03/05/2023 - Get ready for a slick, complex slasher that proves that teenagers are always the ones to fear

A remote cabin in the middle of nowhere, some weird wooden sculptures and way too much booze. With Pensive [+see also:
film review
interview: Jonas Trukanas
film profile], Lithuania’s Jonas Trukanas delivers a film that’s hugely disturbing, but not just for the reasons listed above. Beware of this HOFF-screened slasher.

Cineuropa: Your film is surprisingly deep, with an extremely ambiguous main character. Where did that come from?
Jonas Trukanas: When we were writing with Titas [Laucius], we sat down and went: “What would you do if you were in a horror film?” There is a certain mythos to these stories. Usually, you can instantly spot the heroes. In reality, we would probably all just run for our lives. The film’s essence is this boy’s desire to be seen by others. That’s what drives it, and it’s something that’s very true to a lot of people. When I was in school, I also remember thinking: “I want these people to know who I am.” That’s how it started, I guess.

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When Pensive begins, you think you know where it will go next. But then something is off. The rules don’t apply.
You can’t make a slasher without paying homage to all of the Friday the 13ths and the Halloweens. They are so ingrained in our consciousness. We had to use these clichés, but then we tried to spin them around. With Titas, we kept talking about our own graduation. His former classmate is now one of the most famous basketball players in Lithuania, ever. He wanted to inflict some pain on at least one of them [laughs]!

Your cast is young, but very capable. How did you get them involved?
The casting was done by Marija Kavtaradze, who recently won at Sundance for Slow [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marija Kavtaradze
film profile]. Instead of following the usual route, we sent out invites, asking people to record themselves talking about fear. Fear on screen should come from a place of honesty; you can’t fake it. We had a limited time to shoot, so we rehearsed until our fingers bled. Also, I knew I had to build them up as a group. We went to our location and spent one weekend there, all together – with no electricity. You need to feel they have been together for 12 years because that’s how long Lithuanian school takes. We played these games: “Tell me five memories you have of this person.” These young actors went the extra mile. It was so satisfying, seeing them bond. I hope they still talk to each other now, after the film!

You really focus on them, not so much on the killer.
And that’s why this story is not your typical slasher story of survival, of discovering your own strength. It’s about a boy trying to discover who he is and making questionable choices. The killer was always a backdrop. We didn’t want to make it about him; we wanted him to act as a catalyst for the change in that boy. Also, with it being a modestly budgeted film, you realise it’s not that scary when you show the killer too much. If you take a look at his backstory and try to see things from his perspective, these kids have invaded his space. So who is the real bad guy here?

Were there moments when people told you: “This is becoming a bit too complex?”
Yes. Pensive is in a weird spot because it’s not all about blood and guts. There is none of that in the first half, followed by 20 minutes of slasher, and then we go back to relationships. People were wondering how we should present it. We are doing great on the festival circuit – there are still quite a few in the pipeline – but in the USA, it’s marketed as a coming-of-age horror. Slasher is not even being mentioned! In Lithuania, it was perceived as a funny film, verging on the comedic side.

There has been some tension over the first half of the film, but that’s why it works, hopefully. Ever since we started to write it, we decided there would be two films: one is a touching story about the last days of school, first love and old grievances coming to the surface; and the second is something completely different.

Would you like to continue down the genre path? It’s still a challenge in Europe.
This is what I’ve always wanted to do. We don’t have many Lithuanian horror films, but the support is there, also through the Lithuanian Film Centre. The audience is a whole different story. In all these post-Soviet countries, horror arrived late. Sometimes, they don’t understand that your film is a bit different – they don’t know the rules. But I hope it will change, because we’ve had Vesper [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Kristina Buožytė and Bruno …
film profile] and we’ve had The Generation of Evil [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. The stigma of genre is gone. I grew up with horror. I would go to video rental shops, grab Poltergeist, The Omen and The Exorcist, all dubbed into Russian, and pretend they were for my dad. Now, we know that horror is not just Paranormal Activity or Freddy Krueger; it’s a vessel allowing you to tell whatever story you like. It allows you to expand and push the limits, because you have to go all in. Otherwise, it won’t work.