Love in the Grave (Láska v hrobě), 2011: a love story with a difference…
Taking place in a cemetery in the middle of Prague, and filmed over a number of years, Love in the Grave presents a touching account of a homeless couple who find refuge in one of the graveyard's crypts. Actually, I am at odds with the term “homeless” in this case, as when we meet Jan and Jana, both of them have abodes of sorts; Jana in the crypt, and Jan in a poky, dilapidated outbuilding. Maybe “squatters” is more accurate. What makes their story so sad, however, is that during the course of the documentary, they will eventually become homeless; physically removed from their shelter with brute force and treated like the rats they share the grounds with.
Watching this documentary, the viewer flits between passive observer, trying and often failing, to not judge these characters, to a far more empathetic stance. And there are genuinely touching and funny moments. Hearing the ethereal pop classic, Stay, by 90s duo, Shakespears Sister, being played on the radio, Jana’s initial enthusiasm turns to despair when Jan “ruins it” by attempting to sing along. It is difficult not to laugh, but we immediately then find ourselves almost crying along with Jana as the poignancy of the lyrics becomes apparent.
At several points in the documentary, Jan talks about “being free” in a tangible sense as well as a spiritual one. They seem genuinely happy at times and reasonably content with their simple existence. There were moments that reminded me of the sense of adventure I'd experienced on camping holidays and my brief attempts at getting "back to nature". Indeed, one of their fellow grave-dwellers says that he is "always on holiday". Good for them, they're actually living the dream whilst the rest of us suckers are slaves to the machine. Well, not quite. With Jana, in particular, we sense an underlying neurosis, which often has her on the verge of tears and drives her deeper into alcoholism. Glimpses into her past, reveal where this deep-rooted unhappiness stems from. Jan, on the other hand, seems more at peace and detached from external forces. We suspect if he could live out his days in that graveyard with Jana, getting by selling old porn mags, he would die a happy man.
What I found so fascinating about this film, are the questions it raises. Should we pity this couple? Are they better off than the rest of us in some ways? Being somewhat free from social constraints, are they further down the path to spiritual enlightenment? Are we in the so-called “civilised” Western world to blame for the existence of so many displaced souls? And despite living on the edge of society, if it came down to it, are we as humans actually able to escape the inherent framework that makes us what we are? Giving up a material existence is one thing, but detaching from our own subconscious is quite another. As this film demonstrates, it is not necessarily money itself, or rather lack of it, that leads to Jana’s self-destruction, but the ghosts from her past and the forces that govern her; love, guilt, and ultimately, pride.
Despite throwing up some deep questions, the film is balanced by laughs and doesn't go down the obvious route of focusing too heavily on the grim realities of living rough (we only see one rat in the throes of rigor mortis). I did come out of the film feeling a little sad but also strangely uplifted by the characters’ simple outlook on life. Regardless, it certainly gets you thinking, and that's no bad thing…
Watch the trailer here:
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