ARGERICH on stage, off stage

The daughter of Martha Argerich and Stephen Kovacevich, and the middle child of Argerich’s three daughters, Stephanie Argerich is a filmmaker whose new documentary – to be released this autumn in the UK – is an intimate, funny and sometimes voyeuristic portrait of her mother. Seen through Stephanie’s eyes, this personal film explores her mother’s love, life and extraordinary talent, and exposes the challenges of combining motherhood with a glittering concert career where everyone wants a slice of ‘Martha’. Footage includes family tapes, TV archive, and of course Stephanie’s own filming, spanning the early years of Argerich’s triumph at the Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1965 to present day.

Why did you decide to make this film?
It was a very natural thing. I didn’t know I was going to make a film when I started out. I was 11 when I filmed some of the footage. My mother had received this camera from Japan and I enjoyed using it. Then I studied photography. I always had a camera with me. So it came about as a very unconscious thing. The turning point was just after I became a mother. That’s when you see your family in a slightly different way. I could see my mother in a different way; I could be less critical maybe, and understand her differently. You also feel an urgency that life is moving by quickly – birth and death and so on. That’s how it started.

Did your parents watch the film before release?
Of course I had to show it to them and my sisters. I wanted to gain their approval at the final editing stage. Everyone was rather nervous and scared beforehand, and they all watched it together! But they didn’t ask me to change anything. I think as interpreters themselves, they understand about my wanting to be as honest as possible. I didn’t want to make some Walt Disney version of my family. I wanted light things as well because I didn’t want to fall into something too intimate, or too sentimental, or too voyeuristic. I tried to find the balance. Some people might think it’s too intimate, some might be disturbed. I’ve been happy to see peoples’ reactions to date. Nobody has ‘destroyed’ the film. And of course, it is a specialist film. The average person on the street will not see it.

Did your parents like it?
You have to ask them! My father is quite proud I think. He hasn’t seen anything that I’ve done before. For my mother, the film is still disturbing. She can’t be that relaxed about it. She’s looking at herself  and she’s embarrassed by herself a lot.

We all know how hard it is to pin Martha down for an interview. Is it hard for you to find time with your mother?
Yes, and no. We haven’t shared the usual things that many families share, such as going on holidays, sharing activities and so on. Everything is centred either around the home or the concerts. That’s how we had to adapt ourselves. The time spent is still as meaningful though.

Can you recognise your parents’ playing?
I can recognise my mother’s playing more, because I heard her play much more because I grew up more with her. My father’s playing is more mysterious to me. Even then, they don’t recognise themselves. They sometimes listen to the radio and say, ‘that’s really good’ or ‘that’s not very good’ and it’s one of them! She was listening to Chopin once, and she said: ‘If it’s not me, then it’s someone else very inspired by me!’
You have met so many great musicians who surround your mother.
I have known Misha Maisky since I was a little girl. One of my favourite pieces was the Arpeggione that he and my mother played together. I used to fall asleep listening to it. They still play together (my mother is very faithful!). She has a special connection with Evgeny Kissin too. At her Lugano festival she usually invites the same people – the ‘Russian mafia’! It’s a very ‘friends’ festival. She is very good friends with Nelson Freire too. They’ve known each other since their teens.

You look a lot like your mother.
Thank you. She’s beautiful!

Do you play the piano too?
I learned a bit, and I did some saxophone. But when I was a teenager, I stopped. There were too many pianists around! My profession is film director. My parents didn’t want me to be a pianist, especially my father. My mother was more open to it, but she never pushed, as she’d been pushed so much herself. I am happy that I just listened to it so much and I enjoy it so much. I never wanted to be a musician. It was also obvious I couldn’t compete!

Argerich, A film by Stephanie Argerich, will be released in selected cinemas around the UK this autumn. For exact release date and further information, go to www.newwavefilms.co.uk