On 7 July, as part of the industry programme at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the panel "From Myth to Method: Intimacy Coordination in the CEE Context" took place, moderated by journalist Veronika Peimer-Bednářová. The invited speakers were Janka Neustupová, from New Era Safety (health and safety services for filmmakers, which include the intimacy aspect), intimacy coordinator Virginija Vareikytė and Czech film director Jan Vejnar (She Came at Night [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Tomáš Pavlíček et Jan Vejnar
fiche film]).

Vejnar opened the discussion by highlighting how, according to him, the need for an intimacy coordinator is not that different from that of a stunt coordinator: “Like in action movies, you are using stuntmen for certain scenes so that the actors are not going to get hurt, or you prepare them properly; in intimate scenes, there are so many questions hidden. I believe that it's a very similar process, enacted to ensure no one is going to get hurt in the end, mentally or physically.” He also admitted that, unfortunately, among directors, there are prejudices regarding the role, as some fear that they will be told how to direct. 

Vareikytė continued the discussion talking about her role and how it is perceived by directors on set: “When I work with directors who want me there, they are happy that I can make things faster, quicker, and they don't need to get into the nitty-gritty details, they don't have to blush in front of performers when describing what the scene entails, etc”. She explained that, when talking to actors, she names specific parts of their body that will be visible, or the specific type of sex that is expected on screen, working as a mediator between the production and the performers, coordinating a sort of choreography, with the principal aim being to mitigate risk. On the power of her presence for performers, she admitted: “I feel like reminding actors they truly don't have to do anything uncomfortable is powerful. Just knowing they have the power to say 'no' relaxes them. They become more open and at ease on set when they know their boundaries will be respected.”

The question of whether intimate scenes have to be described properly in the writing phase was brought up, with the three participants sharing different and interesting points of view. Vejnar said: “I think, as a writer, too, that those scenes should not be underwritten but also shouldn’t run the risk of being overwritten.” Vareikytė, on the other hand, admitted not having any expectations on the scene being highly scripted, as it would probably limit creativity. In this sense, the intimacy coordinator also mentioned Amanda Blumenthal, an American pioneer in the sector, who mentored both herself and Neustupová: "The way she puts it is that everything involving the body can be choreographed by the intimacy coordinator, while everything involving the face remains entirely the director’s territory.” 

Later on in the discussion, both Neustupová and Vareikytė admitted that there is sometimes a thin line between their role and that of a sort of on-set psychologist, and it can be difficult to keep a clear boundary. The panel touched on the regulations revolving around that role. As moderator Peimer-Bednářová underlined, the Latvian Film Centre (Vareikytė is Lithuanian) has made intimacy coordinators mandatory for production, whereas the Czech Republic does not have any formal incentives for using intimacy coordinators. Neustupová replied: “In my country, I have been able to notice a difference [over] the years. Nowadays, when scripts are being written, there’s often a note if an intimacy coordinator is planned, and I think that makes a big difference. I also recently worked on a project with a director that was around ten years older than me, and I was very pleasantly surprised with their approach.”

Vejnar also confirmed noticing a positive change related to intimacy coordinator requirements on set, citing that, in the Czech Republic, there has actually been a noticeable shift. He quoted a recent TV project he worked on where, despite some resistance due to budget, in the end the need for regulation and the presence of an intimacy coordinator was felt: “Nonetheless, I wish that this topic would soon be felt as important as it should be and that production heads and creative producers in television will support it not just with words, but also with resources.”