“Have you ever imagined Pippi Longstocking being old? Well, that’s Maomi,” says director Judit Oláh during the presentation of her doc feature Maomi – Larger Than Life, currently in late development and produced by Inez Matis for Pi Productions (Hungary), Annika Mayer for Majmun Films (Germany) and Anna Stylińska and Katarzyna Slesicka for My Way Studio (Poland).
Oláh further described her protagonist Maomi. “She’s still colourful, rebellious and adventurous at the age of 82. Maomi was born in Hollywood but she was sent to a German boarding school when she was a teenager and was left there. Not knowing the language nor the culture, feeling abandoned by her family, she created an imaginary, punky world and fulfilled an adventurous life. She lived in 11 countries, had six children and, for a while, three men at once. She still lives together with her second husband [Daidai], whom she has met in Germany.”
The director then introduced the project’s teaser reel featuring by controlled interviews with Maomi and Daidai alongside some archive footage.
“Our film is more about celebrating life, looking back on a long journey, capturing memories, reflecting on love, life, art freedom and choices. But, of course, under the sunshine and the sense of humour there are issues that are worth discovering: childhood traumas, unloyalty, deadly diseases,” Oláh continued.
“Maomi and Daidai are exceptional in the sense that they stay true to themselves until the very end, even when it meant giving up stability and wealth. Their apartment is literally falling apart, they can’t afford the dentist when they’re losing their teeth, and so on… Both of them were outcast as children until they met each other and created their own bubble. Both of them make art, for themselves, and not to become rich or famous. Both of them are looking at the eyes of death. […] They look at their past, at their present and even at their future from a very different perspective – Maomi with a light heart, Daidai with concerns and anxiety. At the end, [we wonder:] what does it take to live a free life?”
Next, Hungarian producer Matis highlighted how this story “can encourage people to question social norms and believe in their own abilities despite life’s many challenges, [just] like Pippi Longstocking.”
Majmun Films’ Mayer added: “In the film, Maomi and Daidai are – in a way – preparing to leave their life, sooner or later. During these preparations, they revisit some important places and we follow them on their journey to say farewell to life.”
Speaking about the first filming sessions, she continued: “We already shot with them in Bavaria, where Maomi visited her old boarding school and Daidai’s parents’ house, and they both reflect on how they didn’t fit in this very conservative Bavarian society. We also followed them on a trip from Budapest to Tuscany, where Maomi for once felt accepted in her life and finally [decides that] she wants to be buried under an olive tree.”
Matis revealed that 20 minutes of footage showcasing selected scenes are available for viewing to “get a taste” of the film’s visual look and the dynamics between the two characters. She also showed one more short clip, set in a graveyard in Italy.The overall budget of the project is €410,775, and the team was in Thessaloniki looking for production funds, co-producers, broadcasters and distributors. The 85-minute feature is set for delivery in September 2024.
