What aspect most drew you to Theo’s character?
Loneliness and a quivering inability to share his emotions that borders on autism.
Do you think that his situation is inescapable from the start? Do you think that is what Veiko was trying to say, or not?
Surely neither Theo nor any other character in „Autumn Ball“ is in an inescapable situation. True, they are in a complete rut, but the fact that they all regard this with destructive, perpetual onward motion and a desire, at any price, to be free of their suffering is, I think, what makes this film unique. They all start at one point and end up as completely different people.
Yes, the things they learn about themselves are not at all what they are waiting for, but they all arrive at a new level as people. One that is unexpected, frightening, but they still develop in the direction of something completely new. It’s easy for a somber film to sink to masochistic pleasure in the characters’ pain. In „Autumn Ball“, this does not happen. In this case, Veiko has completely uniquely, and with a firm hand, led his dear heroes out of their claustrophobic status to Buddhist understanding. This is a very big accomplishment.
