Festival Daily 30. Sarajevo Film Festival 06

FESTIVAL DAILY John Turturro dobio Počasno Srce Sarajeva / John Turturro Awarded the Honorary Heart  of Sarajevo www.sff.ba #30thSFF ČETVRTAK / Thursday 22.08.2024. 38 53 SADRŽAJ The Best Reels Awards Presented to the Best Participants  of the "Let's Go to the Festival" Project LOXY 25 21 Takmičarski igrani  Emanuel Pârvu -  TRI KILOMETRA DO KRAJA SVIJETA Počasno Srce Sarajeva  John Turturro: Umjetnost nam  može pomoći da se ujedinimo LOXY 17 Takmičarski igrani  Vuk Ršumović - Među bogovima FOTO GALERIJA Crveni tepih Takmičarski igrani  Regionalna premijera filma „Redakcija“ LOXY TAKMIČARSKI DOKUMENTARNI  Brigitte Weich - ... NED, TASSOT, YOSSOT ... TAKMIČARSKI DOKUMENTARNI  Dimitris Zahos and Thanasis Kafetzis LOXY 49 COMPETITION DOCUMENTARY Brigitte Weich - ... NED, TASSOT, YOSSOT ... 43 8 CONTENT Najbolji reels  Uručene nagrade najboljima  iz projekta „Idemo na Festival“ LOXY 27 6 14 10 48 11 FOTO GALLERY Red Carpet COMPETITION DOCUMENTARY Dimitris Zahos and Thanasis Kafetzis LOXY 33 competition feature Vuk Ršumović - Dwelling Among the Gods EURIMAGES A New Opportunity for Filmmakers  from Bosnia and Herzegovina On today's schedule... 47 Avant Premiere Series Tina Hajon - Programmer LOXY 29 Pretpremijere serije  Tina Hajon - Selektorica LOXY 8 FOTO GALLERY Festival Life 50 Avant Premiere Series Tina Hajon - Programmer LOXY Honorary Heart of Sarajevo John Turturro: Art Can  Help Us Unite LOXY Na programu danas... 9 EURIMAGES Nova prilika za filmaše  iz Bosne i Hercegovine competition feature Emanuel Pârvu - THREE KILOMETRES TO THE END OF THE WORLD s 10 49 9 57 4 FOTO GALERIJA Festivalski život 57 Pretpremijere serije  Tina Hajon - Selektorica LOXY Avant Premiere Series Tina Hajon - Programmer LOXY Počasno Srce Sarajeva Turturro je dobio za izuzetan doprinos filmskoj industriji i izvanredan glumački, scenaristički i rediteljski talent. Priznanje mu je u Ljetnom kinu Coca-Cola, prije projekcije filma „Barton Fink“ Ethana i Joela Coena uručio direktor Sarajevo Film Festivala Jovan Marjanović. „Predivno je biti ovdje! Osjećam se dobrodošlim i jako mi je ugodno biti u multikulturnom gradu. Mislim da je posao umjetnika težak, pomalo nalikuje na cirkus, ali nam može pomoći da se ujedinimo. To je ono što sam radio u mojim djelima od skromnih početaka, i nastojao sam ostati skroman. Ovo je znak ohrabrenja da nastavim tako raditi“, rekao je Turturro. „Karijera Johna Turturra je svejdočanstvo transformativne moći glume. Od njegovih nezaboravnih uloga u filmovima kao što je 'Barton Fink', zatim 'Učini pravu stvar, 'The Big Lebowski', briljantnog ostvarenja u 'Tko je ovdje lud'... John Turturro je utjelovio galeriju autentičnih karektera, a to je rijedak dar. Dar koji je osvajao publiku desetljećima. Njegov rad karakterišu emocionalna iskrenost, kompleksnost i sposobnost rezimiranja sa svakim od nas“, rekao je Marjanović. Nakon uručenja Počasnog Srca uslijedila je projekcija filma „Barton Fink“ iz 1991., u kojem je Turturro ostvario hvaljenu naslovnu ulogu. Cijenjeni filmski autor ranije je održao masterclass tokom kojeg se osvrnuo na ključne trenutke u svojoj karijeri, motivaciju koja ga je usmjerila prema glumi, ali i na važnost brige o mentalnom zdravlju. „Od kada znam za sebe volio sam gledati filmove. S roditeljima sam često gledao stare filmove, iz tridesetih i četrdesetih godina, i potpuno se zaljubio u njih. Prvo u američki film, a kasnije i u filmove iz cijeloga svijeta. Glumci kao James Cagney, Bette Davis, Burt Lancaster i Marlon Brando bili su moj cijeli svijet. Inače nismo puno putovali, pa su mi filmovi omogućavali da barem emocionalno putujem po svijetu“, izjavio je Turturro u razgovoru koji je moderirala Alissa Siomn. Tokom masterclassa prikazan je niz isječaka iz njegovih filmova, ali najveći aplauz dobila je kultna scena kuglanja iz filma „Veliki Lebowski“. U njemu Turturro tumači Jesusa Quintanu. „Samo sam htio zabaviti prijatelje. Pa sam se na snimanju glupirao, potpuno pretjerivao, kao što bi čovjek napravio kada ode s prijateljima na kuglanje. Nisam znao da će braća Coen to iskoristiti, staviti glazbu grupe Gypsy Kings i sve to pretvoriti u nezaboravnu scenu“, priznao je Turturro, koji se kasnije Jesusu vratio u „The Jesus Roles“ – filmu kojeg potpisuje i kao scenarist i reditelj. Uz veliku glumačku karijeru, Torturro ima i niz respektabilnih filmova. Za redateljski debi „Mac“ na Filmskom festivalu u Cannesu je 1993. dobio nagradu nagrađen Camera D'Or, a u ostali filmovi na kojima je radio kao reditelj/scenarista uključuju „Illuminata“, „Ljubav i cigarete“, „Passione“, „Utroje sa žigolom“ i „The Jesus Roles“. „Kada režiram volim da se na setu svi osjećaju opušteno. Zato se dosta pripremam, ponekad radimo i pomalo bedaste improvizacije, a sve kako bi se svi osjećali slobodno kao u svojoj spavaćoj sobi dok ih nitko ne gleda“, otkrio je američki filmaš svoj rediteljski pristup. Tokom razgovora, osvrnuo se i na svoje uloge u holivudskim blockbusterima, koji se dosta razlikuju od autorskih filmova s kojima se proslavio. Posljednjih godina, kao i većina glumaca, Torturro sve više snima i TV serija. Osvojio je Emmy nagradu za svoje gostovanje u seriji „Monk“ te nominacije za Zlatni globus i SAG nagradu u HBO-ovoj seriji „Kobna noć“. Moći ćemo ga vidjeti i u drugoj sezoni Appleove serije „Severance“, a upravo tokom razgovora o toj seriji došlo se na temu mentalnih bolesti i njihovog prikaza na filmu. „Bio sam zakonski skrbnik starijem bratu. Ralph je bio izuzetno pametan i talentiran, ali je bolovao od shizofrenije. Znam kako teško i usamljeno zna biti oboljelima, ali i ljudima koji su s njima na tom tegobnom putovanju“, izjavio je Torturro, naglasivši da bismo trebali imati više takvih priča. „Moj brat više nije s nama, ali znao je kazati da dosta materijala dobijam od njega. I nije bio u krivu.“ Odgovarajući na pitanje o uzorima, filmaš je izjavio da su se uvijek vraća Beckettu i Čehovu, ali i da je puno drugih dramatičara i reditelja kojima se divi. „Teško je napraviti pristojan film. Zaboravite na remek-djelo ili samo odličan film, to se događa rijetko. I zato kada vidite nešto dobro, onda morate cijeniti to djelo i ljude koji stoje iza njega“, kazao je Torturro na masterclassu održanom na 30. Sarajevo Film Festivalu. Američkom glumcu i reditelju uručeno je Počasno Srce Sarajeva 30. Sarajevo Film Festivala Počasno Srce Sarajeva John Turturro: Umjetnost nam može pomoći da se ujedinimo Počasno Srce Sarajeva The American actor and director received the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo at the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival. Honorary Heart  of Sarajevo John Turturro was awarded the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo for his exceptional contributions to the film industry and his outstanding talent as an actor, screenwriter, and director. The award was presented by Sarajevo Film Festival Director Jovan Marjanović at the Coca-Cola Open Air Cinema, before the screening of the film Barton Fink by Ethan and Joel Coen. “It’s wonderful to be here! I feel welcomed and very comfortable in this multicultural city. I believe that the work of an artist is challenging, somewhat like a circus, but it can help us unite. This is what I’ve been trying to do in my work since my humble beginnings, and I’ve always tried to stay humble. This award is an encouragement to continue in that direction,” said Turturro. “John Turturro’s career is a testament to the transformative power of acting. From his unforgettable roles in films such as Barton Fink, Do the Right Thing, The Big Lebowski, and his brilliant performance in The Name of the Rose... John Turturro has embodied a gallery of authentic characters, which is a rare gift. A gift that has captivated audiences for decades. His work is characterized by emotional honesty, complexity, and the ability to connect with each of us,” Marjanović said. Following the presentation of the Honorary Heart, the 1991 film Barton Fink, in which Turturro delivered a critically acclaimed performance in the title role, was screened. The esteemed filmmaker also held a masterclass earlier, where he reflected on key moments in his career, the motivation that led him to acting, and the importance of mental health care. “I’ve loved watching movies for as long as I can remember. I often watched old films from the 1930s and 1940s with my parents, and I completely fell in love with them. First with American films, and later with films from around the world. Actors like James Cagney, Bette Davis, Burt Lancaster, and Marlon Brando were my whole world. We didn’t travel much, so films allowed me to emotionally travel the world,” Turturro said in a conversation moderated by Alissa Simon. During the masterclass, several clips from his films were shown, but the biggest applause came for the iconic bowling scene from The Big Lebowski, in which Turturro plays Jesus Quintana. “I just wanted to entertain my friends. So, on set, I was goofing around, completely overacting, like someone would do when they go bowling with friends. I had no idea the Coen brothers would use that, put Gypsy Kings music to it, and turn it into an unforgettable scene,” Turturro admitted, who later reprised the role of Jesus in The Jesus Rolls – a film he also wrote and directed. In addition to his extensive acting career, Turturro has directed several respected films. His directorial debut Mac won the Camera D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1993, and other films he directed or wrote include Illuminata, Romance & Cigarettes, Passione, Fading Gigolo, and The Jesus Rolls. “When I direct, I like everyone on set to feel relaxed. That’s why I prepare a lot, sometimes we even do slightly silly improvisations, all to make everyone feel as free as they would in their own bedroom when no one is watching,” the American filmmaker revealed about his directorial approach. During the conversation, he also touched on his roles in Hollywood blockbusters, which are quite different from the auteur films that brought him fame. In recent years, like many actors, Turturro has been increasingly involved in television series. He won an Emmy Award for his guest role in Monk and received Golden Globe and SAG nominations for HBO’s The Night Of. He will also appear in the second season of Apple’s Severance, and during the discussion of that series, the topic of mental illness and its portrayal in film came up. “I was the legal guardian of my older brother. Ralph was extremely smart and talented, but he suffered from schizophrenia. I know how difficult and lonely it can be for those who are ill, but also for the people who are with them on that challenging journey,” Turturro stated, emphasizing that we need more stories like this. “My brother is no longer with us, but he used to say that I get a lot of material from him. And he wasn’t wrong.” When asked about his influences, the filmmaker mentioned that he always returns to Beckett and Chekhov, but there are many other playwrights and directors he admires. “It’s hard to make a decent film. Forget about a masterpiece or even just a great film, that happens rarely. And that’s why, when you see something good, you have to appreciate the work and the people behind it,” Turturro said during the masterclass at the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival. Sub-headings John Turturro: Art Can Help Us Unite Regionalna premijera filma „Redakcija“ Director Roman Bondarchuk led the film crew on the red carpet in front of the National Theatre ahead of the regional premiere of The Editorial Office. A satire of our post-truth times set in Ukraine, where a young journalist struggles to expose the truth about a forest fire in a news ecosystem awash in corruption and fake news. The Editorial Office stars Dmytro Bahnenko, Zhanna Ozirna, and Rimma Zyubina.. Reditelj Roman Bondarchuk predvodio je filmsku ekipu na regionalnoj premijeri „Redakcije“ na crvenom tepihu ispred Narodnog pozorišta. Satirična priča o postčinjeničnom svijetu čija je radnja smještena u Ukrajinu. U filmu mladi novinar pokušava razotkriti istinu o šumskom požaru u ekosistemu vijesti zakrčenom korupcijom i lažnim vijestima. U „Redakciji“ glume Dmytro Bahnenko, Zhanna Ozirna i Rimma Zyubina. Takmičarski igrani • Competition Feature Regional Premiere of The Editorial Office Regionalna premijera filma „Majka Mara“ Director and lead actress Mirjana Karanović led the film crew on the red carpet in front of the National Theatre ahead of the world premiere of Majka Mara. A film about Mara, a successful businesswoman and single mother, who, devastated by the premature death of her son, finds comfort and peace in the arms of his friend Milan. Majka Mara stars Mirjana Karanović, Vučić Perović, Boris Isaković, and Jasna Žalica. Regional Premiere of Mother Mara Izvan konkurencije – igrani film • Out of Competition – Feature Film Rediteljica i glavna glumica Mirjana Karanović predvodila je filmsku ekipu na svjetskoj premijeri „Majke Mare“ na crvenom tepihu ispred Narodnog pozorišta. Film o Mari, uspješnoj poslovnoj ženi i samohranoj majki, koja skrhana preranom smrću svojega sina utjehu i mir pronalazi u naručju njegovog prijatelja Milana. U filmu „Majka Mara“ glume Mirjana Karanović, Vučić Perović, Boris Isaković i Jasna Žalica. Crveni tepih / Red Carpet Autori iz Takmičarskog programa - Kratki film Authors from Competition Programme – Short Film Reditelj Nebojša Slijepčević Director Nebojša Slijepčević Više fotografija možete pronaći OVDJE. More festival photos you can find HERE. Ekipa TV serije “Kotlina“ Cast and crew of TV series The Hollow Roman Bondarchuk, reditelj filma „Redakcija“ Roman Bondarchuk, director of the film The Editorial Office Mirjana Karanović, rediteljica i glavna glumica filma „Majka Mara“ Mirjana Karanović, director and lead actress of Majka Mara Glazbenik Halid Bešlić Musician Halid Bešlić Unatoč izazovima, regionalne dramske serije osvajaju publiku lokalno  i u Europi, uz sve veću prepoznatljivost njihovog jedinstvenog pripovijedanja. Pretpremijere serije Što je pokazao ovogodišnji program Pretpremijere serije? U ovogodišnjem programu Pretpremijera je sedam regionalnih dramskih serija, koje predstavljaju presjek regionalne proizvodnje i prikaz su zrelosti tržišta dramskih serija na ovim prostorima. U proteklim godinama su filmski festivali, filmski fondovi, ali i veliki regionalni telekomunikacijski operateri investirali u razvoj i produkciju dramskih serija. Razvijali su se projekti te su autori, kreatori i scenaristi, imali priliku realizirati svoje ideje i iznjedriti sjajne serije originalnog autorskog izričaja i autentičnih priča, koja proizlaze iz specifičnog kulturnog nasljeđa. Po reakcijama do sada, rekla bih da publika uživa u programu, stvarno je raznovrstan; od high-end trilera i mystery drame, sve do sitcoma i komedija. Koliko serije imaju vidljivost u drugim državama, kako u regiji, tako i u ostatku Europe? Regionalne serije kupuju kompanije s televizijskim kanalima u susjednim državama, neke su čak zainteresirane da otkupe formate, no nažalost su ipak i dalje više zainteresirane za strane sapunice. Tako da tu još sigurno ima mjesta za napredak. U Europi postajemo vidljivi, iako zemljama s niskim produkcijskim kapacitetom nije lako postići veliku vidljivost, jer serija, kao i filmova, na europskom tržištu jednostavno ima zaista puno. No ipak, u većini slučajeva izvrsnost i originalnost su prepoznati te su neki naši regionalni autori traženi i gledani i izvan “nacionalnih” granica. Serije sudjeluju, prezentiraju se i nagrađivane su na velikim europskim festivalskim marketima za televizijske serije poput Cannesseries, Berlinale Series Market i Series Mania. U programu je više drama nego komedija. Znači li to da regiji nedostaje humora? Mislim da svaki čovjek ima smisao za humor. Kažu da svi ljudi jednako plaču, ali se drugačije smiju. Nekim narodima pripada britak i sarkastičan humor, nekima malo uštogljen ili je pak otvoren te je istaknuti kulturološki identitet naroda. Svatko ima neki svoj unutarnji “kod” za smijeh, stoga nije lako napraviti univerzalnu komediju koju će većina prepoznati. Ove godine u našem su programu dvije sjajne humoristične serije, no voljela bih da ih imamo više. Smijeha i komedija ipak nikad nije dovoljno! Program Pretpremijere serije pokrenut je prije osam godina. Koliko se od tada promijenila percepcija serija u regiji? Tržište se jako promijenilo pa tako i percepcija u struci i u javnosti! Mi kontinuirano radimo na tome i investiramo resurse u razvoj, prikazivanje i promociju regionalnih serija; od programa CineLink Drama, Pretpremijera serije pa sve do nagrada Srce Sarajeva za najbolje televizijske serije. Prije osam godina, kada je program Pretpremijera serije pokrenut, sustav financiranja serija tek se gradio te nije bilo lako naći dobre serije. Danas postoje sustavi podrške na nacionalnom i europskom nivou i to je veliki poticaj za produkciju high-end dramskih serija. Tako da u ovogodišnjoj selekciji imamo raznolike formate i žanrove; serije sa divnim regionalnim glumcima, kao i već priznatim autorima koji se vraćaju u naš program s novim djelima. Serije prikazane u prethodnim izdanjima programa Pretpremijera bivaju ovjenčane sa Srcem Sarajeva za televizijske serije, a u sustav glasanja je uključen veliki broj filmskih profesionalaca iz regije. Tako da je sve nekako linearno i umreženo s ciljem jačanja kapaciteta zajednice. Uvijek možemo bolje, no napredak je zaista vidljiv. Publika voli gledati serije u kinu i u društvu i nas jako veseli da se za projekcije Pretpremijera svako veče traži karta više! Josip Jurčić Tina Hajon Selektorica Regionalne serije sve  su vidljivije u Europi Tina Hajon Selektorica Pretpremijere serije Pretpremijere serije Despite challenges, regional drama series are gaining popularity locally and across Europe, with growing recognition for their unique storytelling. Tina Hajon Programmer Regional Series Are Becoming More Visible in Europe What did this year’s Avant Premiere Series Programme reveal? This year’s Avant Premiere Series Programme features seven regional drama series, which offer a cross-section of regional production and reflect the maturity of the drama series market in this region. Over the past few years, film festivals, film funds, and major regional telecom operators have invested in the development and production of drama series. These projects have evolved, allowing authors, creators, and screenwriters to bring their ideas to life, resulting in remarkable series with original voices and authentic stories rooted in specific cultural heritages. Based on audience reactions so far, I’d say they are enjoying the program. It’s truly diverse, ranging from high-end thrillers and mystery dramas to sitcoms and comedies. How visible are these series in other countries, both in the region and across Europe? Regional series are being purchased by companies with television channels in neighboring countries, and some are even interested in acquiring formats. However, there is still more interest in foreign soap operas, indicating that there is room for improvement. In Europe, we are becoming more visible, although it’s not easy for countries with low production capacities to achieve significant visibility because the European market is flooded with series and films. Nonetheless, in most cases, excellence and originality are recognized, and some of our regional creators are sought after and watched beyond their "national" borders. These series participate in, are presented at, and receive awards at major European television series markets like Cannesseries, Berlinale Series Market, and Series Mania. The program features more drama series than comedy. Does this mean the region lacks humour? I believe everyone has a sense of humour. It’s said that all people cry the same, but they laugh differently. Some nations have sharp and sarcastic humour, while others are more formal or open, reflecting their cultural identity. Everyone has their own internal “code” for laughter, so creating a universal comedy that resonates with most people is not easy. This year, our program includes two fantastic comedy series, but I wish we had more. After all, you can never have enough laughter and comedy! The Avant Premiere Series Programme was launched eight years ago. How has the perception of series in the region changed since then? The market has changed significantly, as has the perception within the industry and the public. We continuously work on this and invest resources in the development, presentation, and promotion of regional series, from the CineLink Drama Program and Avant Premiere Series to the Heart of Sarajevo awards for the best TV series. Eight years ago, when the Avant Premiere Series Programme was launched, the series financing system was still in its infancy, and finding good series was not easy. Today, there are support systems at both national and European levels, which is a huge boost for the production of high-end drama series. As a result, this year’s selection features a variety of formats and genres, with series starring wonderful regional actors and well-known creators returning to our program with new works. Series showcased in previous editions of the Avant Premiere Series Programme have gone on to win the Heart of Sarajevo awards for TV series, and the voting system involves a large number of film professionals from the region. So, everything is interconnected, aiming to strengthen the community’s capacity. We can always do better, but the progress is undeniable. The audience loves watching series in cinemas and in good company, and we are thrilled that every evening at the Avant Premiere Series screenings, tickets are in high demand! Josip Jurčić Pretpremijere serije Tina Hajon Programmer Što vas je ponukalo da u istinitoj priči o mladoj Afganistanki, migrantici koja pri dolasku u Srbiju pokušava identificirati i sahraniti svog brata pod pravim imenom, pronađete inspiraciju za film „Među bogovima“? U svojoj esenciji, to je priča o Antigoni. Ta veza između tog velikog mita zapadne civilizacije i jedne istinite priče koja se dogodila 2015. godine na ovim našim prostorima me je inspirisala. Shvatio sam da se u priči o jednoj običnoj ženi krije veličanstvena istina o svetu u kom živimo. Koliko ste se u pripremama za pisanje scenarija razgovarali i provodili vrijeme s migrantima u Srbiji? Jako mnogo vremena provodim istražujući teme kojima se bavim. Smatram to svojom obavezom i svojom odgovornošću. Mislim da ne bih imao ni pravo da ispričam ovu priču, a da nisam proveo dovoljno vremena razgovarajući sa ljudima o čijim životima pričam. I ljudima i temi se trudim da priđem ponizno, sa svešću da nikada neću do kraja razumeti razmere tuge i osećanja gubitka s kojima oni žive svakoga dana. Glavna glumica u filmu je Fereshteh Hosseini, afganistansko-iranska glumica, koja i sama dolazi iz migrantske obitelji. Kako ste odabrali baš nju za ulogu? Je li njezino osobno iskustvo doprinijelo stvaranju lika i priče? Moja ljubav prema iranskom filmu me je dovela do Fereshteh. Gledao sam je u nekim filmovima, i jako mi se dopala. Kasnije se ispostavilo da se moj izbor u potpunosti poklopio sa preporukom Raeda Faridzadeha koji je u tom trenutku vodio Farabi Cinema Foundation i koji je čitao naš scenario. Ono što nisam mogao ni da pretpostavim, to je do koje mere je životna priča Fereshteh Hosseini u vezi sa sudbinom junakinje u našem filmu. Određeni delovi životne priče junakinje u filmu, direktno su inspirisani ličnom pričom glavne glumice. Ona je ogroman deo svoje intime unela u ovaj film i na tome sam joj neizmerno zahvalan. U filmu se većina radnje događa upravo u azilu za migrante. Jeste li snimali na stvarnim lokacijama te jesu li migranti bili i dio snimanja? Imali smo podršku Komesarijata za izbeglice, ali nismo bili u mogućnosti da snimamo u azilu. I pored toga, verujem da smo postigli visok stepen autentičnosti u tretiranju ambijenta i prostora u kojima se odvija priča. To je ogromna zasluga mojih najbližih saradnika, scenografkinja Jelene Sopić i Jovane Cvetković, kostimografkinje Maje Mirković i direktora fotografije Damjana Radovanovića. Sve sporedne likove, kao i dobar deo filmske ekipe čine ljudi koji su u tom trenutku kao izbeglice boravili u kampovima u Srbiji. Primera radi, Melissa Maroofi, koja igra stariju ćerku Azadeh, sada je u Nemačkoj, javili smo joj za svetsku premijeru u Sarajevu i dogovorili se da dođe na nemačku premijeru koja će biti u novembru. Koji su najveći izazovi oko stvaranja filma koji predstavlja skupinu ljudi o kojoj javnost često govori negativno? Zar to nije naš zadatak kao stvaralaca da idemo mimo nekih uvreženih stavova, protiv predrasuda, protiv nerazumevanja, protiv mržnje, u susret istini i saosećanju. Ja to tako vidim. Raduje me da se neko zapita zašto je neko iz Srbije napravio baš ovaj film. Raduje me i da neko kaže da ga se ta priča ne dotiče. Ja znam da ova priča govori mnogo toga o nama, iako se to na prvi pogled ne čini tako. Moja odgovornost je na prvom mestu prema tim ljudima, jer je priča o njima. Sve vreme u toku procesa rada sam imao strah da to ne bude priča nekog autsajdera koja ne dotiče suštinu problema i sudbina o kojima govori. Znate i sami koliko vam smeta kada vidite neki strani film koji ima likove ili priču sa ovih naših prostora, a sve je fejk. Veliki je izazov ispričati priču na jeziku koji ne govoriš i o ljudima koje želiš da razumeš. Proces rada na ovom filmu, istovetan je temi samog filma. Glavni negativac u filmu je zapravo birokratski sustav. Kako je napisano na kraju filma, 90% migranata koji su umrli pri putovanju kroz Europu sahranjeni su neidetificirani. Vidimo li u filmu realnu borbu s birokracijom ili je u stvarnosti ta borba još teža i kompliciranija? Klasicisti smatraju da je doživljaj Antigone u Staroj Grčkoj u 5. veku pre nove ere bio značajno drugačiji od toga kako je mi vidimo danas. Mi smo skloni tome da je idealizujemo. Oni smatraju da su njeni postupci gledaocima tog vremena bili šokantni ili u najmanju ruku problematični. U odnosu na nju, Kreontovi stavovi i postupci, kao nekoga ko predstavlja polis odnosno državu, smatrani su normalnim prema standardima tog vremena. Ja sam pravio jednu anketu među ženama koje sam imao prilike da upoznam u izbegličkim kampovima. Ispričao bih im priču filma i pitao ih kako bi one postupile u toj situaciji. Sve do jedne su mi rekle da bi nastavile put, da ne bi dozvolile da ugroze život svoje porodice zarad neko ko nije više živ. Ali ovo nije priča o njima, ovo je priča o toj jednoj ženi koja je spremna da razori sve oko sebe kako bi ispunila svoj zavet, kako bi odala počast misteriji života i kako bi povratila izgubljenu svrhu i dostojanstvo. Po vokaciji ste ipak prvenstveno scenarist. Koji vam je najdraži, a koji najteži dio redateljskog posla? Rediteljski posao je jako jako uzbudljiv. U pravu ste, po vokaciji jesam prvenstveno scenarist. Pisanje scenarija je verovatno jedan od najtežih poslova koji možete da zamislite. Kada toliko vremena provodite sami sa sobom trudeći se da rešite probleme i dileme u kreiranju dramske priče, onda vam rediteljski rad dođe kao veliko olakšanje i izvor neverovatne sreće i uzbuđenja. Na prvom mestu, više niste sami. Ako ste dovoljno pametni, i niste sujetni, okružićete se ljudima koji su svi do jednog talentovaniji i znaju mnogo više od vas. Svi moji saradnici su neverovatno talentovani ljudi koji žive kroz posao kojim se bave. Josip Jurčić Sub-headings Sub-headings Vuk Ršumović Među bogovima Reditelj Vuk Ršumović vraća se u Sarajevo s moćnom dramom „Među bogovima“ o migrantici iz Afganistana koja ne želi otići iz Srbije dok ne ispuni svoje obećanje. Takmičarski igrani Vuk Ršumović Među bogovima Takmičarski igrani Naš zadatak kao stvaralaca  je da idemo protiv mržnje Takmičarski igrani Vuk Ršumović Među bogovima Takmičarski igrani Vuk Ršumović Među bogovima Competition Feature Our Duty as Artists is  to Stand Against Hatred What inspired you to turn the true story of a young Afghan migrant, who attempts to identify and bury her brother under his real name upon arriving in Serbia, into the film Dwelling Among the Gods? At its core, this is a story about Antigone. The connection between this great myth of Western civilization and a true story that took place in 2015 in our region was what inspired me. I realized that within the story of an ordinary woman lies a magnificent truth about the world we live in. How much time did you spend talking to and spending time with migrants in Serbia while preparing to write the screenplay? I spend a lot of time researching the topics I work on. I consider it my duty and responsibility. I don't think I would have had the right to tell this story if I hadn't spent enough time talking to the people whose lives I'm depicting. I approach both the people and the subject with humility, fully aware that I will never completely understand the depth of the sorrow and sense of loss they live with every day. The lead actress in the film is Fereshteh Hosseini, an Afghan-Iranian actress who comes from a migrant background herself. How did you choose her for the role, and did her personal experience contribute to shaping the character and the story? My love for Iranian cinema led me to Fereshteh. I had seen her in some films, and I really liked her performance. Later, it turned out that my choice completely aligned with the recommendation of Raed Faridzadeh, who was heading the Farabi Cinema Foundation at the time and had read our script. What I couldn't have anticipated was just how much Fereshteh Hosseini's life story resonates with the fate of the protagonist in our film. Certain parts of the character's life story in the film are directly inspired by Fereshteh's personal experiences. She brought an enormous part of her own intimate life into this film, and I am immensely grateful to her for that. Most of the film’s action takes place in a migrant asylum. Did you shoot on actual locations, and were migrants involved in the filming process? We had the support of the Commissariat for Refugees, but we were not able to film in an actual asylum. Despite that, I believe we achieved a high level of authenticity in portraying the environment and spaces where the story unfolds. This is largely thanks to my closest collaborators: set designers Jelena Sopić and Jovana Cvetković, costume designer Maja Mirković, and director of photography Damjan Radovanović. All the supporting roles, as well as a significant portion of the film crew, were played by people who were refugees in camps in Serbia at the time. For example, Melissa Maroofi, who plays Azadeh’s elder daughter, is now in Germany. We informed her about the world premiere in Sarajevo, and we agreed that she would attend the German premiere in November. What are the biggest challenges in making a film about a group of people who are often portrayed negatively by the public? Isn’t it our duty as artists to go beyond entrenched views, to challenge prejudices, misunderstandings, and hatred, and to seek truth and compassion? That's how I see it. I am pleased when someone questions why someone from Serbia made this particular film. I’m also pleased when someone says the story doesn’t affect them. I know that this story says a lot about us, even if it doesn't seem that way at first glance. My primary responsibility is to those people because it’s a story about them. Throughout the entire process, I was fearful that it would become an outsider’s story that doesn’t touch on the essence of the issues and destinies it portrays. You know how upsetting it is when you see a foreign film that features characters or a story from our region, and everything feels fake. It's a great challenge to tell a story in a language you don't speak and about people you want to understand. The process of working on this film mirrors the theme of the film itself. The main antagonist in the film is essentially the bureaucratic system. As noted at the end of the film, 90% of migrants who died while traveling through Europe were buried unidentified. Does the film depict a realistic struggle against bureaucracy, or is this battle even harder and more complicated in reality? Classicists believe that the experience of Antigone in ancient Greece in the 5th century BC was significantly different from how we perceive it today. We tend to idealize her. They believe that her actions would have been shocking or at least problematic to the audiences of that time. In contrast, Creon’s views and actions, representing the state, were considered normal by the standards of that era. I conducted a survey among the women I met in refugee camps. I would tell them the story of the film and ask how they would act in that situation. Every single one of them told me they would continue the journey, not allowing the life of their family to be endangered for someone who is no longer alive. But this isn’t a story about them; it’s a story about one woman who is willing to destroy everything around her to fulfill her vow, to honor the mystery of life, and to regain lost purpose and dignity. You are primarily a screenwriter by vocation. What is your favourite and most challenging part of directing? Directing is incredibly exciting. You’re right; by vocation, I am primarily a screenwriter. Writing a screenplay is probably one of the hardest jobs you can imagine. When you spend so much time alone with yourself, trying to solve problems and dilemmas in creating a dramatic story, directing comes as a huge relief and a source of incredible joy and excitement. First and foremost, you're no longer alone. If you're smart enough and not egotistical, you'll surround yourself with people who are all more talented and knowledgeable than you. All of my collaborators are incredibly talented people who live through the work they do. Josip Jurčić Sub-headings Director Vuk Ršumović returns to Sarajevo with the powerful drama Dwelling Among the Gods, telling the story of a migrant woman from Afghanistan who refuses to leave Serbia until she fulfills her promise. Takmičarski igrani Vuk Ršumović Dwelling Among the Gods Vuk Ršumović Dwelling Among  the Gods Vuk Ršumović Dwelling Among  the Gods Competition Feature Film „Tri kilometra do kraja svijeta“ redatelja Emmanuela Pârvua donosi bolnu priču o represiji i poricanju u zabačenom rumunjskom selu u delti Dunava. Kakav je osjećaj vratiti se u Sarajevo sedam godina nakon osvajanja Srca Sarajeva za najboljeg redatelja s filmom „Meda ili ne tako sjajna strana stvari“? Sarajevo uvijek ima posebno mjesto u mom srcu – i Srce samo po sebi. To je bila prva velika nagrada koju je dobio naš prvi igrani film, a to vam daje puno samopouzdanja. Obično je "prvi put" nešto što ne zaboravite tako lako. Što vas je inspiriralo da istražujete temu izolacije i okrivljavanja žrtve u filmu „Tri kilometra do kraja svijeta“, priči o 17-godišnjaku čiji se život iz temelja mijenja nakon što ga je u njegovom rodnom selu pretukla skupina homofoba? Slučaj silovanja u našoj zemlji iz 2014. godine inspirirao nas je za scenarij – tada se cijela zajednica okrenula protiv žrtve. To je bio naš početni trenutak, koji su moj producent i ko-scenarist Miruna Berescu i ja imali. Tada smo počeli razmišljati gdje smjestiti priču i na koji način je ispričati. Bio je to vrlo dug proces koji je završio snimanjem u delti Dunava. Film je premijerno prikazan na filmskom festivalu u Cannesu, gdje je osvojio nagradu Queer Palmu što je značajno postignuće. Što mislite, što je izdvojilo vaš film među ostalim prijavama? Nisam dobar u tome da kažem što naš film izdvaja od drugih, mislim da je obrazloženje žirija dovoljno jako. Ono što smo željeli jest da naš film potakne publiku na postavljanje pitanja, da preispitaju svoje postupke kao ljudska bića i da možda pokušaju u sebi vidjeti mogu li se nositi s događajima oko sebe koji nadilaze našu moć razumijevanja. Mislite li da bi osvajanje nagrade Queer Palma moglo utjecati na predstavljanje LGBTQ+ tema u rumunjskom kinu? Po mom mišljenju, bit ćemo blizu normalnosti kad više neće biti potrebe za raspravljanjem o tim temama. Da je naš film o visokim ljudima koji nose naočale, ne bismo vodili ovaj razgovor. No, u smislu poticanja na razmišljanje, kao što sam već spomenuo, nadam se da će ljudi gledati naš film kao film o ljubavi. A, po mom mišljenju, ljubav bi trebala biti bezuvjetna. Ciprian Chiujdea, koji u filmu debitira kao glumac u ulozi Adija, igra ključnu ulogu. Što ga je učinilo pravim izborom za ovu glavnu ulogu? Zapravo, Ciprian nije audicionirao za glavnu ulogu, došao je da nas upozna zbog jedne manje uloge. No, u njegovoj izvedbi bilo je nešto jako dobro, što me natjeralo da mu promijenim ulogu i dam tekst glavnog lika. Nakon što smo odlučili, započeli smo s probama, i negdje nakon mjesec dana rekao mi je da je "scenarij njegova priča" – na neki način. Rekao je da je dio LGBTQ+ zajednice i da je iz Tulcee te da poznaje selo u kojem smo planirali snimati. Tada sam shvatio zašto je bio savršen za tu ulogu. Osim odabira lokacije, koji su ključni faktori u učinkovitom hvatanju atmosfere sela? Široki kadrovi u kontrastu s uskošću uma likova, boje tog raja, kutovi i rad kamere. Vrlo je teško snimati u tom vlažnom okruženju, pri visokoj temperaturi, u takvim uvjetima. No, scenografija, zvuk, kostimi – cijela naša filmska ekipa postavila je vrlo visoke standarde kako bi se nadmašio realizam i pokušali smo postići naturalizam. Koliko vam vaše bogato iskustvo kao glumca pomaže u režiranju? Mislim da mi jako pomaže, nažalost, vrlo sam zahtjevan prema glumcima. Mislim da je vrlo dug put od nekih mrtvih riječi na papiru do stvarnog ljudskog bića na ekranu, i to je samo zbog glumačkog treninga. Dakle, da, mislim da to puno pomaže u razumijevanju potreba glumaca, u razumijevanju kako im olakšati napredak kako bi postali, kako bi "bili" a ne "glumili". Josip Jurčić Sub-headings Emanuel Pârvu TRI KILOMETRA  DO KRAJA SVIJETA Takmičarski igrani Sarajevo ima posebno  mjesto u mom srcu Takmičarski igrani FOTO: Almin Zrno Sarajevo Holds a  Special Place in My Heart Competition Feature Takmičarski igrani How does it feel to be back in Sarajevo seven years after winning the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Director with Meda or the Not So Bright Side of Things? Sarajevo always had a special place in my heart – and the Heart itself. It was the first big prize that our first feature received and that gives you a lot of confidence. Usually “a first time” is something that you don’t forget that easy. What inspired you to explore the subject of isolation and victim blaming in Three Kilometres to the End of the World, story about 17-year-old whose life changes upside-down after he has been gaybashed in his home village? It was a rape case in our country back in 2014 that inspired us for the script – at that time the whole community turned against the victim. That was our starting point that my producer and co-witer Miruna Berescu and I had. Then we started thinking where to set the story and in which manner should it be said. It was a very long process which ended with the shooting in the Danube Delta. The film premiered at Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Queer Palm, which is a significant achievement. What do you believe made your film stand out to the jury among the other entries? I’m not good at saying what sets apart our film from the other ones, I think the jury motivation is strong enough. What we wanted was that our film would raise questions for the audience, to second guess their actions as a human being and to maybe try and see in themselves if they can handle things happening around them that go beyond our power of understanding. Do you think that you winning the Queer Palm might influence the representation of LGBTQ+ themes in Romanian cinema? In my opinion, we will be close to normality when there will be no need to discuss these themes. If our film would be about tall people wearing glasses, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. But hopefully in terms of raising questions, as mentioned before, I hope people will be regarding upon our film as a film about love. And, in my opinion, love is supposed to be unconditional. Ciprian Chiujdea, making his acting debut as Adi, plays a central role in the film. What made him the right choice for this leading part? Actually, Ciprian didn’t audition for the lead part, Ciprian came to meet us for a very small part. But it was something very good in the way he delivered and that made me change his part and give him the text of the lead character. After deciding, we started rehearsals and somewhere after one month he told me that “the script is his story”- in a way. That he is part of the LGBTQIA+ and he is from Tulcea and that he knows by heart the village that we were about to shoot in. And then I understood why he was perfect for the part. Beyond selecting the location, what were the key factors in effectively capturing and the atmosphere of the village? The wide shots contrasting with the narrowness of the character’s minds, the colours of that paradise, the angles and camera work. It’s very harsh to shoot in that wet environment, on that high temperature, on those conditions. But the set design, the sound, the costumes all of our film crew set up a very high standard for making it beyond realism, to try and pass on to naturalism. How much does your rich experience as an actor help you in directing? I think it helps me a lot, unfortunately I am very demanding on the actors. I think it goes a long way on understanding a character, I think it’s a very long process from some dead words on a piece of paper to a real human being on the screen. And that’s only due to acting training. So yes, I think it helps a lot in understanding the actor’s needs, in understanding how to ease up their progress in order to make them become, in order to make them “be” not “act”. Josip Jurčić Sub-headings Directed by Emanuel Pârvu, Three Kilometres to the End of the World is a painful tale of repression and denial in a remote Romanian village in the Danube delta Emanuel Pârvu TRI KILOMETRA  DO KRAJA SVIJETA Emanuel Pârvu TRI KILOMETRA  DO KRAJA SVIJETA Competition Feature Brigitte Weich ... NED, TASSOT, YOSSOT ... FOTO: JUHO LIUKKONEN Austrijska redateljica Brigitte Weich nije ni sanjala da će se, po povratku iz Pjongjanga sa filmskog festivala, više puta vratiti u Sjevernu Koreju i snimiti dva filma o četiri žene. Takmičarski dokumentarni Prijateljice unatoč svemu Čini se da su to četiri sasvim prosječne sjevernokorejke, osim što igraju ženski nogomet u čast i slavu svoje države, rade to najbolje što umiju, naporno treniraju, sve osobno žrtvuju za kolektivno i sanjaju kako će jednoga dana osvojiti Svjetsko prvenstvo u nogometu za žene. Pred kamerama im je neugodno, plaše se špijuniranja ali pristaju na snimanje zato što je film dobar za domovinu. Pet godina kasnije, na premijeri prvog filma „Hana, dul, sed...“ (Jedan, dva, tri...) ponosne nogometašice se sreću sa redateljicom i tada je nastao ovaj film, „... ned, tassot, yossot ...“ (... četiri, pet, šest ...) o njihovim karijerama i životima pet godina kasnije. Gledatelji na Sarajevo Film Festivalu neće imati prigodu da pogledaju vaš prethodni dokumentarni film o sjevernokorejskim nogometašicama „Hana, dul, sed...“. Hoće li im nedostajati taj dio da bi razumjeli o čemu je „... ned, tassot, yossot ...“? Ovo je jako dobro pitanje. Kratak odgovor je: očito i na sreću, ne. Jer, ne samo u Sarajevu, nego i u drugim prilikama, film je prikazan sam, a publika ga je bez problema prihvatila. Duži odgovor je da je to bio jedan od izazova koji su nas mučili u montaži: kako natjerati publiku da shvati dugotrajni promatrački karakter filma, kako je natjerati da pronikne u životne priče naših junakinja i suosjeća s njima bez da pogledaju prvi film – Monika Willi i Barbara Seidler, moje montažerke, riješile su to maestralno, očito. U svakom slučaju, iako je m o g u ć e pogledati drugi dio, a da niste vidjeli prvi dio, osobno preporučujem da pogledate i „Hana, dul, sed...“. I sama sam prvi put gledala oba filma jedan za drugim tek nedavno, na bečkoj premijeri „... ned, tassot, yossot ...“ i bilo je stvarno prekrasno. Čini se da dodaje neki treći sloj kada hodate cijelim putem korak po korak s naše četiri protagonistkinje kroz godine koje svaki od dva filma pokriva. Malo gorčine: „Hana, dul, sed...“ se u praksi trenutno ne može vidjeti jer je “cenzuriran” od strane Međunarodnog olimpijskog komiteta (MOK). To je posljedica njihove štetne politike nedavanja trajnih prava: u epilogu filma imamo divan snimak od 9 sekundi prekrasnog prvog gola sjevernokorejske ženske reprezentacije na njihovim prvim Olimpijskim igrama 2008. godine, a prava na taj isječak su istekla. Koliko je sjevernokorejska državna cenzura bila stroga prema sadržaju vaših filmova i da li se nešto u državnom pristupu promijenilo nakon pet godina? To je još jedna vrlo duga priča! Općenito govoreći, mislim da možemo reći da je cenzura bila golema. Ali ne samo što se tiče sadržaja naših filmova. Jer već postoji cenzura u onome što možete vidjeti svojim očima u Sjevernoj Koreji, čak i bez snimanja. Kad putujete ovom zemljom, ne smijete se slobodno kretati; prošetati gradom, posjetiti trgovinu ili bar, uskočiti u tramvaj ili komunicirati s lokalnim stanovništvom. Kad god izađete izvan prostora vašeg hotela prati vas osobni vodič, a vaš raspored, koji će se uglavnom sastojati od „herojskih mjesta“ poput spomenika, muzeja, mauzoleja… bit će unaprijed pažljivo osmišljen bez ikakve šanse da i najmanje od njega odstupite. Zapravo možete vidjeti puno više kada ste u pokretu s kamerom: na primjer, budući da je zabranjena interakcija između lokalaca i stranaca, nemam priliku upoznati nogometašice, a kamoli njihove obitelji, njihova mjesta rada i slobodnog vremena, njihove domove, njihove prijatelje … – osim u svrhu snimanja. Osim cenzure mjesta na koja smijete ići, cenzura se sastoji od prilično strogih uputa što i kako snimati (ili ne) kada ste tamo. Najjednostavniji i najvažniji primjer su “vođe” koji moraju biti prikazani apsolutno besprijekorno - u središnjoj perspektivi; nezaklonjeni nikakvim sjenama, odrazima, žicama, drvećem.... Sljedeći korak bio je da nakon svakog dana snimanja sve snimke netko pogleda preko noći. Dakle, to su bile cenzure tijekom snimanja. Ali nikada nam ništa nije oduzeto: obavijestili su nas o onome što im se ne sviđa, ali su nas pustili kući sa svim materijalom u prtljazi. Povrh svega, u slučaju „Hana, dul, sed...“ vratila sam se u Pjongjang s grubim verzijom filma i pokazala im ga jer sam brinula da ne izazovem probleme bilo kome od Sjevernokorejaca koji su surađivali s nama u snimanju filma. Nisam znala koliko je takva opasnost realna, ali nisam ih željela ugroziti. Ni "odobrenje" nije bilo nimalo jednostavno! Na kraju je film izgledao onako kako smo željele. Dakle, prema mom iskustvu, cenzura komunističkog totalitarizma bila je u majušna u odnosu na cenzuru kapitalističkog monopola. Za drugi film ne bih rekla da se toliko promijenio pristup sjevernokorejske države, već možda malo pristup naših sjevernokorejskih “partnera”: možda su imali više povjerenja u nas jer smo se poznavali 10 godina i znali su da im nećemo nauditi niti ih prevariti na bilo koji način. Na primjer, širokokutni prikazi ulica koje možemo vidjeti u „... ned, tassot, yossot ...“ dolaze s GoPro kamere koju smo svako jutro fiksirali na vjetrobranu našeg autobusa za snimanje. Judith Benedikt, snimateljica oba filma, koja je bila sa mnom od prvog putovanja na snimanje Azijskog kupg u Bangkoku gdje smo se prvi put susreli s igračicama 2003. godine, pojavila se prvog dana snimanja za „... ned, tassot, yossot ...“ s ovom kamerom i pitala je smijemo li je koristiti. Na naše veliko iznenađenje, pristali su. Ova snimka daje najviše necenzuriranih slika ulica Pjongjanga koje nije bilo goguće cdenzorirati. Također, u vezi naših protagonistica: ja to nikad nisam shvatila, ali čini se da je Judith primijetila da mi je tijekom intervjua za prvi film bilo dosta teško dobiti od njih suvislu rečenicu. Dok je su u drugom snimanju brbljale tek tako. Činilo se da su bile jako sretne podijeliti s nama sve priče koje su im se dogodile u proteklih pet godina. Iznimno su potresni dijelovi filma u kojima vam se protagonistice toliko otvore da vam povjeravaju osobne priče o trudnoćama prekinutim zato što su došle u „nevrijeme“ – kada je za mlade sportašice njihova država imala prednost u odnosu na obitelj. Iako ni u tako bolnim ispovjedima ne odustaju od floskule da su morale postupiti za dobrobit države, jedino ovdje proviruje nešto individualno, ljudsko, što se teško miri s bolom. Jesu li nogometašice do ove teme došle spontano ili ste ih pitali o potomstvu? I jedno i drugo. Zapravo sam i sama bio prilično iznenađena kada su iskrsnule te priče. Kontekst u kojem sam pitala bio je više u već navedenom smislu samačkog života. Kao što je spomenuto, to je bila stalna tema između nas, a „Hana, dul, sed...“ završava izjavom Ra Mi Ae o braku. Tada je još bila slobodna i kaže nam da ponekad zna postati ljubomorna kada vidi prijateljice sa njihovim bebama. Ali cvijeće je mirisno samo kad se ubere u pravo vrijeme, pa je bila uvjerena da će se i ona udati prije ili kasnije, kada dođe Gospodin Pravi. U „... ned, tassot, yossot ...“ nastavila sam na istu temu, samo nekoliko godina kasnije: znala sam da su se obje, Ra Mi Ae i Ri Hyang Ok, udale, pa sam pitala kako ide obiteljski život i kako se osjećaju ovih dana. Nisam znala za njihove trudnoće niti sam očekivala ono što su mi rekle. I smatram prilično hrabrim kako su o tome govorile. Kada sam imala radnu verziju „... ned, tassot, yossot ...“, nisam ju mogla odnijeti u Pjongjang kao što sam učinila s „Hana, dul, sed...“ jer je to bilo u vrijeme korone i Sjeverna Koreja je bila potpuno zapečaćena i nedostupna strancima do danas. I još uvijek me muči što im to nisam mogla pokazati prije nego što to itko drugi vidi. Pogotovo njima dvjema, posebno ovu scenu. Film završava scenom u kojoj se cijela ekipa, uz pjesmu i trpezu, zagrli i zapleše. Primile su vas u svoje živote i sigurno vas više ne promatraju kao potencijalnu špijunku. Dirljivo je kako su se vaša dva svijeta, iako vrlo različita, susrela i dotakla. Hoćete li snimiti „...sedam, osam, devet...“? Morat će se onda zvati „... ilgop, yodol, ahob ...“, što je naslov koji konačno više nitko neće moći izgovoriti, a kamoli ga se sjetiti. Trrenutno sam potpuno iscrpljena. Tijekom desetljeća, koliko je trajala borba za „... četiri, pet, šest ...“ stalno sam govorila svojoj obitelji, prijateljima i ekipi da, ako film ikad stigne do sigurnog utočišta i ako ikada dođem u iskušenje da počnem novi, da ih molim da me zaštite od toga svim sredstvima. Ali vidjet ćemo šta će biti. Zapravo u ušima čujem tri šapata. Za početak, u Austriji postoji neka vrsta poticajnog financiranja za slučajeve ako ste dovršili projekt s jakim ženskim sudjelovanjem i – budući da smo imali samo žensku ekipu, sve protagonistice i priču koja bi prošla svaki Bechdel test (način mjerenja reprezentacije žena u djelima fikcije, op. M.D.) – zaprimili smo, kad smo konačno dobili financiranje, neka sredstva koja se mogu uložiti u novi projekt (inače bi istekla). Moram priznati da ovo donekle puni energijom umorne, stare kosti. Drugo, čudan je osjećaj kao da dva dijela zahtijevaju treći; kad sam počela drugi dio – i počela tražiti sredstva – povratne informacije prilično često su bile da je ova priča već ispričana i da je nema potrebe ponavljati. Ali sada se čini da je ideja da projekt ne može počivati na dvije noge i da bi jedino treći dio bio logičan. I na kraju, ali ne manje važno, kao što je spomenuto, nemoguće je vidjeti moje četiri “prijateljice unatoč svemu” bez filmskog projekta; a budući da se također čini nemogućim da ih nikad više ne vidimo – tko zna? Možda se vratimo u 2035. uz „... ilgop, yodol, ahob ...“? Marinela Domančić They seem to be four very average North Korean women, except that they play women's football for the honor and glory of their country, do it to the best of their ability, train hard, sacrifice everything personal for the collective and dream of winning the Women's World Cup one day. They are uncomfortable in front of the cameras, they are afraid of being spied on, but they agree to be filmed because the film is good for the homeland. Five years later, at the premiere of the first film Hana, dul, sed... (One, two, three ...) the proud soccer players meet the director and that's when this film, … ned, tassot, yossot … (... four, five, six ...), about their careers and lives, was created. The audience at the Sarajevo Film Festival will not have the opportunity to watch your previous documentary about North Korean female soccer players Hana, dul, sed... Will they miss that part to understand what … ned, tassot, yossot … is about? This is a very good question. The short answer is: Obviously und fortunately, no. Because not only in Sarajevo but also on other occasions, the film has yet been presented alone, and has been received by audiences without any problem. The longer answer is that this was one of the challenges that tortured us in the editing room: how to make audiences understand the long-term-observational character of the film, how make them delve into the life stories of and gain empathy with our heroines, without repeating film one – Monika Willi and Barbara Seidler, my editors, have solved it masterfully, obviously. Anyway, even though it is possible to watch part two without having seen part one, I personally would recommend watching Hana, dul, sed … as well. I saw both films for the first time in a row, one right after the other, only recently at the Viennese premiere of ... ned, tassot, yossot ... and it was really beautiful. It seems to add some third layer when you walk all the way step by step with our four protagonists through the years that each of the two film covers. Drop of bitterness: Hana, dul, sed … in practice can’t be seen at the moment because it is “censored” by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as a consequence of their hurtful policy of not granting rights for perpetuity. We have, in the epilogue of the film, a beautiful 9 seconds clip of the gorgeous first goal of the North Korean women's team in their first Olympic Games in the year 2008, the rights to which have thus expired. How strict was the North Korean state censorship regarding the content of your films and has anything changed in the state's approach after five years? Well, that’s another very long story! Generally speaking, I think one can say: the censorship was massive. But not only regarding the content of our films. Because there’s already a censorship in what you can see with your eyes in North Korea, even without filming. When you travel this country you’re not allowed to move around freely; to stroll through the city, to visit a shop or a bar, to hop on a tram or interact with locals. You’re accompanied by your personal guide whenever outside the premises of your hotel, and your itinerary, that will mainly consist of “heroic sites” like monuments, museums, mausoleums … will have been meticulously designed beforehand without any chance to deviate from it the slightest bit. So in the light of this situation you can actually see a lot more when under way with a camera. For instance, since it is forbidden to interact between locals and foreigners, I don’t have a chance to meet the footballers – let alone their families, their places of work and leisure, their homes, their friends … – unless for the purpose of filming. Additionally to the censorship of the places that you’re allowed to go to, the censorship consists in quite strict instructions of what and how to film (or not) once you’re there. The most simple and paramount example being the “leaders” who have to be depicted absolutely flawless - in central perspective; unharmed by any shadows, reflections, wires, trees… Next step was that after the filming all footage of every shooting day was watched by someone over night. So these were the censorships during shooting. But never ever anything was taken away from us: They informed us about what they don’t like but let us travel home with the entire material in our luggage. On top of this, in the case of Hana, dul, sed … I went back to Pyongyang with the rough cut and showed it to them. Because I was anxious to not cause any trouble for any of the North Koreans who had collaborated with us in the making of the film. I didn’t know how realistic such danger really was; but I didn’t want to jeopardize it. The “approval” turned out no walk in the park, either! Anyway, in the end the film came out and looked the way we wanted it to. So, according to my experience, censorship of communist totalitarianism was dwarfed by that of capitalist monopoly. For the second film I wouldn’t say so much that the approach of the North Korean state had changed but maybe that of our North Korean “partners” a little. They might have had greater trust in us because we’d known each other for 10 years then, and they knew we would not harm them or cheat on them in any way. For instance, the extensive street views that we can see in … ned, tassot, yossot … - they come from a GoPro camera that we fixed on the windscreen of our shooting-bus every morning. Judith Benedikt, DOP on both films, who had been with me from the very first shooting trip to the Asian Cup in Bangkok where we met the players for the very first time in the year 2003, turned up on the first day of shooting for … ned, tassot, yossot … with this camera and asked whether we’d be allowed to use it. And to our great surprise they agreed. This footage gives the most uncensored and uncensorable images of the streets of Pyongyang. Also, regarding our protagonists - I never realized it that much, but Judith seems to have observed that during the interviews for the first film I had had quite a hard time to get a coherent sentence from them at all. Whereas in the second shoot it came bubbling out just like that. It seemed they were really happy to share with us all the stories that had happened to them in the past five years. The film’s most poignant moments are when the protagonists open up to such an extent that they share deeply personal stories about pregnancies terminated because they came at the “wrong time” — when, for young athletes, their country took precedence over family. Even in these painful confessions, they don't abandon the cliché that they had to act for the good of the state, yet this is the only time something individual, something human, surfaces that struggles to reconcile with the pain. Did the footballers bring up this topic spontaneously, or did you ask them about having children? Both. In fact, I was quite surprised when they brought up these stories. The context in which I asked was more related to the idea of “being single.” As mentioned, it had been an ongoing topic between us, and Hana, dul, sed … ends with a statement from Ra Mi Ae about marriage. She was still single at the time and told us that, yes, sometimes she feels a twinge of jealousy when she sees her friends with their babies. But she also mentioned that flowers are only fragrant when plucked at the right time, and so she was confident that she, too, would marry sooner or later, once Mr. Right came along. In … ned, tassot, yossot … I followed up on the same topic, only a few years further down the line: I knew that both, Ra Mi Ae and Ri Hyang Ok, were married then. So I asked how family life had developed for them and how it felt these days. I had neither known about their pregnancies nor remotely expected what they told me. And found it quite bold how they spoke about it. When … ned, tassot, yossot … came into rough cut stage it wasn’t possible for me to take it to Pyongyang, like I had done with Hana, dul, sed …, because it was during the COVID period and North Korea was completely sealed off and is inaccessible for foreigners to this day. And it still tortures me that I couldn’t show it to them before anyone else got to see it. Especially to those two, especially this scene. The film ends with a scene in which the entire film crew hugs each other, dances and sings at the table. They have accepted you into their lives and certainly no longer see you as a potential spy. It is touching how your two worlds, although very different, met and touched. Are you planning to shoot "...seven, eight, nine..."? It will then be … ilgop, yodol, ahob …, the title that finally nobody will be able to pronounce not to mention remember. Well, at the moment I’m just completely exhausted. During the decade that the fighting for … ned, tassot, yossot … took, I kept telling my family, friends and crew that, should the film ever happen to reach safe haven and I’d ever get tempted of starting another one, they should please keep me from it by all means. But we’ll see what we’ll see. Actually I hear three whispers rising in my ear: To begin with, in Austria there’s a kind of an incentive funding if you have completed a project with strong female participation and – since we had an all-female crew, all female protagonists and a story that would pass any Bechdel test – we received, once we finally did get the financing, some funds that can be invested into a new project (otherwise they’d expire). This does energize the tired old bones to some extent, I must admit. Next, it strangely feels as if the two parts would demand for a third; when I started part two – and started looking for funds – feedback quite often was that this story has already been told and there’s no need repeating it. But now the notion rather seems to be that the project can’t rest on two legs and a part 3 would be only logic. And last but not least, as mentioned, it is impossible to see my four “friends against the odds” without a film project; and since it also feels impossible to never see them again – who knows? Maybe we’ll be back in 2035 with … ilgop, yodol, ahob …? Marinela Domančić Sub-headings PHOTO : JUHO LIUKKONEN Brigitte Weich .. NED, TASSOT, YOSSOT ... Austrian director Brigitte Weich never dreamed that, after returning from Pyongyang from the film festival, she would come back to North Korea several times and shoot two films about four women. Competition Documentary Friends Against the Odds PHOTO : ©Ri Filme_Judith Benedikt Brigitte Weich .. NED, TASSOT, YOSSOT ... Competition Documentary Brigitte Weich .. NED, TASSOT, YOSSOT ... PHOTO : ©Ri Filme_Judith Benedikt Competition Documentary Osobe sa posebnim potrebama su teško zapošljive. Nije im lako naći adekvatnu školu i priskrbiti naobrazbu koja bi ih osposobila za samostalan život. Pronaći posao je još teže. Takmičarski dokumentarni Promjena počinje educiranjem društva Dimitris Zahos i Thanasis Kafetzis LOXY Zato je petomjesečni ugovor koji je dvadesetdevetogodišnja Loxandra Loukas potpisala sa Atinskim narodnim kazalištem pravi presedan za osobu sa Downovim sindromom. Loxsandrin angažman zahtijeva preseljenje u Atinu i prilagodbu na novu sredinu i nje i njenih roditelja. Kako ste upoznali Loxandru i kako je došlo do snimanja ovog filma? THANASIS: Tačno je da je u većini slučajeva osobama s invaliditetom teško pronaći posao. Loxandra je sretna jer su je roditelji mogli podržati da se preseli u Atenu zbog sudjelovanja u predstavi. Dimitris i ja dugo poznajemo Loxandru i njene roditelje. S njima smo surađivali nekoliko puta u prošlosti. Kada je Loxy ponuđeno da sudjeluje u produkciji Narodnog kazališta, njezini su roditelji željeli dokumentirati taj za njih vrlo značajan događaj i odmah su predložili da se mi prihvatimo dokumentiranja. Mogli smo odmah početi snimati zato što smo se već poznavali i što je između nas postojalo povjerenje. Mislim da u početku nismo znali s čime ćemo se suočiti i da smo možda pomalo neodlučno ušli u ovu avanturu. Međutim, vrlo brzo shvatili smo značaj ovog trenutka, ne samo za Loxy i njezinu obitelj, već i za grčko kazalište i zajednicu s invaliditetom za ravnopravno sudjelovanje svih u javnom i umjetničkom životu. DIMITRIS: Počelo je idejom Loxandrine obitelji koja je htjela zabilježiti ovaj važan osobni i obiteljski trenutak. Ujedno je to bio važan trenutak za grčko kazalište zbog svoje simboličke vrijednosti i vijest se brzo proširila. Inkluzija je u medijima viđena kao značajna promjena u postcovid eri. Hitro smo uzeli kameru i započeli gotovo „uradi sam“ snimanje promatračkog dokumentarnog filma u tradiciji cinema verité s osobom s Downovim sindromom kao protagonisticom. Što ta osoba misli i osjeća? O čemu sanja i kako bi mogla utjecati na ljude koji s njom dolazi u kontakt? Kako su probe odmicale, javljalo se sve više i više pitanja. S većinom njih smo se ponovno suočili tijekom procesa montiranja: pod kojim su uvjetima i uz koju osobnu cijenu osobe s invaliditetom uključene u profesionalni okvir koji ih obično nije spreman uključiti? Koji bi mogli biti uvjeti za inkluziju? I zašto sad ovaj film? Je li Loxandrin slučaj iznimka od pravila o isključenosti osoba s invaliditetom iz umjetnosti i rada? Na kraju, je li dobra namjera dovoljna za inkluziju? S jedne strane, Loxsandrini roditelji daju sve od sebe da ona ima život kao i svaka druga dvadesetdevetogodišnjakinja. Ima zanimanje, glumica je, ima dečka, sama odlazi u kupnju, pomaže pri pripremi hrane... S druge strane, život glumice koja svakodnevno ima naporne probe nije lagan osobi sa Downovim sindromom. Ima padove koncentracije, često primarne fiziološke potrebe (glad, umor) uzimaju primat i Loxy treba stanku, želi kući... Koliko je snimanje u takvoj situaciji bilo stresno i teško, i za nju, i za vas? THANASIS: Loxandra se prvi put našla u profesionalnom kontekstu i morala je svladati mnoge prepreke kako bi mogla odgovoriti tom okruženju. Mi smo svjesno odabrali put promatračkog dokumentarca, što znači da nije bilo nikakvih intervencija s naše strane tijekom snimanja. Bili smo tu da što točnije snimimo što se događa. Naravno, Loxy je često postavljala svoje granice što se tiče snimanja, a mi smo ih uvijek poštovali. Za nas je bilo ključno pristupiti projektu s osjetljivošću i razumijevanjem, prepoznajući da su Loxandrine potrebe i izazovi iznad naših zahtjeva. Morali smo balansirati između bilježenja autentičnih trenutaka i osiguravanja da ne dodamo nepotreban stres njezinom već zahtjevnom rasporedu. DIMITRIS: To što smo Loxandru dugo poznavali prije nego što smo počeli snimati film uštedjelo nam je puno vremena i energije jer smo dan za danom raspravljali o onome što smo smatrali zanimljivim dijelovima priče i pokušavali se usredotočiti na njih. Zapravo, našu su znatiželju uglavnom poticale sama situacija i način na koji je Loxy utjecala na okolnosti. Iako joj je ponekad bilo teško, to je bio dio priče i bili smo sretni što smo ga otkrili i snimili. Iako ova situacija zahtijeva i prilagodbu od strane kazališne trupe (asistentica za Loxy, fleksibilnost glede kašnjenja na probe i specifičnih Loxinih zahtjeva /HLADAN Sprite!/, ispunjavanje potrebe za bodrenjem i fizičkim kontaktom) čini se da Loxy mora više žrtvovati i više se prilagoditi. Da li je u stvarnosti bilo tako? THANASIS: Kao što Eleni, Loxandrina majka, kaže u dokumentarcu: "Postoji taj jaz. Jedno društvo ovdje i jedno ondje. Ljudi ovdje i ljudi tamo moraju se razvijati. A osobe s invaliditetom moraju se razvijati još više...". Loxandra je doista morala podnijeti značajne žrtve i prilagodbe kako bi ispunila zahtjeve svoje nove uloge. Dok je kazališna trupa pružala ključnu podršku, Loxandra je bila ta koja je podnijela najveći teret izazova. U biti, iako je cijeli ansambl radio na stvaranju sveobuhvatne atmosfere, Loxandrino odricanje i neumoljivi napori bili su ono što se istaknulo. Njezino putovanje pokazuje nevjerojatan trud koji je uložila kako bi slijedila svoju strast i utrla put većoj inkluzivnosti u umjetnosti. DIMITRIS: Loxy je prethodno bila dio prekrasne kazališne trupe En Dynamei, koji je kolektiv umjetnika sa i bez invaliditeta. Imala je veliko iskustvo na pozornici, odlascima na probe i životu glumice općenito. Biti jedina osoba s invaliditetom u trupi bilo je sasvim novo iskustvo za nju i za sve ostale, a što se nas tiče, to je stvarnost u filmu, upravo ono što smo vidjeli. Koristili ste zanimljive kutove snimanja i neobičnu perspektivu (snimanje „odozgo“, s leđa, u hodnicima u kojima se teško mimoići, puno krupnih kadrova lica, isl.). Da li ste neobičnim snimcima željeli naglasiti Loxinu neobičnost? THANASIS: Upotreba "zanimljivih" kutova snimanja i neobične perspektive u dokumentarcu nije imala za cilj naglasiti Loxynu "neobičnost", već pružiti dublje, intimnije razumijevanje njezina iskustva. Naš je cilj bio vizualno predstaviti Loxandrino jedinstveno putovanje i razne izazove s kojima se suočavala, stvarajući impresivnije i empatičnije iskustvo. Od samog početka znali smo da će suočavanje s takvom protagonisticom, i fokusiranje na nju, biti težak izazov za izbjegavanje logike "inspirativne priče", koja obično dolazi s prikazom invaliditeta. S druge strane, naša protagonistica je bila Loxy, mlada žena s Downovim sindromom, i nismo se mogli i, nipošto, htjeli osloniti na njen invaliditet u izgradnji priče. Naprotiv, rekli smo, "ovo je naša protagonistica, publika će shvatiti da ima Downov sindrom u prvoj sekundi" pa, "pređimo preko toga, pogledajmo što je tu i pokušajmo razumjeti više o njezinoj osobnosti u ovom novom izazovu". Tako smo, na kraju, u našem dokumentarcu pokušali „normalizirati“ njezinu „neobičnost“, fokusirati se i suosjećati s našim likom, približavajući sebe i publiku Loxandrinom svijetu, pokušavajući potaknuti dublje razumijevanje i povezanost. DIMITRIS: Naša ideja o filmu i umjetnosti općenito je da pomaže publici da se poveže s nepoznatim pričama. kako smo Thanasis i ja zajednički snimali, htjeli smo staviti Loxy u središte kadra i pokušati saznati o njoj više od njenog Downovog sindroma. Mislim da nam je to što smo oboje imali veliko iskustvo u režiranju fikcije pomoglo stvoriti atmosferu i prostor za publiku da razmisli o tome što se još krije iza stereotipa osobe s invaliditetom. Svaki kut snimanja ima određeno značenje, pa smo to htjeli upotrijebiti u svoju korist. Alarmantan je podatak da se svega 5% osoba sa Downovim sindromom u Grčkoj uspijeva zaposliti. Europska unija često daje sredstva usmjerena na povećanje zapošljivosti i zapošljavanje teško zapošljivih kategorija građana. Znate li radi li se sustavski na ovom problemu i mogu li se očekivati pozitivni pomaci? THANASIS: Činjenica da samo 5% osoba s Downovim sindromom u Grčkoj uspijeva dobiti posao je alarmantna i pokazuje koliko je sustav nepravedan. Ističe kako društvo često ne prepoznaje prava i potencijal osoba s invaliditetom. Iako Europska unija osigurava sredstva za pomoć marginaliziranim građanima u pronalasku posla, stvarne promjene su spore i neujednačene. Moramo iz temelja promijeniti način na koji društvo vrednuje i uključuje sve. To zahtijeva i nove zakone i kulturni pomak prema uvažavanju različitosti i vrijednosti svakog pojedinca. Mislim da je Loxandrina priča snažan primjer. Srušila je prepreke potpisivanjem profesionalnog ugovora s Nacionalnim kazalištem Grčke, pokazujući što se može dogoditi kada se ljudima daju prilike i podrška. Ali njezin uspjeh ne bi trebao biti izuzetak, trebao bi biti pravilo. DIMITRIS: Istina je da postoje sredstva za integraciju osoba s invaliditetom koje se žele osposobiti i potom zaposliti u onome što ih zanima, ali rezultati integracije i inkluzije, prema mišljenju same zajednice s invaliditetom, su razočaravajući. Mislim da promjena počinje potrebnom edukacijom društva i šire populacije o pitanjima invaliditeta. Sve dok se naši svakodnevni stavovi o pitanjima isključenosti ne promijene, životi osoba s invaliditetom bit će degradirani, a osobe s invaliditetom smatrat će se manje korisnima. Sve počinje međusobnim upoznavanjem i rušenjem stereotipa. Marinela Domančić Sub-headings Dimitris Zahos i Thanasis Kafetzis LOXY Takmičarski dokumentarni Competition Documentary People with special needs face significant challenges in finding employment. It is not easy for them to find an adequate school and get an education that would enable them to live independently. Finding a job is even more difficult. Change begins with educating society Dimitris Zahos and Thanasis Kafetzis LOXY That's why the five-month contract that 29-year-old Loxandra Loukas signed with the Athens National Theater is a real success for a person with Down syndrome. Loxandra's engagement requires that she and her parents move to Athens and adapt to the new environment. How did you meet Loxandra, and what led to the making of this film? THANASIS: It is true that in most cases, it is difficult for disabled individuals to find work. Loxandra is fortunate because her parents were able to support her moving to Athens for her participation in the performance. Dimitris and I have known Loxandra and her parents for many years. We have collaborated with them several times in the past. So, when Loxy was offered to participate in the National Theater's production, her parents wanted to document this very significant event for them, and they immediately suggested that we undertake this documentation. The important thing for all of us was that there was already the necessary familiarity and trust to start filming right away. I think at the beginning we didn't know what we would face and perhaps entered this adventure a bit hesitantly. However, very soon we understood the significance of this moment, not only for Loxy and her family but also for Greek theater and the disabled community for the equal participation of all in public and artistic life. DIMITRIS: In fact, it all started with an idea from Loxandra's family, who wanted to record this important personal and family moment. At the same time, it was an important moment for the Greek theater because of its symbolic value, and the news spread quickly; the inclusion was seen in the media as a significant change in the post-covid era. So, with a sense of urgency, we took our camera and began an almost DIY shoot for an observational documentary, in the tradition of cinema verité, with a person with Down syndrome as the protagonist. What does this person think and feel? What does she dream about and how might she influence the people who come into contact with her? As the rehearsals progressed, more and more questions arose, most of which we faced again during the editing process: Under what conditions and at what personal cost are disabled people involved in a professional framework that is usually not prepared to include them? What could be the conditions for inclusion? And why this film now? Is Loxandra's case an exception to the rule of the exclusion of disabled people from art and work? In the end, is the good intention of inclusion enough? On the one hand, Loxandra's parents do their best for her to have a life like any other 29-year-old girl. She has an occupation, she is an actress, she has a boyfriend, she goes shopping by herself, helps in food preparation... On the other hand, the life of an actress who has hard rehearsals every day is not easy for a person with Down syndrome. She has drops in concentration, often primary physiological needs (hunger, fatigue) take precedence and Loxy needs a break, she wants to go home... How stressful and difficult the filming in such a situation was both for her and for you? THANASIS: Loxandra found herself for the first time in a professional context and had to overcome many obstacles to be able to respond to this environment. From our side, we consciously chose the path of an observational documentary, meaning there was no intervention from our side during the filming. We were there to capture as accurately as possible what was happening. Of course, Loxy often set her own boundaries regarding the filming, and we always respected them. It was crucial for us to approach the project with sensitivity and understanding, recognizing that Loxandra's needs and challenges were above our demands. We had to balance capturing authentic moments with ensuring that we did not add unnecessary stress to her already demanding schedule. DIMITRIS: We had known Loxandra for a long time before we started making the film, and that saved us a lot of time and energy, because day after day we discussed what we thought were the interesting parts of the story and tried to focus on them. In fact, our curiosity was mainly driven by the situation and how Loxy herself affected the situation. So even though she sometimes had a difficult time, that was part of the story, and we were happy to discover it and film it. Although this situation also requires adaptation by the theater troupe (assistant for Loxy, flexibility regarding her being late to rehearsals and Loxy's specific requests – a COLD Sprite! – and fulfilling the need for encouragement and physical contact) it seems that Loxy has to sacrifice more and adapt more. Was it like that in reality? THANASIS: As Eleni, Loxandra's mother, says in the documentary, "There is this gap. One society here and one there. The people here and the people there need to evolve. And the disabled need to evolve even more..". Loxandra indeed had to make considerable sacrifices and adaptations to meet the demands of her new role. While the theater troupe provided essential support, it was Loxandra who bore the brunt of the challenges. In essence, while the entire ensemble worked towards creating an inclusive atmosphere, it was Loxandra's sacrifices and relentless efforts that stood out. Her journey shows the incredible effort she put in order to pursue her passion and pave the way for greater inclusivity in the arts. DIMITRIS: Loxy was previously part of the wonderful theater ensemble En Dynamei, which is a collective of artists with and without disabilities. She had lots of experience on stage, going to rehearsals and the life of the actress in general. Being the only disabled person of the troupe was a whole new experience for her and for everybody else, and as far as we are concerned, this is the reality in the film, exactly what we saw. You used interesting shooting angles and an unusual perspective (shooting "from above", from behind, in corridors where it is difficult to pass, lots of close-up shots of faces, etc.). Did you want to emphasize Loxy's oddity with unusual shots? THANASIS: The use of "interesting" shooting angles and an unusual perspective in the documentary was not intended to emphasize Loxy's "oddity" but rather to provide a deeper, more intimate understanding of her experience. Our goal was to visually represent Loxandra's unique journey and the various challenges she faced, creating a more immersive and empathetic experience. From the very beginning we knew that dealing with such a protagonist, and focusing on her, would be a difficult challenge to avoid the logic of an "inspiring story", that usually comes with the representation of disability. On the other hand, our protagonist was Loxy, a young woman with Down syndrome, and we could not, and absolutely didn't want to rely on her disability to build a story. On the contrary, we said, "this is our protagonist, the audience will understand that she has Down Syndrome in the first second" so, "let's get over it, let's see what is there and let's try to understand more about her personality in this new challenge". So, in the end, in our documentary we tried to "normalize" the "oddity", focus and empathize with our character, drawing ourselves and the audience closer to Loxandra's world, trying to foster a deeper understanding and connection. DIMITRIS: Our idea about cinema and art in general, is that it helps audiences to relate to unfamiliar stories. As Thanasis and I shared the filming, we wanted to put Loxy in the center of the frame and try to find out more about her, beyond her Down syndrome. I think that having both of us strong backgrounds in directing fiction, helped us create an atmosphere and space for the audience to think about what else is there behind the stereotype of the disabled person. Every shot angle has a specific meaning, so we wanted to use that to our advantage. It is an alarming fact that only 5% of people with Down Syndrome in Greece manage to get a job. The European Union often provides funds aimed at increasing employability and employment of hard-to-employ categories of citizens. Do you know whether systematic work has begun on this problem and whether positive developments can be expected? THANASIS: The fact that only 5% of people with Down Syndrome in Greece manage to get jobs is alarming and shows how unfair the system is. It highlights how society often fails to recognize the rights and potential of people with disabilities. Although the European Union provides funds to help marginalized citizens find jobs, real change has been slow and uneven. We need to fundamentally change how society values and includes everyone. This requires both new laws and a cultural shift towards appreciating diversity and the worth of every individual. I think that Loxandra’s story is a powerful example. She broke barriers by signing a professional contract with the National Theater of Greece, showing what can happen when people are given opportunities and support. But her success should not be rare—it should be the norm. DIMITRIS: It is true that there are funds for the integration of disabled people who want to be trained and then find a job in what they are interested in, but the results of integration and inclusion, according to the disabled community itself, are disappointing. I think that change starts with the necessary education of society and the general population on disability issues. As long as our everyday attitudes on issues of exclusion do not change, the lives of people with disabilities will be degraded and people with disabilities will be seen as less useful. It all starts with meeting each other and breaking down stereotypes. Marinela Domančić Sub-headings Competition Documentary Dimitris Zahos and Thanasis Kafetzis LOXY Uručene nagrade najboljima iz projekta „Idemo na Festival“ Najbolji reels Objavljeni su pobjednici projekta „Idemo na Festival“, kojeg su pokrenuli Sarajevo Film Festival i UniCredit Bank, Glavni sponzor Festivala. Najbolje reelse na temu: kartica, digitalno plaćanje, teen račun, štednja, u kombinaciji sa Sarajevo Film Festivalom, napravili su: Aida Mulahmetović iz Vogošće – pored mogućnosti da osjeti atmosferu Sarajevo Film Festivala osvojila je Dopunjivu Mastercard karticu sa 500 KM. Drugo mjesto osvojila je Iman Duratbegović, koja je na dodjeli nagrada bila opravdano odsutna te će svoju nagradu preuzeti naknadno. Treće mjesto osvojia je Meliha Džinić iz Gradačca i Dopunjivu UniCredit Mastercard karticu sa 200 KM. Na 30. Sarajevo Film festivalu na svečanosti uručenja nagrada prikazani su pobjednički reelsi. „Kroz projekat Idemo na Festival zajedničkim snagma smo animirali tinejdžere iz cijele Bosne i Hercegovine da na kreativan način, kroz formu koja je njima bliska, ispričaju šta za njih znači Festival, ali i objasne finansijske pojmove i kako ih oni vide i doživljavaju. Festival svake godine okuplja veliki broj mladih volontera i važno nam je da znaju da Festival razmišlja o njima kroz aktivnosti koje sprovodi sa svojim partnerima. Jednako nam je važno da promišljaju i o različitim temama koje su važne za njihovu budućnost, a ovo je bio i način da se kreativno izraze. Svim mladima koji su poslali svoje radove čestitam, a danas koristim priliku da posebno čestitam dobitinicama - Aidi, Iman i Melihi“, rekao je direktor Sarajevo Film Festivala Jovan Marjanović. Poziv je bio otvoren za mlade iz Bosne i Hercegovine u dobi od 13 do 19 godina. The winners of the "Let's Go to the Festival" project, launched by the Sarajevo Film Festival and UniCredit Bank, the Festival's main sponsor, have been announced. The Best Reels The best reels on the themes of cards, digital payments, teen accounts, and savings, combined with the Sarajevo Film Festival, were created by Aida Mulahmetović from Vogošća, who, in addition to experiencing the Sarajevo Film Festival's atmosphere, won a Reloadable Mastercard with 500 KM. The second place went to Iman Duratbegović, who was justifiably absent from the award ceremony and will receive her prize at a later date. Third place was awarded to Meliha Džinić from Gradačac, who received a Reloadable UniCredit Mastercard with 200 KM. During the award ceremony at the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival, the winning reels were showcased. "Through the 'Let's Go to the Festival' project, we jointly encouraged teenagers from across Bosnia and Herzegovina to creatively express what the Festival means to them and explain financial concepts from their perspective. The Festival gathers a large number of young volunteers each year, and it's important to us that they know the Festival is thinking about them through activities conducted with our partners. It’s equally important that they reflect on various topics crucial for their future, and this was also a way for them to creatively express themselves. I congratulate all the young people who submitted their work, and today, I especially congratulate the winners - Aida, Iman, and Meliha," said Sarajevo Film Festival Director Jovan Marjanović. The call was open to young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina aged 13 to 19 years. Awards Presented to the Best Participants of the "Let's Go to the Festival" Project Predstavljanje TV serije „Sablja“ Presentation of TV series Operation Sabre Više fotografija možete pronaći OVDJE. More festival photos you can find HERE. Festivalski život / Festival life Cineplexx – mjesto brojnih festivalskih događanja Cineplexx – The Venue for Various Festival Activities Predstavljanje TV serije „Tender“ Presentation of TV series The Tender Projekcija studentskih filmova/ Screening of student films Mohamed Jabaly, reditelj filma „Život je lijep“ Mohamed Jabaly, director of the film Life Is Beautiful Docu Press Corner EURIMAGES Na 30. Sarajevo Film Festivalu potpisan je dokument o pristupanju Bosne i Hercegovine Pilot programu za koprodukciju serija Vijeća Evrope, koji otvara mogućnost dodatnog financiranja televizijskih serija. Nova prilika za filmaše  iz Bosne i Hercegovine Dokument o pristupanju Bosne i Hercegovine pilot programu Vijeća Evrope, koji implementira Eurimages, za koprodukciju evropskih dramskih serija potpisan je jučer u Sarajevu. Važan je to korak za bh. filmaše kako bi im se olakšao pristup međunarodnim koprodukcijama i dodatnom izvoru finansiranja. „Siguran sam da će ovo što smo zajednički započeli stvoriti pretpostavke da kreativnim ljudima Bosne i Hercegovine omogući da lakše dođu do sredstava. To će im omogućiti ne samo lakši pristup tržištu, već i mogućnost da svoje znanje i talent iskoriste na odgovarajući način“, izjavio je Nermin Nikšić, premijer Vlade Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine, ujedno istaknuvši da je Federacije ove godine za film izdvojila 4,7 miliona KM. Pilot program za koprodukcije serija, Vijeće Evrope uvelo je 2023. godine s ciljem osnaživanja nezavisnih producenata i poticanja stvaranja novih audiovizuelnih djela. Eurimages upravlja programom, koji se finansira putem dobrovoljnih doprinosa institucija iz zemalja članica. Trenutno program podržava 16 institucija iz 15 zemalja članica (Belgija, Hrvatska, Estonija, Grčka, Mađarska, Irska, Italija, Litvanija, Luksemburg, Nizozemska, Sjeverna Makedonija, Portugal, Srbija, Slovenija, Španija). „Oduševljeni smo što možemo prihvatiti učešće Bosne i Hercegovine u ovom pilot programu“, izjavila je Bojana Urumova, predstavnica Vijeća Evrope u Sarajevu. „Ovdje slavimo magiju pričanja priča. A ovaj koprodukcijiski fond je upravo to – mogućnost širenja zanimljivih priča, kojima ova regija obiluje. S fondom podupiremo različitost priča i jezika koji će se čuti diljem Evrope, a među njima i regionalni jezici, što je upravo ono čemu Vijeće Evrope stremi.“ Do sada su završena dva ciklusa javnog poziva za nezavisne producente, pri čemu je podržano 17 evropskih međunarodnih koprodukcija serija, za koje je izdvojeno 6,5 miliona eura. Producenti iz Bosne i Hercegovine sada će biti u mogućnosti pristupiti novim pozivima. Produkcija televizijskih serija u Bosni i Hercegovini posljednjih je godina u izrazitom porastu, za što je ponajviše zaslužan program BH Content Lab BH Telecoma. „BH Telecom je u posljednje tri godine investirao i investirat će 30 miliona KM u bh. kinematografiju. Plodove toga rada vidjeli smo ovih dana, kada su televizijske serije snimljene uz BH Content Lab ovjenčane brojnim nagradama. No, da bi imali održivo finansiranje serija, potrebno je napraviti ovaj sljedeći korak kojim Bosna i Hercegovina dobiva pristup evropskim fondovima“, izjavio je Amel Kovačević, generalni direktor BH Telecoma, dodavši da je u fondu BH Content Laba ostalo još 5,6 miliona KM i 8 projekata koji su u mogućnosti prijaviti se na javni poziv Vijeća Evrope na Pilot program za koprodukcije serija. Potpisani ugovor neće samo producentima iz Bosne i Hercegovine otvoriti mogućnost dodatnog finansiranja, već i olakšano povezivanje s producentima iz ostalih država članica ovoga pilot programa. „Radujemo se projektima bh. producenata i njihovih partnera, kao što je BH Telecom. Jedva čekamo vidjeti vaše prijave“, poručio je Alex Traila, programski menadžer Pilot programa za koprodukcije serija pri Vijeću Evrope. Kako bi se producenti mogli prijavljivati i povezivati s producentima iz Evrope, ipak je potreban prvi korak napraviti u domovini. Zato je bitno da lokalne institucije nastave podržavati kinematografiju. „Za ovu godinu smo izdvojili rekordna sredstva od 2,5 miliona KM za razvoj kinematografije. Znamo da je kinematografija vodeća fabrika sreće, u koju je uključen veliki broj mladih ljudi, i prepoznajemo njezinu važnost. Ovaj ugovor nam je veliki poticaj da u Kantonu još više povećamo ulaganja u naše kreativce“, izjavio je Kenan Magoda, ministar kulture i sporta Vlade Kantona Sarajevo. S njim se složio i Saša Magazinović, predsjedavajući Delegacije Parlamentarne skupštine Bosne i Hercegovine u Parlamentarnoj skupštini Vijeća Evrope. „Ovo je sjajan primjer kako treba koristiti članstvo u međunarodnim organizacijama. Možete samo zamisliti što bi nam donijelo moguće buduće članstvo u Europskoj uniji“, rekao je Magazinović. Potpisivanje ugovora tokom 30. Sarajevo Film Festivala nije nimalo slučajno. Kako već 30 godina radi na pomoći bh. kinematografiji, tako je Festival i posljednjih godina otvorio vrata TV serijama, omogućivši im veću vidljivost i dodatne tržišne prilike. „Sarajevo Film Festival je mjesto na kojem su zaživjele brojne inicijative vezane uz filmsku industriju“, kazao je Jovan Marjanović, direktor Sarajevo Film Festivala. „Zahvaljujući i BH Telecomu, posljednjih godina imamo 400-postotno povećanje produkcije i potpunu zaposlenost u tom sektoru. Naravno, tržište se konstantno mijenja i potrebno je otvoriti nove načine financiranja. Ovaj ugovor nam upravo to omogućuje.“ Pilot program za koprodukciju serija Vijeća Evrope omogućava dodatnu podršku namijenjenu za pomoć u financiranju koprodukcija između nezavisnih producenata TV serija u završnoj fazi produkcije. Podrška iznosi 250.000 eura ili 500.000 eura po podržanom projektu, a predviđena je za serije s maksimalno 10 epizoda. Sub-headings At the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival, a document was signed marking Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession to the Council of Europe’s Pilot Program for Series Co-production, which opens up opportunities for additional funding for television series. A New Opportunity for Filmmakers from  Bosnia and Herzegovina A landmark document marking Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession to the Council of Europe’s pilot program for the co-production of European drama series, implemented by Eurimages, was signed today, August 21, in Sarajevo. This significant step is set to facilitate access to international co-productions and additional funding sources for Bosnian filmmakers. “I am confident that this initiative will create the necessary conditions for the creative minds of Bosnia and Herzegovina to more easily access funding. This will not only provide easier market access but also allow them to fully leverage their knowledge and talent,” stated Nermin Nikšić, Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also highlighted that the Federation allocated 4.7 million KM for film production this year. The Council of Europe launched the pilot program for series co-productions in 2023 to strengthen independent producers and encourage the creation of new audiovisual works. Eurimages administers the program, which is financed through voluntary contributions from institutions in member countries. Currently, 16 institutions from 15 member countries (Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain) support the program. “We are thrilled to welcome Bosnia and Herzegovina to this pilot program,” said Bojana Urumova, a representative of the Council of Europe in Sarajevo. “Today, we celebrate the magic of storytelling. This co-production fund is precisely about that – the ability to spread captivating stories, of which this region has plenty. Through the fund, we support the diversity of stories and languages to be heard across Europe, including regional languages, which aligns perfectly with the Council of Europe’s mission.” To date, two cycles of public calls for independent producers have been completed, supporting 17 European international series co-productions with a total of 6.5 million euros. Producers from Bosnia and Herzegovina will now be able to participate in future calls. Television series production in Bosnia and Herzegovina has seen a marked increase in recent years, largely due to the BH Content Lab program by BH Telecom. “Over the past three years, BH Telecom has invested and will continue to invest 30 million KM in Bosnian cinema. We’ve seen the fruits of this labor in recent days, with television series produced through BH Content Lab receiving numerous awards. However, to ensure sustainable series financing, this next step is crucial, granting Bosnia and Herzegovina access to European funds,” said Amel Kovačević, General Manager of BH Telecom, adding that the BH Content Lab fund still has 5.6 million KM available, with 8 projects eligible to apply for the Council of Europe’s Pilot Program for Series Co-production. The signed agreement will not only open up additional financing opportunities for Bosnian producers but also facilitate connections with producers from other member states of this pilot program. “We look forward to the projects from Bosnian producers and their partners, such as BH Telecom. We can’t wait to see your applications,” said Alex Traila, Program Manager for the Council of Europe’s Pilot Program for Series Co-production. To enable producers to apply and connect with their European counterparts, the first steps must be taken at home. Hence, it is crucial that local institutions continue to support the film industry. “This year, we have allocated a record 2.5 million KM for the development of cinematography. We recognize that cinematography is a leading ‘happiness factory,’ involving a large number of young people, and we acknowledge its importance. This agreement is a great incentive for us to further increase investments in our creatives,” stated Kenan Magoda, Minister of Culture and Sports of the Sarajevo Canton. Saša Magazinović, Chairman of the Delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, echoed these sentiments. “This is a great example of how to leverage membership in international organizations. Just imagine what potential future membership in the European Union could bring us,” Magazinović said. The signing of the agreement during the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival is no coincidence. For 30 years, the Festival has been supporting Bosnian cinematography and, in recent years, has opened doors for TV series, enhancing their visibility and market opportunities. “The Sarajevo Film Festival is a place where numerous initiatives related to the film industry have come to life,” said Jovan Marjanović, Director of the Sarajevo Film Festival. “Thanks to BH Telecom, we’ve seen a 400% increase in production and full employment in the sector in recent years. Of course, the market is constantly changing, and new funding avenues need to be explored. This agreement enables just that.” The Council of Europe’s Pilot Program for Series Co-production offers additional support aimed at assisting the financing of co-productions between independent TV series producers in the final stages of production. The support amounts to 250,000 or 500,000 euros per project and is intended for series with a maximum of 10 episodes. Sub-headings Sub-headings EURIMAGES EURIMAGES Posjetioci Sarajevo Film Festivala i ove godine mogu još bezbjednije uživati u raznovrsnom filmskom i kulturnom programu zahvaljujući ekskluzivnom sponzoru - UNIQA Osiguranju. Kao jedna od vodećih osiguravajućih kuća u regiji jugoistočne Evrope (SEE), UNIQA Osiguranje, uz slogan „ Živimo bolje zajedno“ u fokus svog poslovanja stavlja razvoj i jačanje zajednice u kojoj djeluje, te se partnerstvo sa Festivalom temelji upravo na ovim vrijednostima. Visitors of the Sarajevo Film Festival can enjoy an even safer film and cultural experience this year, thanks to the exclusive sponsor - UNIQA Insurance. As one of the leading insurance companies in the Southeastern Europe (SEE) region, UNIQA Insurance, with the slogan "Living better together," focuses on the development and strengthening of the community in which it operates. The partnership with the Festival is based precisely on these values. PRETPREMIJERE SERIJE Avant Premiere Series HETEROTOPIJA je film o prostoru koji u sebe integriše različite vremenske kategorije, kako kroz pitanje progresa sadržanog u kolektivnom, tako i kroz prizmu pojedinačnog i ličnog iskustva. A film about space that integrates various categories of time, both through the concept of progress contained in the collective, and through the prism of individual and personal experience. BIJELI PUT / WHITE TRAIL  Croatia, 2024, 104 min. REžija/ Director: Tomislav Rukavina, Uloge / Cast: Franjo Dijak, Nina Violić, Enes Vejzović, Goran Bogdan, Sanja Milardović, Stipe Radoja, Mijo Jurišić BUY TICKET HETEROTOPIJA / HETEROTOPIA  Serbia, 2024, 7 min. Režija / Director: Nikola Nikolić BUY TICKET Takmičarski program -  dokumentarni film Competition Programme - Documentary Film Nakon jednogodišnjeg nadzora i prikupljanja dokaza, inspektori u spektakularnoj akciji hapse Željka Matića Željca, nekadašnjeg člana međunarodnog narkokartela. Međutim, njegovom privođenju prethodi ubistvo policijskog načelnika, ali i pronalazak leša žene koju je hrvatska policija proglasila mrtvom prije sedam godina i čije je tijelo sahranjeno u Meksiku. Upravo je naručivanje tog davnog ubistva trebalo biti temelj optužnice protiv Željca, pa su inspektori i inspektorice prinuđeni otkriti ko je zapravo ubijen prije sedam godina, postoji li veza sa smrću policijskog načelnika i da li je Matić nastavio voditi svoje operacije iz zatvorske ćelije. Following a year-long surveillance and evidence-gathering operation, police make a dramatic arrest of Zeljko Matic Zeljc, a former member of an international drug cartel. However, his arrest is preceded by the murder of a police superintended and discovery in Mexico of the body of a woman declared dead by Croatian police 7 years ago. That he had ordered the murder of the woman was among the key charges against Zeljc so police are forced to investigate who was really killed seven years ago, if that murder is related to the murder of the police superintendent and if Matic continued to run his operations from his prison cell. BUY TICKET Florence želi upoznati svoga oca s Davidom, muškarcem u kojeg je ludo zaljubljena. Ali Davida Florence ne privlači i želi je baciti u zagrljaj svome prijatelju Willyju. Njih četvoro se nalaze u jednom restoranu usred nedođije. Florence wants to introduce David, the man with whom she is madly in love, to her father. But David isn’t attracted to Florence and wants to throw her into the arms of his friend Willy. The four meet in a restaurant in the middle of nowhere. summer screen BUY TICKET DRUGI ČIN / THE SECOND ACT  France, 2024, 85 min. Režija / Director: Quentin Dupieux, Uloge / Cast: Lea Seydoux, Vincent Lindon, Louis Garrel, Raphaël Quenard, Manuel Guillot Da li ste ikada sanjali o svojoj boljoj verziji? Vi, ali u svemu bolji. Trebali biste probati novi proizvod: Supstancu. Supstanca je promjenila moj život! Sa Supstancom možete dobiti novu verziju sebe: mlađu, ljepšu, savršeniju. Ali morate je dijeliti, vaša je jedne sedmice, a druge je koristi neko drugi. Savršen balans, po sedam dana svakome. Lagano, zar ne? Dok god poštujete dogovor. Šta bi moglo krenuti po zlu? Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? You, only better in every way. You should try this new product: The Substance. It changed my life! With The Substance, you can generate another you: younger, more beautiful, more perfect. You just have to share time–one week for you, one week for someone else. A perfect balance, seven days each... Easy, right? As long as you respect the balance. What could possibly go wrong? open air SUPSTANCA / THE SUBSTANCE United Kingdom, United States, France, 2024, 140 min. Režija / Director: Coralie Fargeat, Uloge / Cast: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid Na programu danas... / On today's schedule...