Interview with Julia Siuda, director of Furia [Fury]

How did you imagine the physical depictions of contrariety and growing anger?
It was quite simple because the body abuse methods (head) were closely related to the source of the sounds that irritated me. For example, munching, as I imagine it, comes from the tongue. That is why I tear out the character’s tongue. It’s supposed to bring a feeling of satisfaction (to me or to the viewer). The harder part was to make it real. I had no reference whatsoever. I’ve never seen anyone doing a garrote in such a non-standard way. I had to rely entirely on my imagination. I have to admit, I am pretty happy with the result.

Why did you want to picture only body parts and not a whole body?
It didn’t seem necessary, as I wanted to focus only on those body parts. A whole body would be a distraction, I think. At the moment of anger, only those parts exist. The whole world disappears, you’re one on one with the source of your irritation.

How much were you interested into the moment of catharsis? 
I wanted the viewer to feel relieved. Not to understand their anger, but to find an outlet for it. I wanted to give myself permission to deal with it how I really wanted to at the moment of pulsating anger. That is, to abuse. I was a little worried at first when I came up with the idea for this film.  At one point I thought that maybe this willingness to harm was only my vision and no one would understand me and feel it the same way I do. But I was also curious how many people would judge me and how many would identify with me. Turns out it made some people disgusted and some people satisfied as well. I believe that the goal has been achieved.

How did you work on the sounds?
Due to lack of time we had to decide on ready-made sounds.  the original idea for creating sounds was the same method used to create Mortal Kombat. Basically, they used a bunch of vegetables. They minced, chewed, and tore them apart to make it sound like skin ripping or bone breaking. It was pretty disappointing to me, as I missed all the fun that comes with it. Anyway, I hope to use this method at the earliest opportunity

Will you direct further films dealing with inner tension?
You could say that, in a way… Actually, I hope my next film to be meditative and calming.

Is there any particular short film that made a special impression on you?
Not really. I was mostly inspired by American cinematography (mostly the visual aspect, especially Quentin Tarantino movies), and Polish cinematography (Dzień Świra by Marek Koterski), which primarily describes the feeling I am talking about in my movie.

What’s your definition of a good film?
In my opinion, a film that is not easy to forget. A film that makes you think immediately after you see it and the feeling connected with it stays with you for at least a couple of days. Forces you to reflect.If a movie doesn’t add anything to my life, I have a sense of wasted time. You should be able to get inspiration/lesson/satisfaction from a movie or whatever it is you’re seeking in art.

Furia [Fury] is being shown as part of Lab Competition L3.