Fast confession - Olivie Žižková: Politics has ruined my life, I will support Okamura anyway and I would like to meet with Zeman

In recent years, you have been active in politics, now the elections are approaching. What about you and politics?

I think these two things do not go very well together. I have never perceived politics as something that affected me in my life, it is definitely not my cup of tea. I've always been more into my singing, acting, now photography. Politics for me is negation, dirt, theft. I'm not keen on it, I do not like it.

In that case I do not you understand why you made those political songs?

Europe is now under threat because of the unadaptable refugees that are coming here. I had a melody in my drawer and I just wondered what lyrics we could write to go with it. In addition, they slit the throat of a Catholic priest in France in 2016, and I said to myself that's unbelievable, I don't like that, I can not leave it like this. And I kept wondering what kind of lyrics I'd like to do, and suddenly I thought of “Breathe, Europe”. I did not have any plans to go into politics, I did not want to hurt anyone or cause an uproar, but I thought that for my fans and the people that I had around me, and because of previous cases, it might somehow be a way to wake them up . But I had no idea that the song would become viral and that it would be all over Europe.

These songs enjoyed great popularity, whether negative or positive.

Suddenly it had a huge audience, newspaper headlines "Porn actress Žižková cheated on Krytinář" were replaced with "Unknown pseudo-vocalist could go to prison" because she sang a racist song. Suddenly my husband Honzík (editor's note: the musician Jan Žižka) told me that we would not go on with it because he wanted to go into politics, that he likes Okamura, he likes his opinions, too, and that we could try it together. Various people started reaching out and asking whether we wanted to join this party and be their face them, whether I could defend the song on the radio, and the interviews like the ones with Mrs. Drtinová started. At that time I knew nothing about the Sharia law or Islam. I thought they had invited me to defend my song, but that was not the case, so I was, of course, embarrassed.

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What did your husband say?

My husband said, "We will do another song, because people want it, they like it, and we're becoming known for it," and suddenly people would read in the newspaper: "Žižková is a racist, xenophobe, a fascist who was also on Wenceslao Square, and she is with Okamura, she got into politics, she is politically based." My husband said, "Leave it up to me, I will go into the SPD." I was not in that party, but of course, I started getting lyrics from various people, and Honzík and I said, "Let's do it, we have to sing this", and again the response was huge, of course controversial, because some people like me, and some people really don't like me.

It has really destroyed me, people are categorizing me: "That's the racist, do not be angry, but you cannot sing for children because you sang an anti-refugee racist song, we are sorry."

So the song is really ruining everything for you?

Once they called me for some filming and at the end I hear, "That's Žižková, that's the racist, call production, we can't call her anymore."

And are you actually a racist?

I can justify it. I'm not a racist, because I'm one eighth gypsy, and I defend myself this way. I'm one eighth gypsy, I go to the Vietnamese, I go to the Chinese, I talk to Jews. I am not a racist, but if someone comes here to threaten me and wants to impose Sharia law, and wants me not to pray to God but to Allah, as a patriot I will protect my territory and I take it as a survival instinct. It's not against any race, it's against them being unadaptable, them coming here. Social benefits, they want to settle down here, they want to threaten us here...

But there aren't any here in the Czech Republic....

Now you're like Drtinová, there are, there are.

I have not met any yet.

In that case you go to the center too little. Go to Holešovice, go to the Bělohradské spa, who bought it, Arabs. Take a look at Teplice, just go and cross the border to Germany, to Munich. I know it's Germany, but it's really close. Go see Košice, where I went to sing, it's all black there. Yes, you could say they are not here...well, they aren't here in such numbers like in Germany or Sweden, but I'm seeing them already.

It happened to me that I went with my aunt to Žitná Street, and Muslims in burkas bumped into me. No apology, nothing. I should retreat to them in my home? I'm at home here, they pushed me aside as if I were blocking their way. That's how they behave.

And what did you say to them?

Nothing. I turned around and said to my aunt, "Did you see that? That's how it starts. " Of course, a gypsy can push you, a gang of Ukrainians, anybody, but the reaction...I would never have the disrespect to go to Syria and pray to God or push a Syrian person. I don't know, they call it a hoax, but have you seen the video where the Syrian is holding a child, his mother is killing a dog in front of him, the child has to look at it, and if he doesn't, his father will beat him. That's what's happening.

I just want to live and let live. I do not want anyone to be threatened here, I want there to be peace and no terrorist attacks here. This has nothing to do with racism or, of course, with politics.

So will you run for office?

I'm on the ticket. Anybody can run and I consider myself more of a "mascot and face" of the SPD, which they have given space on the ticket. I certainly don't want anyone to circle me, on the contrary, I see it as a marketing move, paper won't blush :)

Politics has literally changed my husband. I know he always had ambitions and politics has always been an interest of his, but if you live in it for 24 hours then your head will start to get dizzy :/ I don't know if it is good or bad, but I'm worried about his health. They say do everything in moderation and I can't really see anything moderate about this.

So politics is threatening your marriage?

Politics is not threatening my marriage yet, I would not say that, but Honzík and I disagree on certain issues and I notice how our loved ones react when we start discussing. Many people around us do not want to spoil their thoughts, some people do not want to see what is happening here, some people do not see it, but I fear that if Europe does not pull its socks up, neither my songs, me nor the "Brave Jan Žižka" will help. I sang a song to wake people up, so let's see, and if nothing happens and everything is ok, I will gladly sing another song in which I will apologize to all of Europe.

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So you actually don't want it to happen...

Even though I'm a patriot, I'm not really a hardcore one, I don't want it at all. At my age and because I almost died last year, I have really re-evaluated everything. It makes you re-evaluate your life and thoughts, so some foolish wars over property, money, politics, all that doesn't matter. But I fell into it by making a song for a couple of fans, the song caught on for some reason, someone must have liked it if it became viral, and that led to more and more things, there was pressure.

Honzík was so swallowed up by it that he sat down and started writing songs and lyrics we produced at a giant pace. Like I said, I do not want to be categorized in politics because I'm starting to take pictures, I have success, and it's happened to me that some mother wanted to have photos of her baby taken, because I mainly take pictures of children, and she told me that she does not want to be connected with me, and that means it's already affecting your life.

It has even happened to me that I got threatening emails and letters, and I also met with people who poured beer on me in an outdoor restaurant. I guess it comes with the territory. At the same time, however, people take pictures of me, I'm the brave Joan of Arc, so wherever I go, I do not know which side I will get hit. I'm the one who wears her skin to the market, and my husband, because he is a drummer of Karel Gott, doesn't get attacked so much, even when he makes up something, he raps "I vote SPD," he signs his name under it, but they still go after me.

I want to live freely, I want to do what I enjoy, I want to sing and I want to be among positive people, and politics is not positive, it divides people, there is tension, emotions. I can't do anything about that, I won't be able to change it anyway, but I am rooting for it! I like Tomio and I still believe that SPD can at least slow it down and that it will not let what is happening in Germany, Sweden, France, etc., happen here also.

Have you ever met him? Okamura?

Yes, and several times. I even photographed him, and we talked about something regarding the song, because at the beginning SPD she had some comments about my nude photos, but then they realized that it was not about that and I was making more and more songs and that it had a huge response, that people wanted CDs and performances.

You could say even my hairstyle is like this now because I'm such an activist, and this hairstyle goes well with that, but it's because when I got sick and got a triple combination of pills that allegedly contained ingredients found in chemotherapy, the hair just fell out. They (editor's note: journalists) write: "Look, she has even cut her hair off," and they think I am a fascist, but it's not like that.

Have you met any other politicians?

I have met a lot of people, for example, Mr. Bělobrádek was my classmate. I sang for the Communists on the square in Frýdek Místek, and the papers immediately wrote that I was a collaborator that I was going from the SPD to the Communists. They wanted Breathe, Europe, their program is similar to ours, that's why I went to sing there. They paid me for it, they treated me kindly. The next day they used it against me. It's not like I'm going to vote for the Communists now, because they gave me more money than the others. They wanted Breathe, Europe, and I stand behind that song.

If you were to meet Babiš, what would you say to him?

Since I do not know him personally, I cannot say. Because I know what they write about me and I know how the media behaves, so I cannot come to him and scold him. He has an opinion, I do not trust him, I won't vote for him. I would like to meet with Zeman, I really would, because I like him very much.

Why? He is pro-Russian...

So what if he's pro-Russian? I do not like Americans. Obama and the terrorist attacks, the twin towers... All the evil comes from America. However, Zeman is simply human, likeable, I like how honest he is. I prefer him over Klaus, so I'd like to take pictures of him. I like how just he is, he's simply a cool guy.

You talk a lot about photography...

I have started taking pictures and I really enjoy it. The photographer and my "teacher" Michal Šneberg does beautiful artistic conceptual photos among other things, and he is the one that got me out of the nakedness. He helped change my mind and is leading me, I think, in a good direction. He helped us get and put together the equipment for the shoots, and he really devotes a lot of time to me. It draws my attention away from the negative ideas connected with politics.

What was the problem?

Eventually they found out that I had a Helikobacter that had been encapsulated for a long time in ulcers in my stomach. It's said that every third person has it, but if someone has weaker immunity, they can die. A piece of the stomach had to be removed in the past, and it was also operated. I lost eight kilograms because for a long time they couldn't figure out what was wrong with me, it was literally life-threatening. I have a very strict diet and I cannot eat – what I love the most. Since then I have had a different mindset and I try to think only positively.

I want to get this politics thing into the elections for Honzík, but I do not want to get involved any more. Now I'm going to sing at some booths, because the fans who like me will visit, I will sing them to Europe and songs from my repertoire, and we will take photos with Michal.

Olivie, wow. I hope politics does not completely destroy you, health is the most important thing we have. I wish you good luck and thank you for the interview.