Interview with Alexandra Májová, director of Pračka [Washing Machine]

To somebody who hasn’t seen Pračka, how would you introduce it?
My humorous and minimalist film is a remarkable parable of human relationships. But in this film, a man isn’t trying to solve problems with a woman, but with a troublesome home appliance.

What was the biggest challenge while creating Pračka, and why?
The film was shot in my free time. So the biggest challenge was to find the time and finish the film. But when I took the time, it always caught me completely and I worked late into the night because it was a lot of fun.

Can you tell us a bit about your animation style?
Most of the time I work with 2D computer animation. I always strive for simplicity, clarity, humor and right timing.

What are you hoping will be the trajectory of your short?
I would like the film to entertain as many viewers as possible. When people laugh at my movies or it make them happy, it always warms my heart.

What do you think the future holds for short films?
In my opinion, short films have no future in cinemas but on the Internet. In general, audience is not as interested in them as they are in feature films, but nowadays, when everyone is in a hurry, short films have a chance to make a name for themselves online. Most people today want to relax as quickly as possible and have fun in the shortest possible time. In most cases, that’s why they go online and play music or a short funny video and that’s a chance for short films too.

If we were to go back into lockdown, what cultural delights would you recommend to alleviate our boredom?
I recommend thinking about what you wanted to do but never had time for it under normal circumstances. I always wanted to learn to play the ukulele, so I started during the lockdown. And also read all the books waiting in the library to read. Or if you’re a filmmaker it’s the perfect time to think about new movie ideas, and if you’re an animator, there’s no better time than to start animating your independent short film.

Pračka [Washing Machine] is part of International Competition I11.