DLMFA Scholarship Winner “Milkmaid” Continues Film Award Wins

At the David Lynch MFA in Film Program, we know that film-making can take you on all kinds of amazing journeys. One such journey brought filmmaker Agnes Baginska to Fairfield, Iowa.

Baginska, who spent her childhood in Poland, submitted her short film, Milkmaid, to the David Lynch MFA in Film (DLMFA) scholarship contest in 2014. The film was personally selected by David Lynch as the winner of a full scholarship into the program. While in the DLMFA program, Baginska wrote a sequel to Milkmaid and filmed it as her thesis film. The film, Last Tree Standing, is currently in post-production. We recently caught up with Baginska to learn more about the film that brought her to Fairfield, IA.

What is Milkmaid about?

Milkmaid tells the story of a farm girl who becomes a medium for the forces of nature. Forging a connection with the forest, she seeks out revenge for a crime committed against it.

Film poster for “Milkmaid”

I consider the story to be a fable, influenced by the scary Slavic Folk Tale of the witch Baba Yaga, that illustrates the words of the Indian activist Gandhi: “what we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another”.

Both cultural influences are interconnected in the story by the common theme of nature. I used the film as a vehicle to provide a commentary on the state of Planet Earth.

As a filmmaker, what was the most enlightening thing about making this film? What was it like to film in Poland?

I have been living overseas for over eleven years, so visiting the place of my birth stimulated my senses. The view of the Polish forest in winter–the creaking snow, fluffy clouds in the treetops, silver icicles dangling from the branches and the Sun wreathed by the scarf of fog–all made me reminisce of my childhood like the snow globe in Citizen Kane. I remember thinking this is larger than life, this is ultimately the link that unites us all as human beings. It soon became clear that I needed to film something there.

Screenshot from “Milkmaid”

My long-term stay abroad also influenced the course of production. All filmmakers I knew at the time were based in the Antipodes, so Milkmaid was made, to put it mildly, by a skeleton crew and in the end, I also cast myself in the lead role.

The good side, however, was that we had time and flexibility, which removed a large number of restrictions we would have otherwise faced. As a result, the whole process of making Milkmaid unraveled organically and in the spirit of pure inspiration.

What awards has Milkmaid won?

Milkmaid has won numerous awards and it continues to be screened in festivals around the world. It has screened at the Cannes Short Film Corner; it was nominated for Best Editing by the Australian Screen Editors Guild and it won: Best Achievement in Editing at the Oscar Qualifying St Kilda Film Festival; Best Cinematography Award at Festicini Film Festival; Award of Excellence at Accolade Global Film Competition; Special Mention at Macae Cine International Film Festival in Brazil and, most recently, Best Australian Film at the Sydney World Film Festival.

After David Lynch personally picked Milkmaid for the full scholarship, what was the best experience of attending this program?

Animation from “Last Tree Standing,” inspired by events in “Milkmaid”

I still remember the excitement of winning the scholarship and I will be eternally grateful for the chance I was given. It was a real honor to be recognized and appreciated by one of the most influential filmmakers of our time. I was very curious about Transcendental Meditation before attending and while studying at DLMFA (David Lynch MFA in Film Program) I got the opportunity to learn and practice it on a daily basis. To have a teacher tell you to take a break to meditate during the course was a really amazing thing. Daily practice of meditation led me to coming up with the idea for my thesis film and in the end I met some of the most wonderful people in my life, who not only helped me make the film but who also nourished and supported me throughout this journey. It was a very special time – a time of synchronicities and meaningful coincidences; a time of wise lessons, challenging situations and self-realization.

Laura Muzzarelli was born and raised in Traverse City, Michigan. She first came to Fairfield in August of 2013 as a transfer student to MUM, where she majored in Media & Communications, with an emphasis in Film Studies. She graduated with her Bachelor's degree in December of 2015 and then worked for the David Lynch Masters in Film Program. She loves movies, Harry Potter, and all things pineapple.