — and some men — in the industry are speaking publicly about their experiences being assaulted and harassed. What are your thoughts on the #TimesUp movement and the push for equality in the film business?
LA: I’m happy that this is all finally starting to be visible — these power games being played with women and some men. Our societies got used to it and we got used to it for a long time. Sexism is not only about sexual harassment.
