2024-04-08 08:41:52
“Don’t worry, you won’t see anything, just take off your shirt,” promised Denise Bareš during the filming of the Cuckoo series. But when the scene started, the whole crew came to watch. According to her words, the actress could not resist and felt humiliated. The intimacy coordinator is supposed to prevent such situations when filming sensitive scenes.
A relatively new profession began to emerge in the US around 2018, partly in response to the #MeToo sexual harassment movement. While it is now almost a matter of course for large video stores such as HBO and Netflix, the practice is just beginning in the Czech Republic. According to Martina Čurdová, the first intimacy coordinator here, it should not lead to more prudish sex scenes, but on the contrary to authenticity and relaxation of the actors. “They can focus on emotions and contact with their partner, not on the fear of what will happen to them,” says Čurdová in an interview for Aktuálně.cz.
Most people probably cannot imagine what an intimacy coordinator does. What exactly do you do while filming?
The basis is the choreography of the given intimate scene, how the bodies will touch, what the degree of nudity will be, how the actors will relate to each other, from which angle the camera will take them. Whether they will use very sharp or, on the contrary, gentle movements. All this brings some information. An important first step for me is for the actors to tune in to each other, or even get to know each other at all. For this I use acting coaching techniques and exercises. We work together to create emotional intimacy.
They share things with each other that they don’t normally talk about – like what they’re afraid of or what they like about each other. In this way, they can better connect with each other, and this is also reflected in the level of physical action, which is then much more believable. I also ensure clear and timely communication between them, the director and other members of the crew, making sure everyone knows and is on board with what is going to happen. I take care of the safety, mental and physical well-being of the actors, respecting their boundaries and being clear about when the acting begins and when it ends.
You talked about choreography. When I did my research, I found out that it’s not so much a habit and rather it’s expected that everyone knows how to have sex, so they play it somehow. Is this really common practice?
From what I’ve heard, yes. I think even for directors, intimate scenes can be challenging. Explicit sexuality is all around us. It might seem that we have already crossed all taboos, but true intimacy still means a challenge. Talking openly about your feelings, needs or fears is not easy for many people. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult for actors and directors to work with on set and the instructions can be unclear. It turns out that it helps to have someone on set to make sure the intimate scene is clear, rehearsed and repeatable. Where there is clarity, actors can relax, which helps an authentic performance. They can focus on emotions and contact with their partner, not on the fear of what will happen next. When the body is under stress, it shows tension.
You mentioned that you also ensure the psychological well-being of the actors. How?
One of my tasks is to ensure that the boundaries of the actors are respected and at the same time that the director’s vision is fulfilled. The simplest and at the same time the most complex way to achieve this is communication. Especially when actors are young or inexperienced, it can be difficult for them to express themselves because there is a specific hierarchy on the set. They often can’t say that they don’t want something, can’t do it anymore or it’s too much for them. So I also function as a mediator of communication between different components of the staff. We test intimate scenes before filming and look for variants acceptable to everyone. On the set, I pay particular attention to exposed actors and observe them closely. I try to catch any signs of excessive fatigue or impending trauma in time.
What marks are these?
Typical manifestations are a change in skin color, breathing rhythm, muscle tension and general posture. Also, the fact that the actor begins to disconnect and withdraw into himself, or, on the contrary, seems very restless, distracted. I also check them periodically with a simple question that they are able to answer at that moment. I take care of the actors even during breaks between individual pictures. Sometimes they want to talk, laugh a little and relax, sometimes they want to wrap themselves in a terrycloth bathrobe and drink tea in peace.
How can such an analysis of non-verbal expressions be learned?
That work is based on both knowledge and empathy and intuition. I completed various courses, read books, but I also gained a lot through observation. In community and documentary theater, I worked with groups that went through a difficult life situation, for example war or police violence. With great respect for the body and emotions, I watched how a person reacts to such an experience and how it is possible to work with it. Trauma is also more common in our conditions than it seems. Going through a Euro-American upbringing without trauma, especially as it was set up in past generations, seems almost impossible to me. At the same time, it is not necessary to understand trauma as something overwhelming from which one cannot recover. It can also be an opportunity for growth and empowerment. But at the moment when it is acute, such a thought is useless. It is important to provide warmth, support, a sense of security, fluids.
Martina Čurdová came to intimate coordination through community and documentary theater. | Photo: Honza Mudra
Did you come to this work through community and documentary theater?
Yes. I have worked with different communities, including those that have gone through oppression, violence, displacement. People with similar experiences tend to feel that they have no voice and no one is listening. I looked for ways to give them space to tell their own stories and share them on stage. I made a lot of use of so-called devising, a collective creation process in which all participants participate. Creative work on the body and voice level can make big changes. I have worked in this way, for example, with Brazilian families who lost someone as a result of police violence, with Czech-German border communities or LGBTQ refugees in eastern Ukraine.
And when did the movie come into it?
Thanks to theater, I started to explore a lot of areas: deeper work with the body, mind, emotions, patterns and stories we carry. I also completed training in non-violent communication and conflict mediation, which suits me now. Then covid came and all theater work ended. However, the creators of the war film about a Jewish boy, Ema and Death Head, called me to ask if I would like to coach a child actor. Thus began my career as an acting coach for children, teenagers and young actors. Then, when the Voyo platform started shooting the TV series about teenagers Sex O’Clock, they invited me as an acting coach and intimacy coordinator at the same time.
How widespread is the coordination of intimacy in the Czech film environment?
So far, hardly at all. I have worked on two Czech projects so far. Sex O’Clock was probably the first in the Czech Republic to have an intimacy coordinator. Enlightened creators, producer Lukáš Gargulák and directors Karolína Zalabáková and Jan Bártek took part in it. It stars very young actors who have challenging scenes, including intimate ones.
I also collaborated on the project Bormistr, which is yet to be premiered, and it is the story of the children’s choir Bambini di Praga, whose choirmaster Bohumil Kulínský abused underage choristers for years. This was a challenging and fragile shoot, as it featured very young girls and a grown man. We worked hard to make everyone feel safe.
Why is intimate coordination not yet common in the Czech Republic, when it is becoming almost standard in the West?
I would say that a truly open reflection of sexuality, gender and relationships is still at the beginning in the Czech Republic. Manifestations of machismo and sexism are still perceived by some people as something harmless and traditional. The #MeToo movement, which has fundamentally changed America and its film industry, has been largely disparaged in our country. I think the path to greater understanding and empathy is still ahead of us, and this often applies to filming as well. Moreover, the square is a place that is extreme in many ways. There is huge pressure to perform, little time and a lot of stress – shooting days are expensive. The structure of the staff is very specific and it is not easy for any component that has not been recognized there for a long time to enter it. So when the intimacy coordinator comes to say that there is a need to rehearse the scene, in the eyes of many people he is delaying and has nothing to do there. It’s always been filmed somehow, so why should there be a coordinator all of a sudden? But such thinking does not only harm women.
Does it take into account that filming intimate scenes is not so difficult for men?
Men are often portrayed in our society as every “proper guy” who wants sex all the time and is happy “when he can get his hands on it”. But shooting intimate scenes is a sensitive matter. Many people find it difficult to undress and relax in front of their partner, let alone in front of crew, lights and cameras. This is also why, during intimate coordination, attention is paid to the so-called closed square, where only the necessary minimum of people are present. Many directors are already sensing these changes and opening up to new approaches. The public’s view is also changing. For me, the coordination of intimacy is part of a deeper social transformation, which could be characterized by the word consent.
“We ask the actors what their limits are in terms of nudity and contact with their partner,” Čurdová describes. | Photo: Honza Mudra
You talked about the stereotype that men always want sex. Can coordinating intimacy help make sex scenes sound less stereotypical?
I definitely think so. Someone who has a knack for choreography and working with actors can bring more joy, openness, depth and imagination to a shoot. The intimacy coordinator only cares about one area, so he has room to think carefully about how the intimate scenes should look to serve the story. It is important to consider at what stage of the story the intimate scene takes place and what it is intended to convey. Are they two people newly in love and having sex for the first time? Or are they just breaking up and this is hate sex? Is the sex violent or very gentle? Is there any awkwardness or clumsiness in it, or is it routine sex of tired fifty-somethings?
Do you also intervene in the choreography?
Usually, before filming an intimate scene, we sit down with the actors, director, cameraman, sometimes even the producer. We talk about how the director would imagine an intimate scene and what he thinks it should communicate in the story. We ask the actors what their limits are when it comes to nudity and contact with a partner. Then together we come up with and try how to concretely fulfill the vision of an intimate scene. I can add to the choreography or even design it completely. The intimate coordinator must be very flexible and reconcile the ideas of the director and the boundaries of the actors.
When British intimacy coordinator Ita O’Brien gave a lecture in the Czech Republic last year, producer Julie Žáčková or director Václav Marhoul objected that if the crew is empathetic enough, they can provide a safe environment themselves. How would you react?
Traditionally, it was handled by directors or assistant directors. Costume designers also play a big role, because during the filming of intimate scenes, they work on how to protect intimate parts and ensure that they do not touch directly. One of the principles is that it should always be simulated sex. Some directors are very empathetic. If they don’t want an intimacy coordinator on set and are able to ensure safety and respect the boundaries themselves, no one can force them. I think that when our industry starts to be talked about and actors and actresses speak out more about it, awareness of its benefits will spread. It’s hard for a lot of people in the film industry to relinquish or share control, especially directors. I get it, they have a lot of responsibility and usually have a clear idea. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that cooperation is possible and that someone else can bring a different perspective, greater security or creativity. Even at the cost of the fact that it might take more time.
Is it necessary for the person who holds the position of intimacy coordinator to have previous experience with film or actors?
I think so. After all, an intimate scene is still a film scene and it is about the acting being authentic, as the director wishes and appropriate to the genre. Therefore, it is good if the intimacy coordinator has experience in managing actors or has been an actor himself. It helps that I’m an acting coach and because of that I can see and hear when it works and when it doesn’t. Knowledge of the square is definitely important. There is often a lot of stress and you need to know who is who, who to contact and how to behave in order to help as much as possible without disrupting the filming.
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