Reykjavík Grapevine - ágú. 2022, Blaðsíða 22

22 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 08— 2022
‘No Makeup’
Exploring Characters On And Off Stage
Words: Iryna Zubenko Photo: Grzegorz Bieńko
Monika Konarzewska film debut
‘No Makeup’ highlights the lives of
foreign-origin characters in drag
culture
“People and system restrictions,”
says film director Monika Konarze-
wska about her main sources of inspi-
ration. Straddling the line between
documentary and performance, her
debut film ‘No Makeup’ takes a close
look at queer life in Iceland through
the eyes of expat drag queens and
kings. The film was named ‘Best LGBT
Documentary’ at the Berlin Documen-
tary Film Festival, and Monika has
received the ‘Best Director, Documen-
tary’ award at Berlin Indie Film Festi-
val for her work.
Freedom of expression
“I was so moved by how easily
drag artists can talk about private
traumas and then completely turn
the topic into something funny,”
Monika explains. “Drag gives a
space to express all secrets with no
shame, through different mediums
and in an exaggerated way.”
‘No Makeup’ guides viewers
through intimate stories of local
drag performers—Faye Knus,
Morning Starr, Hans and Gala Noir.
Each of them has different reasons
for why they ended up in drag, and
different meanings for the perfor-
mance itself. Monika agrees that
it was key to show diversity. “It's a
documentary about foreign people
living in Iceland and finding their
place to express themselves in the
way they want to,” she shares. “The
way they felt like they should act
but couldn’t do so in their home-
land.”
Every drag is different
An immigrant herself, Monika
believes that Iceland is a country
that welcomes people
from al l p laces
and backgrounds,
allowing them to
b e t h e m s e l v e s .
“Including me,” she
says. “Since child-
hood, I was taught
t h a t G o d l o v e s
everyone uncondi-
tionally. But then
you hear that some
people are more
equal and some less deserving to
be loved.” Monika shares her story
of growing up in Poland, a country
where religion still plays an impor-
tant role in people’s mentality.
“I think most of the hatred
comes from the lack of knowl-
edge,” she says. “That's why in this
documentary I wanted to share
people's stories to ‘un-taboo’ harm-
ful stereotypes about them.” One
of ‘No Makeup’s’ goals is to give
people who don’t know anything
about drag culture a chance to see
it through the characters behind
the stage makeup.
“That's why ‘No Makeup’ was
made—to show that we all have
similar struggles and at the same
time we are very different and
that's okay,” says Monika. “We know
drag mostly as entertainment, but
there is no single definition of what
drag is, it's above any rules.”
First-time challenges
Shooting the documentary was
quite a process, Monika says. In
total, it took two years with breaks,
followed by an extra year of post-
production. “It wasn't easy because
at the same time I was working
three jobs in Reykjavík and the proj-
ect was made without any finan-
cial support,” she says, adding that
because of Covid-19, getting fund-
ing in Iceland became
impossible.
W h e n a s k e d
what was the most
challenging part
o f m a k i n g ‘ N o
Makeup’, Monika
is confident it was
post-production.
“In documentaries,
you don’t write a
script,” she says.
“It's not the same as
plot-based films because you have
to deal with the footage you have;
you can’t plan it. It was hard but
at the same time one of the best
moments in my life.”
Going forward
Without disclosing many details,
Monika says her next movie will
talk about someone who is on
the autism spectrum. “I strongly
believe that when you are doing
something from the position of
your heart, you will be heard,” she
says. “It's just the beginning of my
directing path and I hope it will be
easier after ‘No Makeup’.”
‘No Makeup’ is screening at Gauku-
rinn on August 7.
Director Monika Konarzewska
This is a dinner party I'd love to attend
Film 22The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 08— 2022
“There is
no single
definition of
what drag is,
it's above any
rules.”
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D 1940
Skólavörðustígur 7
Skólavörðustígur 12
Kringlan
Harpa
Flugstöð Leifs Eiríkssonar
1
2
4
3
A great
selection
of design
and
local craft
1 Post cards — Signý Þórhallsdóttir
2 Ceramic — Aldís Bára Einarsdóttir
3 Tarot candle — Þórunn Árnadóttir
4 Pillow case — Signý Þórhallsdóttir
Reykjavík ó Reykjavík
Signý Þórhallsdóttir fyrir Rammagerðina
Reykjavík ó Reykjavík
Signý Þórhallsdóttir fyrir Rammagerðina