Ešte nie som, kým chcem byť
Samenvattingen(1)
Libuše Jarcovjáková documents her life with analogue photos and diary entries. Her Czechoslovakian homeland is in the repressive phase of “normalisation” after the suppression of the Prague Spring in 1968. The young photographer searches for islands of freedom in Prague as well as her sexual identity; her camera is her constant companion. One of these islands is the T-Club, a meeting place for the queer scene. When a murder is committed and the police become interested in Libuše’s photos from the club, her personal journey of emancipation is abruptly cut short. She enters into a marriage of convenience and moves to West Berlin. But this new world is also filled with obstacles. Using the last of her money, she flies to Tokyo and, for a short time, becomes a sought-after fashion photographer there. Continuing to search for the life she wants to live, Libuše’s path leads her back to Prague via Berlin after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Using only photographs and the diary entries she reads out herself, the artist – together with the filmmaker – intimately relates her search for identity, everyday struggles, physicality, relationships and emotions. (Berlinale)
(meer)Video's (2)
Recensie (1)
After a long time, we have a Czech documentary that is truly worthy of the big screen. Spread out over a span of more than two decades in the life of photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková, the story is composed exclusively of her photographs, edited into an impressive, playful and extraordinarily dynamic collage underscored by attendant sounds and readings from the artist’s authentic diary entries. The story about seeking a home and personal identity flows through many related themes, whereas the thousands of predominantly realistic photographic images provide an illustration of life in Czechoslovakia in the period from 1968 to 1989, though we also get glimpses of Japan and West Germany. The numerous self-portraits of Libuše herself are also essential, as with surprising openness they reveal not only her thoughts and often very intimate experiences, but also her body, capturing her own physical transformation and professional development over the course of time. I’m Not Everything I Want to Be is a formalistically refreshing and polished work whose universal themes give it a real chance to resonate with both domestic and foreign audiences.
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Galerie (11)
Foto © Libuše Jarcovjáková
