Belief in the Process: Pete Ohs Discusses Erupcja, Charli XCX, and Innovative Approaches

      Although there may be few innovative approaches left for filmmaking, Pete Ohs has possibly found a new way. He views each film he creates as a “table of bubbles”—something beautiful and delicate that can't bear any ideological or physical weight. Collaborating closely with actors, who are often recognized as co-writers, he shapes a narrative actively in progress. However, the films do not come across as improvised, incomplete, or stagnant; instead, they thrive on the unpredictability of the characters and are open to various narrative possibilities. Following last year's charming (and still-unreleased) The True Beauty of Being Bitten By a Tick, Ohs presents Erupcja, which adopts a similar model but has gained a bit more attention due to its lead being Charli XCX, who is also a co-producer and co-writer.

      Nonetheless, this isn’t the film's main focus. It's a two-character story featuring Bethany (XCX) and Lena (Lena Góra), friends with an unusual, almost supernatural bond, which becomes complicated when Bethany arrives in Lena’s Warsaw with her fiancé (Rob, played by Will Madden). Discovering the nature of their relationship and the direction a reunion might take them (like involving Jeremy O. Harris’ ex-pat artist Claude) has provided some of the most enjoyable moments I’ve experienced with a film this year. It doesn’t diminish the discomfort arising from the lead character's selfishness or the unsettling possibility that the narrative could veer off course.

      The fact that it never does is a credit to Ohs and his team of actor-writers. He is rather pragmatic when discussing the matter, likening his methodology to more conventional filmmaking practices—a winding route to the same end. We spoke while Erupcja was gearing up for its U.S. premiere at New Directors/New Films just before its theatrical release scheduled for this Friday.

      The Film Stage: Often, a movie comes with a pre-established, preconceived narrative attached to it. You’ve been transparent about your “table of bubbles” concept in filmmaking. Given that this movie was shot in a foreign country with a foreign language and involved a significant pop star, I was curious—while I believe the film is fantastic—what would this turn out to be?

      Pete Ohs: Absolutely! [Laughs]

      There’s that uncertainty—will this feel like a genuine film? Yet, from the very first scene, it’s evident that it is a real movie.

      Right. There are so many ways it could have gone awry. Could this be Crossroads featuring Britney Spears? Or perhaps just some chaotic improv mess? What exactly is this?

      Right. If it were Crossroads, it would eventually be embraced by the Letterboxd crowd in twenty years, so in the long run, you'd win.

      True! In the long run.

      So, are you aware of or concerned about pre-existing narratives surrounding a movie, or does that factor into your consideration at all since the film ultimately speaks for itself?

      With these films, connected to the “table of bubbles” notion, much of the setup is designed such that we don’t need to worry about those external aspects. The goal is to stay engaged and hopefully create something valuable—some intriguing piece of art. Because it’s not a traditional movie with a heavy budget that necessitates justification for its existence, it’s acceptable—at least in my view and that of my collaborators and producers—to not stress about what it might become. That creates an interesting—and for me and us—playground for creativity. What I prioritize with myself and the actors is our collective experience, which always transforms into a lovely, life-affirming two weeks spent here on Earth.

      Absolutely.

      And I’m eager to experience it again. So, in this regard, we succeed, and once the movie takes shape, we can address that later.

      We tackle that here in this room.

      Exactly! Making sense of it. The filmmaking process is... I approach it holistically and am mindful that as the project starts to take form, you can continue making choices that shape its nature and how it will exist in the world. For instance, the film features various color blocks, a stylistic choice motivated by many factors, but there’s no Brat-green color block. We consciously worked to create something relevant to the present context. Doing it will carry meaning; not doing it will also carry meaning. If we were making Crossroads, we'd likely use Brat-green far more extensively.

      We intentionally linked it to Charli as the star, but the film’s essence is her desire to be a collaborator and artist exploring acting and filmmaking without a focus on a product aimed at market maximization. This, in my opinion, preserves some level of artistic integrity [Laughs], and ideally, you'll finish watching it thinking, "Oh, this is a real movie." Regardless of its quality, it is doing what it intends to do without trying to