Filmvorführung: NOCH BIN ICH NICHT, WER ICH SEIN MÖCHTE

What will documentaries about influencers who meticulously record their lives with selfies and pictures look like in the future? How can this wealth of material be structured to tell an interesting story for the screen?

Born in Prague in 1952, photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková does not come from the social media era. Nevertheless, director Klára Tasovská's cinematic essay I am not yet who I want to be offers an impressive answer to the question of how a radically autobiographical style can become an engaging cinematic experience.

Tasovská explains that she wants to enable the audience to see the world through Jarcovjáková's eyes. The film consists entirely of her photographs, without talking heads or archive footage. Many moments are accompanied by Jarcovjáková's diary entries, which are read aloud by herself via voice-over, and by sounds that create a lively atmosphere. The urgency in her photos and texts is palpable, and Jarcovjáková emphasizes that photography is vital to her survival. As the title suggests, the film shows her search for identity and the desire for inner freedom without conforming.

It functions as a contemporary document that does not neglect personal narratives. We learn how the constraints of the repressive Czechoslovakian regime shaped her life. Jarcovjáková honestly describes the conflicts, especially for women and queer people. Her photographs of the Roma communities, Vietnamese migrants and the queer scene stand in stark contrast to the restrictions of the time. The fact that Jarcovjáková is often compared to Nan Goldin is understandable and may help to categorize her art. However, this work shows what a special, unique personality Jarcovjáková is with her very own view.

(Documentary film, SK/AT 2024, 90 min., FSK: from 0 years, Director: Klára Tasovská)

We are showing the film as an exclusive preview as part of the World Press Photo exhibition.

The nationwide theatrical release is in January 2025.