Kristýna Ryška on “Zlata Labut,” Playing an Ice Queen, and Irlena

By Karen Frost

Central Europe has always been a black hole when it comes to queer female content. In fact, it’s almost possible to count on one hand the number of TV shows that have ever had queer female characters. While the lesbian storyline in Czechia’s “Zlata Labut” is not Czechia’s first, it is the first one to spread outside the country, picked up by algorithms in YouTube and TikTok and pushed to an international audience, albeit with difficulty.

“Irlena,” the portmanteau of Irena Mašková and Alena Zimová, is an ice queen/ray of sunshine pairing set in the absolute worst of times: the start of the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia. While the last lesbian love story set in continental Europe under the Nazis, the 1999 movie “Aimée & Jaguar,” ends just as badly as one would expect (one of the characters was Jewish, and it was based on a true story), here there’s still hope. One of the best things about Irlena is that it’s not just a secondary storyline on “Zlata Labut,” but a primary driver of multiple storylines. Far from minimizing the queer storyline, the network even put Irlena on a billboard in Czechia. As well it should, because Irlena is definitely the most interesting love story on the show.

Thrilled by this fun and complex story—which we highly recommend—we reached out to Kristýna Ryška, who plays Irena, to find out more about the show, her character, and Irlena. And, with the help of Radek Vantuch to translate, she graciously took the time to respond!

1. Because of copyright restrictions Nova has imposed on YouTube and IP blocking for some content coming out of Czechia, it’s very, very difficult for foreign viewers to watch "The Golden Swan." Through a secret network set up by a few Czech viewers, however, I was able to get a hold of a bootleg copy of only scenes between Irena and Alena with English subtitles. Based on those scenes, it was quite clear Irena Mašková must be the star of the show, since she’s the most intriguing and complex character. Imagine my surprise when I found out that actually Petr and Bara are the main characters! But it seems that other viewers agree with me, and Irena is the most popular character, is that correct?

Answer: I dare say Irena is very popular. But whether she is the most popular character of the whole series, I don't have the exact data to say that. But you're right that the role is written in a complex way, and her character, personal secrets and the circumstances of the time make for a compelling subject for the audience.

2. I watched your interview with CK Live on YouTube about "The Golden Swan." Since it was in Czech, all I got were the words "Irena Mašková," "ambitious," and "costumes." By chance, those two words do summarize the character of Irena… For viewers outside of Czechia who either aren’t able to access full episodes of "The Golden Swan" or can’t understand what’s being said on screen, can you summarize what the show is about and who Irena is (in addition to being an ambitious woman in gorgeous costumes)?

Answer: “The Golden Swan” is an original series of Czech production, the plot of which revolves around a department store opened in 1939 in Prague. This is based on history, when in the same year the family company Brouk a Babka opened the White Swan department store, which, by the way, is still standing in Prague. In the series, the store is owned by the Kucera family and Irena is one of the daughters. She is constantly competing with her two brothers for her place in the sun. From a dramaturgical point of view, Irena is a bad guy, often teeters on the edge of morality, a skilled manipulator, frighteningly pragmatic, going for broke, has a husband, two sons and loves Alena, a saleswoman in the fashion department. However, the very first episode ends with the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany, and World War II begins. This brings several dramatic twists and turns, and the true characters are revealed. Who collaborates, who keeps their honour, who protects their family, who flees...

3. In your interview with the newspaper Právo, you mention you were able to develop out some of the character of Irena yourself. What did you bring to this character that wasn’t part of the original script?

Answer: I always consult the plasticity of the character with a number of people, and it's gradually built up, so now I can't say exactly what came from me. I may have influenced the way I look at this relentless woman a little bit because I'm trying to look for places where I can show her vulnerability. But at the same time, it's good to go easy on those moments, because Irena should always remain tough and uncompromising. Don't expect any character awakening. I also like to cut the lines and just make a meaningful face instead, but that doesn't come through as often as I'd like.

4. In another interview, with TV Magazin, you noted that having what we in the US call "resting bitch face" can be a problem in real life but is good for playing Irena. Where are other areas of similarity or difference between you and Irena?

Answer: Irena is made of a completely different clay than I am. The only thing we have in common is responsibility, focus and seriousness, but that's just that face again. I'm trying to fight that seriousness, but sometimes it's rather awkward and fake, the way I smile so stupidly... But that's not true in my family, where I smile naturally.

5. Around the world, it happens more often than not that when a lesbian romance is introduced on a TV show, the lesbian couple becomes the most popular pair on the show. While this phenomenon is known to us in the lesbian media, it’s always a shock to the show’s cast and crew. At what point did you realize that Irlena was becoming more popular than Petr and Bara?

Answer: Irlena's lesbian love was only revealed in Episode 8 and, indeed, I was anxiously awaiting the audience's reaction. However, the Czech audience surprised me very pleasantly. My sister takes care of my Instagram page, because I don't want to delve too much into that world, and she is absolutely shocked that not a single hate has come in the whole year that “Swan” has been on air. Not one! It defies all statistics. Besides, I get lovely letters with personal stories. Like the one where a viewer writes that her grandmother has come to terms with her lesbian orientation because "Irena likes girls too..." And that's when I thought, this Irlena must be popular. But I certainly don't see it as a popularity contest. I wish the show was full of popular characters, it's the only way to have a strong show.

6. Irlena fans are dying to know how the relationship started. Alena tells Jakub the affair started from the day Irena and Alena met, but that’s all we find out. Will we learn more in season two? If not, have the writers told you what happened off camera or have you come up with your own story for it? If yes, can you tell us when and how they came together and who made the first move?

Answer: Unless there are some flashbacks at some point, these moments will probably be left to the viewer's imagination. We've given a rough idea of what might have happened, but we didn't go into detail. Alena and Irena got together during the preparations for the opening of the Golden Swan when Alena went through the selection process and Irena noticed her.

7. While trapped in the elevator, Alena mentions she was in a relationship with a girl named Karla. We don’t know anything about Irena’s history with women, however. In the backstory you imagine for her, has she had crushes on other women that she did or didn’t act on? And did Irena pursue the relationship with Alena because she’s special, or was she simply the first woman that Irena was certain liked women and was within reach for her?

Answer: For Irena, this is a new thing that she did not know about until then or rather was not even aware of it at the pace of her work and life. But she certainly suspected that life with her husband Lukas was not the dream life, but she could not quite name the reasons. Alena had captivated her first and foremost as a person, I dare say she had never met such a pure being in her life.

8. In lesbian fan communities, it’s currently popular to say of a romantic couple, "X character fell in love first, but Y character fell in love harder." Does that dynamic apply to Irlena, and if so, who fell first and who harder?

Answer: Alena was probably the first to fall in love, and I'd say Alena loves harder, too.

9. We know the necklace Alena sells to help pay for the apartment with Jakub must have been given to her by Irena. Is Irena the type to give gifts to a lover out of affection, or does she like the idea of Alena secretly wearing something that marks her as Irena’s?

Answer: I don't want to take away your illusions about the making of the series, but some things, especially those that are not further developed and have no plot importance, just don't come up. For example, the particular situation of Irena giving Alena the jewel was not even filmed, if I remember correctly, so I'll make that answer up. She probably gave it to Alena out of love and likes the idea of her falling asleep with it.

10. Where are Irena and Alena meeting at night?

Answer: Simona and I asked about that too...😊 They said somewhere in a hotel.

11. What is your favorite Irlena scene, or is it yet to come in season 2?

Answer: I recall a scene you see in the second season where Irena is looking for Alena because she suspects something has happened to her. It's a scene in the dressing room, no conversation, we're just supposed to look at each other for a long time and then run to each other. Anyway, I couldn't keep a straight face, I kept laughing and felt like Tom Cruise in Top Gun looking into the setting sun. Actually, I don't know if it's there, but I think it's like that the whole movie. To be clear, I'm not a romantic and I often find these scenes comical, even pathetically cheesy. But I understand that the genre calls for it.

12. Without spoiling it for readers who may not have watched yet, the end of the first season is brutal—for everyone. This is a drama show, after all, so it’s no surprise. Can you tell us anything about what will happen with Irena and Irlena in the second season?

Answer: If you think I know how Season 2 will turn out, you're wrong. The series is being written as we go along, and we actors don't have that much of a head start. Let's just say we're about 10 episodes away. And what I can tell you is that Irena is going to have to fight harder to stay in charge of the company because her secret love will be known to the whole family. So she's gonna have to do something she never imagined.

13. Lesbian storylines have what I call an "unhappy endings problem." Of the 1,632 TV shows around the world catalogued by Lezwatch.TV that have ever had queer female, transgender, or non-binary characters, only 6% are tagged as having happy endings for the lesbian couple. Along with that, 20% of the shows killed at least one of their LGBT characters (This is called the "Bury Your Gays" trope). Against reason, this number isn’t getting better with time. Since 2020, only 5.5% of the TV shows are tagged as having happy endings. Given these terrible statistics and the fact that Irena and Alena are living in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, the future for Irlena looks bleak. Despite that, would you and Simona (Lewandwska, who plays Alena) fight for a happy ending or does the pressure have to come from fans?

Answer: You yourself are aware of the historical context; it would probably be far-fetched if Irena and Alena had bought a small house and lived there happily and lovingly for the rest of their days. Fortunately, there is such a thing as artistic license, so I wouldn't be entirely worried that Irlena would end up in some tragic way. The show's creators are aware of Irlena's popularity, perhaps they have that responsibility to satisfy their viewers. And would I fight for that? I hadn't thought of it until now, because I approach it like any other job I do, and I usually go with what the writers write. Because it's their profession and it's up to me to play it as truthfully as possible. I'm not from the LGBT community so I didn't look at it through that lens, but I guess I'll think about it differently now.

14. Also on the topic of trends for lesbian TV couples, no matter what the country of origin, there is almost always a double standard applied between same-sex and heterosexual couples. The lesbian couples hold hands and brush each other’s hair, while the straight couples have passionate sex. The lesbian couples get brief, often unhappy scenes, while the straight couples get happy romance and fun dates. In an interview with Glanc magazine, Simona remarked that "The Golden Swan" can’t be more sexually explicit because airs on Nova in prime time, but do you think the Irlena storyline would benefit from having more—or at least longer—moments of emotional and/or physical intimacy? And if there was the possibility of a scene like that, would you want an intimacy coach on set?

Answer: Well, I still think Irlena has a good deal of kissing scenes. Compared to Peter and Bara, they're balanced. For me, the question is not whether Alena and Irena should have passionate sex, but whether any couple should have passionate sex scenes at all in this primetime format. I don't have a problem with these scenes, but I'm only amenable to it if the intent is obvious. In this format, I would consider it unnecessary exposure of the actors. However, if it does come up in the script, I don't think I'll have the final say. I can challenge it, but the creators will still defend it and I'll have no choice. I never required an intimate coach for these scenes, there was no need, no conflict. Of course, sometimes communication with the director can be difficult and, in this case, an intimate coach can be an asset to both parties.

15. Let’s talk for a moment about fans and viewers. LGBT viewers are completely different from heterosexual viewers. They come from all over the world looking for same-sex love stories they can watch online, often because those stories don’t exist in their home countries or there are only one or two stories there. These viewers don’t mind what language the storyline is in or where it airs. They will even watch without understanding a single word being said—which is also true of some fans of Irlena. Among the 1,800+ members of the Zlatá Labuť Alena & Irena Facebook group, for example, are fans from Brazil, Thailand, Denmark, the United States, Luxembourg, Vietnam, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, and Malaysia, to name only a few. But of course, straight people enjoy LGBT storylines as well. Why do you think people are drawn to these stories regardless of their own sexual orientation? Is the writing better? Is it the acting?

Answer: Thanks for the explanation. I was shocked to learn about Irlena's popularity outside the Czech Republic and this explains it. So I guess it is not taboo that men are turned on by the sight of two women and I would explain the interest by this rule. There are plenty of heterosexual men who have homosexual affairs as well. Maybe that's a naive explanation, but I can't think of anything else. And if it's better written or acted, it probably depends on the case.

16. One of the primary ways the LGBT community discovers lesbian TV storylines in other countries is by seeing videos about them that fans upload to YouTube. They then find out how to watch the rest of the storyline from the comments section. Currently, the most viewed music video for Irlena has 672k views, but there’s no way for viewers to find the rest of the storyline. Years ago, RTVE—the Spanish Radio and Television Corporation—realized how popular the lesbian couples were on its shows and started creating special YouTube videos for them with English subtitles to make it easier for fans everywhere to watch (for example, all the kisses for the couple Maite and Camino on the period show "Acacias 38" were compiled into a video that has 9.5 million views). Is there any chance Nova would consider doing the same for Irlena and who do the fans have to lobby to make that happen?

Answer: I really can't answer that question. Of course, I doubt that such an initiative would come from Nova. It's a TV station aimed at the domestic market. Someone would have to officially buy the rights and do it on their own.

17. Czechia is considered one of the most liberal post-Soviet countries when it comes to gay rights. As of this spring, 83% of Czechs polled supported registered partnerships for same-sex couples. Despite this, it seems Czech TV has only had a few lesbian characters in all of its history. Can you explain to foreign fans why there appears to be a disconnect between progressive Czech views and a lack of minority representation on TV?

Answer: Do you get that feeling? I would say that the audiovisual scene is trying to cover the topic of minorities. We've just finished a series called “Mosaic,” in which one of the central couples is again gay, and even contrary to the research you mentioned above, this couple ends up getting married, so a happy ending. I haven't done the research to know where the Czech audiovisual market stands, and I don't watch much TV, but I wouldn't say that minority representation is lacking. Czech Public Television in particular tries to map it fairly decently. I don't think any minority will ever be happy because, by definition, they will always be under-represented. And let me just make a small correction - the Czech Republic is not a post-Soviet country, but a post-Communist country. The former Czechoslovakia was never part of the Soviet Union but was one of the communist bloc countries. In any case, in 1968 the Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia and its soldiers stayed there until the fall of communism in 1989.

18. Finally, I have been asked by the Irlena fandom to pass along their enthusiastic support for you and Simona in your roles. They know you’re not on social media, so they want you to know there exists a respectful fan group that’s doing its best to welcome more international fans to the show. If there’s any message you’d like to send back, now is your chance.

Dear fans,

Since I had no idea about you for a long time, you're like an inheritance from an aunt you didn't know. A great joyful surprise, but also a responsibility. And so I promise to play Irene as best I can, so you'll always have something to look at. Thank you for your support! I wish you all the best. P.S. Glory to Ukraine!

Written by Karen Frost
For readers interested in watching the Irlena storyline, you can see Irlena scenes subtitled on TikTok here, or join the Zlatá Labuť Alena & Irena Facebook group to access more scenes.

jennifer montoyaSeptember 11, 2023