Submarine Channel

Multi-talented Anna Biller delivered the high-camp (s)exploitation flick ‘Viva’ in 2009. The film takes place in 1972, during the heyday of the sexual revolution. Anna Biller plays Barbi – a bored, naive suburban housewife who gets sucked into a life of prostitution, drugs, sexual experimentation, nudist camps and orgies, and subsequently reinvents herself as the self made, sexually liberated goddess Viva.

 

 

Biller directed, wrote the script, plays the leading role, edited the film, created the ravishing costumes, and spent weeks, sometimes months, to perfect the lavishly decorated sets that are overflowing with gorgeous, evocative props from the era. ‘Viva’ is a masterpiece of styling that redefines retro. Everything is infused with a sense of style and class, to perfectly emulate a seventies B-movie. From the hair styles to the hors d’oeuvres, the dialogues, the fake laughter, the lighting, the cinematography -everything simply looks and sounds meticulously authentic. ‘Viva’ is a visual feast, an ode to an era of cinema with its vibrant technicolors and campy craftsmanship, but most importantly, tons of fun to watch!

We met Biller at the Rotterdam Film Festival 2007, where ‘Viva’ had its world premiere.

Interview by Alexander Oey.