Goodbye, Petrushka Gives Women Permission To Not Be Perfect

Romantic comedy is a formidable genre. Leading female characters have been portrayed in a multitude of ways with the expectation versus reality comparison shifting back and forth from accurate to utterly fallacious depending on the era, the director, and the script. This week’s featured filmmaker Nicola Rose and her feature film debut Goodbye Petrushka is a romantic comedy that aims to showcase women who are messy, silly and flawed individuals; as they are in real life.

Nicola's interest in filmmaking began with Wes Anderson. "He had made this beautifully coloured story that was moving, weird, quirky and utterly unpredictable." she explained, "Watching it was one of those rare moments when everything in the world suddenly aligns and makes sense. I remember thinking that if I could make a movie I was half as proud of, I’d be happy forever." This love of the quirky and unpredicable carries through in Nicola's first feature film Goodbye, Petrushka which tells the story of an awkward young woman who moves impulsively from New York to Paris, nannying for the family from hell, battling wacky French bureaucrats, and navigating a toxic relationship — among other faux pas.

"[The film] was inspired by experiences I had as a younger person but, I think everyone’s work is inspired by their experiences." Nicola said when I asked where the idea for the film originated from, "The important thing is, can you make them funny, touching, moving? That’s what I hope this film is for people." The other key motivation for the story was to create a romantic comedy that had a realistically imperfect lead character. "I think we’re getting better about this as a society, but in the media, women still aren’t allowed to be messy and silly and flawed the way men are." Nicola said, "There is still this age-old, cobweb-covered idea that women aren’t funny. Well, not if society doesn’t allow them to be. It’s natural to mess up, to obsess over guys even when we’re told we shouldn’t, to be pushy and yearning and needy even when we know better. We need to normalize these stories. Besides, they’re relatable, and relatable means people laugh."

Before Goodbye, Petrushka Nicola had only made short films Creative Block, In the Land of Moonstones (adapted from the book by Tania Sollogoub), Gabrielle, and Biff & Me, all of which won acclaim and awards on the indie festival circuit. The longer production time and the new challenges a global pandemic posed for her debut feature however didn't seem to phase her. "We made the film in summer 2021, so between COVID bursts. So the biggest struggle, and priority, was keeping everyone safe and healthy (which we did!)." She explained to me. Having a great support network appeared to be the key in making the transition to a bigger production so effortless. "To me, it honestly felt like the same thing, just longer. But that is largely thanks to my formidable producing partner, Tierney Boorboor, who captained our ship so smoothly that I barely realized how much extra behind-the-scenes work she was sparing me," Nicola said.

The film premiered at Dances With Films in Los Angeles this month where the reception from audiences was warm and full of laughs, even in unexpected places. Next, the film premiered in New York which was followed by a week of screenings at Arena Cinelounge Sunset finishing on July 21st. I asked Nicola how she was feeling about the New York premiere beforehand. "I’m hoping the tech check goes off without a hitch! After that, I just look forward to sitting back and listening to where the laughs are."

GOODBYE, PETRUSHKA is now available to rent or buy on Amazon

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