FESTIVAL DAILY
Počasno Srce Sarajeva za Meg Ryan / The Honorary Heart of Sarajevo for Meg Ryan
www.sff.ba #30thSFF
SRIJEDA / WEDNeSDAY 21.08.2024.
30
competition feature Regional Premiere of The Village Next to Paradise
COMPETITION DOCUMENTARY Silvestar Kolbas - OUR CHILDREN
7
Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Meg Ryan: The Festival Is an Example of How Art Can Be an Act of Resistance
SADRŽAJ
48
Out of Competition – Documentary Valmir Tertini - BEKIM FEHMIU
Van konkurencije – dokumentarni Valmir Tertini - BEKIM FEHMIU
15
GRAND COFFEE WITH... Men should be protectors, not perpetrators of violence
On today's schedule...
44
8
COMPETITION FEATURE Roman Bondarchuk - REDAKCIJA
FOTO GALLERY Festival Life
4
FOTO GALERIJA Crveni tepih
Na programu danas...
GRAND KAFA SA... Muškarci moraju biti zaštitnici, a ne oni koji vrše nasilje
TAKMIČARSKI DOKUMENTARNI Maria Stoianova - KOMADIĆI LEDA
TAKMIČARSKI DOKUMENTARNI Silvestar Kolbas - NAŠA DJECA
38
26
52
9
23
Izvan konkurencije – igrani film Mirjana Karanović - Majka Mara
53
COMPETITION DOCUMENTARY Maria Stoianova - FRAGMENTS OF ICE
Počasno Srce Sarajeva Meg Ryan: Festival je primjer kako umjetnost može biti čin otpora
34
19
CONTENT
6
41
Out of Competition – Feature Film Mirjana Karanović - Mother Mara
FOTO GALERIJA Festivalski život
Takmičarski igrani Regionalna premijera filma „Selo pokraj raja“
TAKMIČARSKI IGRANI Roman Bondarchuk - REDAKCIJA
FOTO GALLERY Red Carpet
Holivudska zvijezda Meg Ryan, poznata po svojoj svestranosti i prirodnom šarmu u svakoj ulozi koju igra, u Ljetnom kinu Coca-Cola primila je Počasno Srce Sarajeva. Dodjela je održana uoči posebne projekcije njezine hit romantične komedije iz 1998. godine „Imaš poruku“, i to na istom mjestu gdje je ovaj film prikazan prije 25 godina, na 5. Sarajevo Film Festivalu. „Hvala vam mnogo. Tako sam sretna što sam ovdje. Hvala Sarajevo Film Festivalu i svima vama što ste ovdje, hvala za vaša srca. Drago mi je što sam ovdje i što vam mogu, licem u lice, zahvaliti za ovo što radite godinama. Ovo je primjer kako ova zajednica može biti jedinstvena, ne traćiti svoje živote, nego gledati filmove, slušati muziku, plesati i tako potvrditi da su umjetnost i kultura čin otpora. Hvala vam mnogo što pružate otpor“, rekla je Ryan. Počasno Srce Sarajeva uručio joj je Jovan Marjanović, direktor Sarajevo Film Festivala. „Večeras smo se okupili da slavimo ikoničku figuru u svijetu filma. Proslavljenu glumicu čij su talent, šarm i svestranost godinama oduševljavaju publiku. Karijera Meg Ryan je blještavo svjedočanstvo magije pričanja priča kroz film. Nezaboravne su njene uloge u romantičnim klasicima kao što su 'Kad je Harry sreo Sally', 'Nesanica u Seattleu' i 'Imaš poštu', kao i u dramama kakve su 'Hrabrost ratnika' i 'Kad muškarac voli ženu'. Meg Ryan je uvijek davala autentičnost likovima koje je portretirala“, rekao je Marjanović. Ryan je ranije održala masterclass koji je moderirao nagrađivani bh. reditelj Danis Tanović, dobitnik Oscara®. Masterclass je bio posebna prilika za uvid u ključne aspekte karijere Meg Ryan i njen novi film „What Happens Later“, koji će također biti prikazan na Festivalu. Romantična komedija koju je Ryan režirala, napisala scenarij i u kojoj glumi zajedno s Davidom Duchovnyjem, „What Happens Later“ Bleecker Street Medije, njezino je drugo redateljsko djelo, nakon nezavisnog filma „Ithaca“ iz 2015. godine. Upitana o svojim filmskim počecima, Ryan otkriva da je u svijet glume ušla za vrijeme studija žurnalistike, kada je odlazila na audicije ne bi li uspjela da finansira svoj studentski život. Glumica ne krije da joj je trebalo jako dugo vremena da se navikne na javne nastupe, sa kojima je kao dijete imala problem. Kako nije profesionalna glumica, morala je sve da uči od nule. "Kada sam počela sa serijama, nisam znala kako da pamtim replike, kako da stojim na liniji itd. Ali, sada kad se vratim shvatam da sam imala početničke probleme, što sada percipiram kao jako vrijednu stvar u mom formiranju kao glumice", ocjenjuje Ryan. Glumica se prisjetila značajnih saradnji sa rediteljima i glumcima, navodeći da je od svakog saradnika nešto novo naučila. Na početku karijere su joj jako značile saradnje sa rediteljima koji daju jednostavne instrukcije. Sa posebnim zadovoljstvom se sjeća saradnje sa Norom Ephron, budući da je ova rediteljica istovremeno i pisala scenarije za filmove na kojima radi. Ryan je ispričala da je Ephron kreirala atmosferu na setu u kojoj su učesnici procesa imali osjećaj da se nalaze na žurci, što je, prema njenom mišljenju, pravilo razlilu u načinu rada i proizvodu koji su dobili. Osobito joj je zanimljiv karakter rediteljice Jane Campion, u kojoj nalazi prototip buntovnice. Sumirajući iskustva saradnje sa rediteljima, zaključila je da je odnos reditelja i glumaca na setu ključan i da se unutar njega prenosi mnogo iz odnosa sa roditeljskim figurama. "To je nešto što sam uočila kroz vrijeme, glumci projektuju odnose sa svojim vlastitim roditeljima ili sa autoritetom na reditelje. Ukoliko niste dostojni poštovanja, onda imate teškoće sa glumcima", primjećuje glumica.
Američkoj glumici Meg Ryan, u znak priznanja za njezin izvanredan doprinos filmskoj umjetnosti, uručeno je Počasno Srce Sarajeva.
Počasno Srce Sarajeva
Meg Ryan: Festival je primjer kako umjetnost može biti čin otpora
In recognition of her outstanding contribution to the art of film, American actress Meg Ryan was awarded the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo.
Hollywood star Meg Ryan, renowned for her versatility and natural charm in every role she plays, received the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo at the Coca-Cola Open Air Cinema. The award ceremony took place ahead of a special screening of her 1998 hit romantic comedy You've Got Mail, at the same venue where the film was shown 25 years ago, during the 5th Sarajevo Film Festival. "Thank you so much. I am so happy to be here. Thank you to the Sarajevo Film Festival and to all of you for being here. Thank you for your hearts. I’m glad to be here and to be able to thank you face-to-face for what you’ve been doing for years. This is an example of how this community can be united, not wasting their lives, but watching films, listening to music, dancing, and thus affirming that art and culture are acts of resistance. Thank you so much for resisting," Ryan said. The Honorary Heart of Sarajevo was presented to her by Jovan Marjanović, director of the Sarajevo Film Festival. "Tonight, we gather to celebrate an iconic figure in the world of film—a celebrated actress whose talent, charm, and versatility have captivated audiences for years. Meg Ryan's career is a dazzling testament to the magic of storytelling through film. Her unforgettable roles in romantic classics like When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail, as well as in dramas like Courage Under Fire and When a Man Loves a Woman, have always brought authenticity to the characters she portrayed," Marjanović said. Earlier, Ryan held a masterclass moderated by Oscar®-winning Bosnian director Danis Tanović. The masterclass provided a unique insight into the key aspects of Meg Ryan's career and her new film What Happens Later, which will also be screened at the Festival. The romantic comedy, directed and co-written by Ryan, who stars alongside David Duchovny, is her second directorial effort following the 2015 independent film Ithaca. When asked about her beginnings in film, Ryan revealed that she entered the world of acting while studying journalism, attending auditions to fund her student life. She admitted that it took her a long time to get used to public appearances, which she struggled with as a child. As someone who wasn’t professionally trained in acting, she had to learn everything from scratch. "When I started working in TV series, I didn’t know how to memorize lines, how to hit my marks, and so on. But now, looking back, I realize that those early struggles were very valuable in shaping me as an actress," Ryan reflected. The actress reminisced about her significant collaborations with directors and fellow actors, noting that she learned something new from each partnership. In the early stages of her career, she particularly valued working with directors who gave simple instructions. She fondly recalled her collaboration with Nora Ephron, who not only directed but also wrote the scripts for the films they worked on together. Ryan shared that Ephron created an on-set atmosphere where participants felt like they were at a party, which, in her view, made a significant difference in the working process and the final product. She also expressed her admiration for director Jane Campion, whom she sees as the epitome of a rebellious spirit. Reflecting on her experiences with directors, Ryan concluded that the relationship between directors and actors on set is crucial and often mirrors relationships with parental figures. "It's something I’ve noticed over time—actors often project their relationships with their own parents or with authority figures onto directors. If you’re not worthy of respect, then you’ll have difficulties with actors," the actress observed. Sub-headings
Honorary Heart of Sarajevo
Meg Ryan: The Festival Is an Example of How Art Can Be an Act of Resistance
Regionalna premijera filma „Selo pokraj raja“
Producer Oliver Daniel Neumann represented the film crew at the regional premiere of A Village Next to Paradise on the red carpet in front of the National Theatre and delivered a message to director Mo Harawe. Delightful drama that portrays life in Somalia through the experiences of a newly established family. In A Village Next to Paradise the cast includes Ahmed Ali Farah, Ahmed Mohamud Saleban, and Anab Ahmed Ibrahim.
Producent Oliver Daniel Neumann predstavljao je filmsku ekipu na regionalnoj premijeri „Sela pokraj raja“ na crvenom tepihu ispred Narodnog pozorišta te je poslao i poruku redatelju Mou Haraweu. Dirljiva drama pokazuje život u Somaliji kroz život jedne novouspostavljene porodice. U „Selu pokraj raja“ glume Ahmed Ali Farah, Ahmed Mohamud Saleban i Anab Ahmed Ibrahim.
Takmičarski igrani • Competition Feature
Regional Premiere of The Village Next to Paradise
Crveni tepih / Red Carpet
Ekipa TV serije “Sablja“/ Cast and crew of TV series Operation Sabre
Glumica Jasna Đuričić / Actress Jasna Đuričić
Više fotografija možete pronaći OVDJE. More festival photos you can find HERE.
Ekipa TV serije “Sablja“ / Cast and crew of TV series Operation Sabre
Mohamed Jabaly, reditelj filma „Život je lijep“ / Mohamed Jabaly, director of the film Life Is Beautiful
Ekipa TV serije “Tender“/ Cast and crew of TV series The Tender
Ekipa filma „Svemu dođe kraj“/ Cast and crew of It All Ends Here
Gosti programa Grand Kafa sa... 30. Sarajevo Film Festivala bili su članovi ekipe filma „Gym“ bh. reditelja Srđana Vuletića.
Grand kafa sa...
O filmu su govorili reditelj Srđan Vuletić, glumci Dino Sarija, Edin Avdagić i Dina Mušanović te scenaristica Mirela Trepanić Grbešić. Reditelj Srđan Vuletić, uz kojega su bili glumci Dino Sarija, Edin Avdagić i Dina Mušanović te scenaristica Mirela Trepanić Grbešić, na početku razgovora istaknuo je da je publika dobro reagovala na film i naglasio da je „Gym“ mračniji od njegovih prethodnih filmova, bez obzira na to što ima element humora. ,,Imao sam strah da li je ovo film za veliku publiku, međutim, on je još bolje radio na velikom broju ljudi. Iz prethodnih test projekcija vidjeli smo te scene koje su ljudima jako sviđaju. Također, ljudi su dobro reagovali na još nešto - glumačka podjela i filmska ekipa je jako mlada, a glumačka podjela je kompletno iz Bosne i Hercegovine, studenti Akademije scenskih umjetnosti u Sarajevu, nema nikoga ko ne razumije kontekst te priče“, rekao je Vuletić. Govorio je i o problemima sa finansijskim fondovima sa snimanjem ovog filma: ,,Film 'Gym' može da bude neka super analiza kako neke stvari ne treba da se rade u produkciji. Vjerovao sam da je ovo dobar materijal, godinama sam radio na scenariju za ovaj film. Budžet ovoga filma je na kraju bio oko 400.000 eura, novci kojima se vani prave zabave na festivalima. Ne bismo uspjeli da snimimo ovaj film bez pomoći koproducenata. Ali finansiranje nije uvijek bitno, nama se u jednom momentu desilo da nam nije trebalo više novca nego što imamo“. 'Gym' u tematski fukus stavlja nasilje nad ženama, a scenaristkinja Mirela Trepanić Grbešić je istakla da je ovu priču napisala 2008. godine, kao studentica, te da je priča nastala po instinktu. ,,Dolazim iz Gračanice i tamo sam čula ovakvu jednu priču. Samo sam se zamislila kako neko uzme sebi za pravo da odlučuje o nečijoj sudbini. Poslala sam Srđanu neki sinospis i onda je počeo nastanak ovog filma. Prošle godine smo negde na ovaj dan imali dan žalosti i obustavu svih projekcija. Mislim da je to važna tema i da o njoj trebamo razgovarati. Muškarci moraju biti zaštitnici, a ne oni koji vrše nasilje. Ovu priču sam napisala 2008. godine kao student i nisam se bavila femicidom, nisam imala neka istraživanja, već sam samo pratila svoj instikt, priču, likove. Nisam htjela da budu samo negativci, već da shvatim zašto su takvi. Film će imati život na mnogim festivalima, ali našem društvu je potreban jedan ovakav film i da shvati poruku“, kazala je Trepanić Grbešić. Glumac Edin Avdagić je naglasio da je bilo jednostavno sarađivati sa kompletnom ekipom, jer se svi dugo poznaju, dok je njegov kolega Dino Sarija govorio o kreiranju lika koji tumači: „Meni je najbitnije bilo da moj lik ne bude klasičan negativac, da ne bude kul. Jedan kolega mi je rekao da bi on to mnogo suptilnije uradio, što je meni sinomim za dosadno, lišeno je rizika“, zaključio je Sarija. Glumica Dina Mušanović je naglasila da joj je drago što je publika shvatila ono što je ekipa htjela da poruči i ono što je reditelj Vuletić htio da predstavi. „Drago mi je što je iz filma izašlo da mi mijenjamo perspektive. Drago mi je što Srđan kroz filmove radi na tim red flegovima, dosta toga gledamo, a ništa ne činimo“, rekla je Mušanović. Film „Gym“ je na 30. Sarajevo Film Festivalu imao svjetsku premijeru o okviru programa Open Air.
Našem društvu su potrebni ovakav film i poruka
The guests of Grand Coffee with... at the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival were the cast and crew members of the film Gym, directed by Bosnian-Herzegovinian filmmaker Srđan Vuletić.
At the beginning of the conversation, director Srđan Vuletić, accompanied by actors Dino Sarija, Edin Avdagić, Dina Mušanović, and screenwriter Mirela Trepanić Grbešić, noted that the audience's reaction to the film was very positive. He emphasized that Gym is darker than his previous films, despite its elements of humor. "I was worried whether this film was for a large audience, but it turned out to work even better with a larger crowd. From previous test screenings, we saw the scenes that people really liked. Also, people reacted positively to another aspect—the cast and crew are very young, and the cast is entirely from Bosnia and Herzegovina, consisting of students from the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo. There is no one who does not understand the context of the story," said Vuletić. He also spoke about the financial issues encountered during the filming of this film: "The film Gym can serve as a great analysis of what not to do in production. I believed that this was good material, I worked on the script for years. The budget for this film ended up being around 400,000 euros, which is the amount of money used abroad for festival entertainment. We wouldn't have been able to complete this film without the help of co-producers. But funding is not always crucial; at one point, we actually had more money than we needed." Gym focuses on violence against women. Screenwriter Mirela Trepanić Grbešić noted that she wrote this story in 2008 as a student, and it was created out of instinct: "I come from Gračanica, and there I heard a story like this. I was struck by the idea of someone taking it upon themselves to decide someone else's fate. I sent Srđan a synopsis, and that’s how the film began. Last year, around this time, we had a day of mourning and suspension of all screenings. I think this is an important topic, and we need to talk about it. Men should be protectors, not perpetrators of violence. I wrote this story in 2008 as a student, and I wasn't focused on femicide or conducting research; I just followed my instinct, the story, and the characters. I didn't want them to be just villains, but to understand why they are the way they are. The film will live at many festivals, but our society needs a film like this to understand its message," said Trepanić Grbešić. Actor Edin Avdagić emphasied that it was simple cooperating with the complete cast because everyone has known each other for a long time, while his colleague Dino Sarija spoke about creating the character he portrays: "What was most important to me was that my character not be a typical villain, not be cool. A colleague once told me that he would have done it much more subtly, which to me is synonymous with boring, lacking in risk," concluded Sarija. Actress Dina Mušanović emphasized that she was pleased that the audience understood the message the team wanted to convey and what director Vuletić aimed to present. "I am glad that the film shows that we change perspectives. I am also pleased that Srđan addresses these red flags through his films; we see a lot but do nothing," said Mušanović. The film Gym had its world premiere at the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival as a part of the Open Air programme.
Grand Coffee with
Our Society Needs a Film and Message Like This
Čast nam je biti Glavni sponzor Sarajevo Film Festivala, događaja zbog kojeg svake godine Bosna i Hercegovina postaje kulturni centar Europe. Za UniCredit, kreiranje vrijednosti znači mnogo više od generiranja finansijske vrijednosti. Podržavajući kulturu kao ključni pokretač društvenog i ekonomskog razvoja, kontinuirano osnažujemo razvoj zajednice. Volimo film i radujemo se stvaranju novih uspomena za sve posjetitelje Festivala i naše cijenjene klijente. We are honored to be the Main Sponsor of the Sarajevo Film Festival, an event that makes Bosnia and Herzegovina a cultural hub of Europe every year. For UniCredit, creating value means much more than generating financial worth. By supporting culture as a key driver of social and economic development, we continuously empower community growth. We love film and look forward to creating new memories for all festivalgoers and our esteemed clients.
Mirjana Karanović MAJKA MARA
U svojem drugom rediteljskom filmu „Majka Mara“, Mirjana Karanović donosi priču o neutješnoj ženi koja nakon smrti sina utjehu nalazi u njegovom bliskom prijatelju.
Izvan konkurencije – igrani film
Život neumoljivo ide dalje
„Majka Mara“ donosi priču o ženi koja iznenada ostaje bez svog dvanaestogodišnjeg sina i pokušava se nositi s procesom tugovanja. Kao umjetnica, što vam je najvažnije pri predstavljanju kompleksnih ženskih likova? Najvažnije mi je upravo prikazati tu kompleksnost, da pokušam zaroniti ispod površine, otvoriti neke zaključane slojeve, nešto što ponekad skrivamo čak i od sebe, naše strahove. Želim omogućiti da budemo i površni, ali i puni života, strastveni, da se ne bojimo svih onih sokova od kojih se život sastoji. Kao rediteljica ste na početku svoje karijere, ali iza sebe imate bogatu glumačku karijeru. Od kojih ste rediteljica i reditelja najviše naučili? Pretpostavljam da sam od svih s kojima sam radila ponešto naučila. No, trenutak kada sam počela, iako izdaleka, razmišljati o tome da bih možda mogla biti na mjestu rediteljice bio je kada sam radila s dvije izuzetne rediteljice. To su Andrea Štaka, s kojom sam radila film „Gospođica“, i Jasmila Žbanić, s kojom sam snimila „Grbavicu“. Gledajući njih dvije, prvi put sam pomislila da uloga i pozicija rediteljice nije nešto što počiva na nekakvoj muškoj snazi. Do tada sam surađivala s 99 posto muških redatelja, koji su kod mene, budući da sam ipak patrijarhalno odgojena, imali automatski određeni autoritet. Fasciniralo me kako su te dvije žene, na potpuno drugačiji način od muškaraca, bile vođe i oslonci filmske ekipe. I kako su obje, unatoč svim otežavajućim okolnostima, uporno i bez kompromisa slijedile ono što su smatrale da je potrebno filmu. Nakon suradnje s njima, taj neki crv počeo je raditi u mojoj glavi, i razmišljala sam kako bih se i ja mogla okušati u režiji. Osjećate li se sigurnije u svom umjetničkom procesu kada ste u ulozi rediteljice, scenaristice i glumice u isto vrijeme? Snimanje mog prvog filma „Dobra žena“ za mene je bilo vrlo lagano, nisam imala nikakvih dilema niti drama tokom snimanja, zaista sam uživala u svakom danu. Međutim, „Majka Mara“ je bila nešto potpuno drugačije. To je komplikovana priča o unutrašnjem svijetu jedne žene. Kako sam je igrala, tako me i obuzelo, često nisam uspijevala lako spojiti te dvije uloge – rediteljice i glavne glumice. Suočila sam se s nekim svojim ličnim i profesionalnim nesigurnostima, s kojima sam se morala boriti. „Majka Mara“ bila je za mene pravo iskušenje. Zato s mnogo više neizvjesnosti očekujem reakcije na taj film, jer mi se čini da sve u njemu i dalje živi i pulsira. Scenarij je nastao na temelju motiva drame „Mi smo oni na koje su nas roditelji upozoravali“ Tanje Šljivar. Što vas je u toj drami najviše inspirisalo? Taj komad Tanje Šljivar radila sam u Bosanskom narodnom pozorištu u Zenici. Zaintrigirao me taj odnos između erosa, kao životne energije, i bliskosti smrti. Kada dođete u određene godine, jednostavno shvatite koliko vam je još ostalo da živite i koliko vam je ostalo mnogo manje od onoga što ste do tada živjeli. Zamislila sam situaciju u kojoj žena mojih godina izgubi ono što je njezino veliko dostignuće – sina – i nema mogućnost da počne ispočetka, da stvori novu porodicu. Ta nemogućnost da preboli, da ostavi prošlost iza sebe i nastavi živjeti, veoma je teška kada imate pedeset i nešto godina. Zanimao me taj sukob između predaje i borbe za život. Kako ste odabrali Vučića Perovića za ulogu Milana? Odmah sam znala da želim Vučića za partnera. Prije desetak godina radili smo zajedno na jednom studentskom filmu, tada sam ga upoznala i vidjela koliko je profesionalan, temeljit, talentovan i spreman za suradnju, razgovor i istraživanje. To mi se jako dopalo i smatrala sam da mi treba partner koji će s otvorenim umom pristupiti ovoj priči i neće u ulogu unositi svoj privatni život. Jeste li s ovim filmom htjeli usmjeriti pažnju na to koliko je proces tugovanja individualan i da ne postoji pravilan način na koji bi se majka, ili bilo tko, trebao nositi s ovako teškim situacijama? Naravno da postoje neka društvena pravila i da smo mi svjesni toga. Međutim, ponekad je tuga toliko jaka i velika da jednostavno iskače iz tog društveno prihvaćenog načina tugovanja i odlazi u potpuno neočekivane sfere. Mislim da način na koji se Mara nosi sa smrću svog sina direktno odražava mjeru njenog očaja, izgubljenosti i nemogućnosti da se nosi s tim na društveno prihvatljiv način. Upravo me ta složenost privukla ovoj priči. U filmu je prisutan motiv vode, čiji se značaj otkriva na samom kraju filma. Zašto ste odabrali baš vodu? Još dok sam bila mlada, privukla me rečenica „Panta rei“ – sve teče, sve prolazi – koju sam dugo smatrala svojim motom u životu. Uvijek me fascinirao taj protok života, ideja da se ništa ne može vratiti unazad. Ljudi žive u procjepu između prihvatanja i neprihvatanja činjenice da sve prolazi. Voda je nešto što je mnoge ljude, pa i mene, privlačilo svojom snagom, svojom silom. Ta snaga i sila koja te ispunjava i fascinira. Tako da voda u filmu ima mnogo značenja – ona je i izvor tragedije, ali i mjesto koje nosi, voda odnosi ono što je loše u svom protoku. Iako je naslov filma „Majka Mara“, lik Mare nipošto nije ograničen samo na njenu funkciju majke, već Mara prolazi kroz proces istraživanja vlastitog identiteta kao žene. Koliko vam je važan bio taj međuodnos njenog identiteta kao majke i žene? Često razmišljam o tome šta bi se dogodilo sa mnom kada bih izgubila mogućnost da se bavim glumom ili onim što me zapravo čini time što jesam. Pitam se šta bi ostalo, šta bih bila kada ne bih bila glumica. Nisam sigurna da znam odgovor na to pitanje. Ono što sigurno znam je da život neumoljivo ide dalje i da je na nama da odlučimo želimo li biti dio tog svjetla života ili želimo nestati, doslovno ili metaforički. Ja uvijek biram život, i doslovno i metaforički. Josip Jurčić Sub-headings Sub-headings
Mother Mara presents the story of a woman who suddenly loses her twelve-year-old son and tries to navigate through the grieving process. As an artist, what is most important to you when portraying complex female characters? The most important thing for me is to depict that complexity, to try to delve beneath the surface, to unlock certain hidden layers, things we sometimes hide even from ourselves—our fears. I want to allow for the possibility of being both superficial and full of life, passionate, not afraid of all the emotions that life is made of. You are at the beginning of your career as a director, but you have a rich acting career behind you. From which directors have you learned the most? I suppose I’ve learned something from all the directors I’ve worked with. However, the moment I began, albeit from afar, to consider the possibility that I could be a director came when I worked with two remarkable female directors: Andrea Štaka, with whom I made the film Fraulein, and Jasmila Žbanić, with whom I worked on Grbavica. Watching these two women, I first realized that the role and position of a director are not something that relies on masculine strength. Up until that point, 99 percent of the directors I had worked with were men, and as someone who was raised in a patriarchal environment, they automatically had a certain authority over me. What fascinated me was how these two women led and supported the film crew in a completely different way from men. Despite all the challenges, both of them relentlessly and uncompromisingly pursued what they believed was necessary for the film. After working with them, a seed was planted in my mind, and I began to think that I, too, could try my hand at directing. Do you feel more confident in your artistic process when you are both the director, screenwriter, and actor at the same time? Filming my first movie, A Good Wife, was quite easy for me; I had no doubts or dramas during the shoot, and I truly enjoyed every day. However, Mother Mara was something completely different. It’s a complex story about the inner world of a woman. As I played the role, it consumed me so much that I often struggled to balance my dual roles as director and lead actress. I faced personal and professional insecurities that I had to contend with. Mother Mara was a true challenge for me. That’s why I’m waiting for the reactions to this film with much more uncertainty, because it feels like everything in it is still alive and pulsating. The script was inspired by motifs from Tanja Šljivar’s play We Are the Ones Our Parents Warned Us About. What in this play inspired you the most? I directed Tanja Šljivar’s play at the Bosnian National Theatre in Zenica. I was intrigued by the relationship between eros as a life force and the proximity of death. When you reach a certain age, you simply realize how much time you have left to live and how much less you have ahead of you than what you’ve already lived. I imagined a situation where a woman my age loses what she considers her greatest achievement—her son—and has no chance to start over, to create a new family. That inability to move on, to leave the past behind and continue living, is extremely difficult when you’re in your fifties. I was interested in the struggle between giving up and fighting for life. How did you choose Vučić Perović for the role of Milan? I immediately knew I wanted Vučić as my co-star. About ten years ago, we worked together on a student film, and that’s when I saw how professional, thorough, talented, and open to collaboration, conversation, and exploration he was. I really liked that, and I felt I needed a partner who would approach this story with an open mind and wouldn’t bring any of his personal life into the role. With this film, did you want to draw attention to how individual the grieving process is and that there’s no right way for a mother, or anyone, to cope with such difficult situations? Of course, there are societal norms that we are aware of. However, sometimes grief is so strong and overwhelming that it breaks free from the socially accepted way of mourning and ventures into completely unexpected realms. I think the way Mara deals with the death of her son directly reflects the extent of her despair, her sense of loss, and her inability to handle it in a socially acceptable way. It was precisely this complexity that drew me to this story. The motif of water is present in the film, with its significance revealed at the very end. Why did you choose water? Even when I was young, I was drawn to the phrase “Panta rei” – everything flows, everything passes – which I considered a life motto for a long time. I’ve always been fascinated by the flow of life, the idea that nothing can ever be reversed. People live in that gap between accepting and not accepting the fact that everything passes. Water is something that has always attracted many people, including me, with its strength and power. It’s a force that fills and fascinates you. So, water in the film holds many meanings—it is both a source of tragedy and a place of cleansing, carrying away what is bad in its flow. Although the film is titled Mother Mara, the character of Mara is not confined to her role as a mother. Instead, she goes through a process of exploring her own identity as a woman. How important was it to you to highlight the relationship between her identity as a mother and as a woman? I often think about what would happen to me if I lost the ability to act or to do what defines me as a person. I wonder what would be left, what would I be if I were no longer an actress. I’m not sure I know the answer to that question. What I do know for certain is that life relentlessly moves forward, and it’s up to us to decide whether we want to be part of that light of life or simply disappear, literally or metaphorically. I always choose life, both literally and metaphorically. Josip Jurčić Sub-headings Sub-headings
Mirjana Karanović MOTHER MARA
In her second directorial film, Mother Mara, Mirjana Karanović tells the story of a grief-stricken woman who, after the death of her son, finds solace in his close friend.
Out of Competition – Feature Film
Life Relentlessly Moves Forward
U filmu Redakcija, redatelj Roman Bondarchuk donosi satiru naših post-istinitih vremena smještenu u Ukrajinu.
Takmičarski igrani
Najbolji ljudi ukrajinske filmske industrije sada su u ratu
Roman Bondarchuk REDAKCIJA
Što vas je motiviralo da u filmu istražujete novinarstvo, medije i potragu za istinom? Rođen sam u obitelji novinara - moja majka je radila za novine, a otac za televiziju, u gradu Hersonu na jugu Ukrajine. Devedesete su bile jako teško razdoblje za našu obitelj, i jedini prihod i način preživljavanja bili su hrana i roba s kolektivnih farmi. U sovjetsko vrijeme bila je tradicija organizirati prijeme za novinare, jer kad bi novinari stigli, kolektivne farme morale su biti spremne za njih i obično su imali ogroman stol prekriven najboljom hranom i najboljim vinom. A kad bi izvještavanje završilo, novinari su morali sjesti za stol i pričati svoje priče. Piti i ponekad plesati na stolu. I ta se tradicija nastavila dugo nakon raspada Sovjetskog Saveza. Već su bile napola privatne, napola državne farme, ali su i dalje bile vrlo otvorene prema novinarima, jer su ljudi ostali isti. Moj otac i njegovi kolege odlazili su na službena putovanja na kolektivne farme u kombiju. Mogli su provesti četiri ili pet dana zaredom samo odlazeći s jedne kolektivne farme na drugu i dobivajući darove od tih farmera. Na kraju tjedna, moj otac bi mogao donijeti nešto mesa, povrća. Ponekad bi donio i kokoši. Žive kokoši, koje su boravile u našem stanu, u kupaonici. Kad sam malo odrastao, možda sam imao 14 godina, bio sam fasciniran fotografijom i videom, i moja je majka uspjela kupiti malu kameru, pa sam već bio vješt i mogao stvarati slike. Novinari su počeli koristiti vlastiti prijevoz da bi išli s jedne kolektivne farme na drugu samo da bi dobili meso i povrće. Uključili su me kao snimatelja jer sam bio dio obitelji. Pozvavši mene, imali su manje ljudi s kojima su dijelili hranu. Tako se sjećam putovanja s tim ljudima. Zato me zanimalo istraživanje rada provincijskih medija, kada i zašto se objektivna stvarnost razlikuje od načina na koji se izvještava u novinama. Kako bih napisao scenarij, intervjuirali smo desetke lokalnih novinara o njihovim profesionalnim metodama, usponima i padovima u karijeri. Tako je ovaj film zbroj naših dojmova i prilično velikog istraživanja. Osim satire, u filmu postoje i elementi drugih žanrova. Kako ste pristupili miješanju žanrova poput akcije i folklornog horora sa satirom? U potpunosti se oslanjam na vlastiti instinkt. Volim kada me film iznenadi. Montažeri su, primjerice, pokušali ukloniti akcijske elemente: odmah je postalo dosadno. Općenito, to ne dolazi s ciljem "napravimo film koji će mijenjati žanrove i iznenaditi sve". Sve dolazi iz scenarija, priča se razvija, stupanj se podiže, a ton naracije mijenja se zajedno sa stupnjem. Zašto vam je bilo važno istaknuti ulogu društvenih medija i fenomen “viraliteta” u današnjem novinarstvu unutar filma? Jer su društveni mediji teritorij koji istražuju svi mediji, stari i novi, bez iznimke. Sreo sam mnogo mladih ljudi koji su ušli u novinarstvo preko društvenih medija, baš kao i naš lik. Publika je migrirala na društvene medije. Istodobno, bilo koja dezinformacija može biti objavljena na društvenim medijima bez ikakvih posljedica. Tamo možete stvoriti iluziju popularnog mišljenja poticanjem reakcija i komentara. S obzirom na tekući rat, koliko je bio izazovan proces razvoja i snimanja filma? Glavni dio smo snimili prije punog razmjera invazije u jesen 2021. godine u Hersonskoj regiji. Uspjeli smo snimiti sve osim epiloga, koji je odgođen do proljeća. Invazija punog razmjera zatekla nas je u montaži. Morali smo prekinuti proces montaže kako bismo izvukli svoje obitelji iz opasnosti od granatiranja i spasili materijale filma, šaljući ih koproducentima izvan Ukrajine. Montažer filma, Viktor Onysko, otišao je na frontu braniti zemlju. Uspjeli smo nastaviti proces montaže oko jeseni 2022. Montirali smo na daljinu s Nikonom Romanchenkom, živeći u različitim zemljama. Kasnije se procesu pridružila montažerka Heike Parplies, koju sam poznavao s rada na mom prethodnom filmu „Vulkan“. Na kraju, Nikon, Heike, Vadym Ilkov, snimatelj, producenti i scenaristi uspjeli su se okupiti u Rumunjskoj, u kući naših filmskih prijatelja Ileane Stanculescu, i finalizirati montažu i prepisati epilog. U proljeće 2023., zahvaljujući našim slovačkim kolegama, uspjeli smo snimiti epilog filma u Slovačkoj: tražili smo prostrani stepeni krajolik u zemlji koja je gusto okružena planinama. Prikazali smo ih u filmu kao Krimske planine, koje su se približile nakon oslobađanja Krima od okupatora. Pozvali smo Ukrajince koji su otišli u Slovačku nakon početka velikog rata da sudjeluju u filmu. I to je bio vrlo dirljiv susret - svi su ispričali svoju priču o početku rata i kako su morali započeti život iznova u novoj zemlji... Zahvaljujući našim kolegama iz Češke, uspjeli smo završiti postprodukciju filma - stvoriti složene scene sa životinjama, uključujući svisca, kojeg smo planirali snimiti uživo na istoku Ukrajine, ali je postao nedostupan kada je bio na okupiranim teritorijima. Film ste posvetili Viktoru Onysku, montažeru koji je poginuo u ratu. Kako je taj gubitak utjecao na vas i cijelu ekipu? Viktor je dobrovoljno otišao braniti zemlju. Rekao je da to duguje onima koji su je branili od 2014. godine, koji su mu dali priliku da osnuje obitelj i odgaja svoje dijete. Sudjelovao je u oslobađanju Hersonske regije od ruskih okupatora, dopisivali smo se putem poruka i neprestano sam ga pokušavao nagovoriti da organiziramo pauzu kako bismo završili film zajedno. Odgovorio je da film može čekati, ali rat ne može. Da se možemo osloniti na učinkovito zapadno oružje, ali da moraju postojati ljudi koji će ga držati u rukama. I da smo mi ti ljudi. Ubrzo nakon Viktorove smrti, glumac Vasyl Kukharskyi, koji je igrao ulogu Pčelara u filmu i bio jedan od najnadarenijih glumaca svoje generacije, teško je ozlijeđen. Umro je u bolnici nedugo nakon što je ranjen. Većina muškaraca iz filmske ekipe služi u vojsci - pirotehničari, tonci, svjetlosni i mehanički inženjeri. Najbolji ljudi ukrajinske filmske industrije sada su u ratu. Neizdrživo je bolno to shvatiti, ali cijelo naše društvo pati od te boli i bijesa. Rat je dodirnuo apsolutno sve u Ukrajini, nastavlja uništavati zgrade, ljude, planove, karijere. Kreće se prema Zapadu, i vojno i hibridno, sijući dezinformacije. Oni uUažu ogromne svote novca u svoju kulturnu meku moć, u vojske botova koji lansiraju tisuće teorija zavjere kako bi skrenuli pažnju svijeta s njihovih ratnih zločina. Oni granatiraju dječju bolnicu na obiteljski dan. Oni organiziraju prijem u čast svog predsjedanja Vijećem sigurnosti UN-a, gdje poslužuju kijevski kotlet. Sama mogućnost ruskog predsjedanja Vijećem sigurnosti pokazuje koliko je zapadna civilizacija ranjiva na rusku podmuklost. Sve je više posveta u novim ukrajinskim filmovima onima koji su poginuli u ovoj civilizacijskoj borbi. To su filmovi kroz koje su naši poginuli heroji ostvarili svoj profesionalni potencijal, u kojima su glumili i kroz koje nam i dalje govore. Josip Jurčić Sub-headings Sub-headings
Competition Feature
In The Editorial Office, director Roman Bondarchuk delivers a satire of our post-truth times set in Ukraine.
The Best People of the Ukrainian Film Industry Are Now at War
Roman Bondarchuk THE EDITORIAL OFFICE
What motivated your decision to explore journalism, media, and the quest for truth in your film? I was born into a family of journalists - my mother worked for a newspaper and my father worked for television, in the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine. In the 90s, it was a really difficult time for our family and the only income and the only way to survive was food and some goods from the collective farms. It was a tradition in Soviet times to organize receptions for journalists, because when the journalists arrived, the collective farms had to be ready for them and usually they had a huge table covered with the best food and the best wine. And when the reporting was done, the journalists had to sit at the table to tell their stories. To drink and sometimes to dance on the table. And this tradition continued long after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was already half private, half state farms, but they were still very open to journalists, because the people remain the same. My father and his colleagues would go on business trips to the collective farms in a minibus. They could spend four or five days in a row just going from one collective farm to another and getting gifts from these farmers. At the end of the week. My father could bring some meat, vegetables. Sometimes he might bring some chickens. Live chickens, they stayed in our flat in the bathroom. When I was a bit older, maybe 14, I was fascinated by photography and videography and my mother managed to buy me a small camera, so I was already skilled and could produce some images. The journalists started to use their own transport to go from one collective farm to another just to get meat and vegetables. And they included me as a cameraman because I was part of a family. By inviting me, they had fewer people to share their food with. So, I remember travelling with these people. And that is why I was interested in exploring the work of provincial media, when and why the objective reality diverges from the way it is reported in the newspapers. In order to write the script, we interviewed dozens of local journalists about their professional methods, career ups and downs. So, this film is the sum of our impressions and quite a lot of research. Aside from satire, there are certain elements of other genres as well in the film. How did you approach blending genres such as action and folk horror with satire? I rely entirely on my own instincts. I like it when a film surprises me. The editors tried to remove, for example, the action elements: it immediately became bland. In general, it doesn't come from the side of "let's make a film that will change genres and surprise everyone". Everything comes from the script, the story develops, the degree rises, and the tone of the narrative changes along with the degree. Why did you find it important to highlight the role of social media and something “going viral” in today’s journalism within the film? Because social media is a territory that is being explored by all media, old and new, without exception. I have met many young people who got into the newspaper business through social media, just like our character. The audience has migrated to social media. At the same time, any disinformation can be published on social media without any consequences for the newspaper. There, you can create the illusion of a popular opinion by fuelling reactions and comments. Given the ongoing war, how challenging was the process of developing and shooting the film? We filmed the main block before the full-scale invasion in the autumn of 2021 in the Kherson region. We managed to shoot everything except the epilogue, which was postponed until spring. The full-scale invasion caught us in the editing room. We had to interrupt the editing process to get our families out of the danger of shelling and to save the film's materials, sending them to co-producers outside Ukraine. The film's editor, Viktor Onysko, went to the frontline to defend the country. We managed to resume the editing process around autumn 2022. We edited remotely with Nikon Romanchenko, living in different countries. Later, the editor Heike Parplies joined the process, whom I knew from our work on my previous film Volcano. Eventually, Nikon, Heike, Vadym Ilkov the cinematographer, the producers and the scriptwriters managed to get together in Romania, at the house of our filmmaker friends Ileana Stanculescu, and finalise the edit and rewrote the epilogue. In the spring of 2023, thanks to our Slovak colleagues, we were able to shoot the film's epilogue in Slovakia: we were looking for a spacious steppe landscape in a country that is densely surrounded by mountains. We took them in the film as the Crimean mountains, which became closer after the liberation of Crimea from the occupiers. We invited Ukrainians who had left for Slovakia after the start of the great war to take part in the film. And it was a very touching meeting - everyone told their story of the beginning of the war and how they had to start life over in a new country... Thanks to our colleagues from the Czech Republic, we were able to finish the post-production of the film - to create complex shots with animals, including a groundhog, which was planned to be filmed live in the East of Ukraine, and which became unavailable when it was in the occupied territories. You dedicated the film to Viktor Onysko, the editor who died in the war. How did this loss impact you and the whole crew? Viktor voluntarily went to defend the country. He said that he owed it to those who had been defending it since 2014, who had given him the opportunity to start a family and raise his child. He took part in the liberation of Kherson region from the Russian occupiers, we corresponded in messengers and I kept trying to persuade him to organise a break to finish the film together. He replied that cinema can wait, but war cannot. That we can rely on effective Western weapons, but there must be people to hold them in their hands. And that we are those people. Shortly after Viktor's death, the actor Vasyl Kukharskyi, who played the role of the Beekeeper in the film and was one of the most gifted actors of his generation, was seriously injured. He died in hospital shortly after being wounded. Most of the men on the film crew are serving in the army - pyrotechnics, sound engineers, lighting and mechanical engineers. The best people of the Ukrainian film industry are now at war. It's unbearably painful to realise, but our whole society is suffering from this pain and rage. The war has touched absolutely everyone in Ukraine, it continues to destroy buildings, people, plans, careers. It is moving towards the West, both militarily and hybridly, sowing disinformation. They invest huge sums of money in their cultural soft power, in armies of bots that launch thousands of conspiracy theories to divert the world's attention from their war crimes. They shell a children's hospital on a family day. They organise a reception in honour of their presidency of the UN Security Council where they serve a Kyiv-chicken cutlet. The mere possibility of Russia's presidency of the security council shows how vulnerable western civilisation is to Russia's perfidy. There are more and more dedications in new Ukrainian films to those who died in this civilisational struggle. These are the films through which our fallen heroes realised their professional potential, in which they acted, and through which they continue to speak to us. Josip Jurčić Sub-headings Sub-headings
Takmičarski dokumentarni
Silvestar Kolbas NAŠA DJECA
Emocionalno angažirani analitički pripovjedač
Dokumentarni film „Naša djeca“ Silvestra Kolbasa ne daje odgovor na pitanje koliko su on i supruga uspjeli kao roditelji.
Prije bismo mogli reći da postavlja mnoštvo pitanja nego da daje ijedan odgovor. Krajnje osobna priča, otvorena i iskrena, produkt je roditeljske brige, straha da se ne pogriješi u odgajanju i pokazivanju ljubavi koju autor osjeća prema svoje troje djece. A djeca se vole bilo da ih dobijete spontano, umjetnom oplodnjom ili usvojite. Nije lako donijeti odluku o ogoljavanju osobnog života pred kamerom i gledateljstvom, posebno kada odlučite prikazati i ugodne trenutke kao i one kojih se, možda, sramite. Vi ste takvu odluku donijeli čak tri puta jer „Naša djeca“ dolaze kao završni dio trilogije započete filmom „Sve o Evi“ i nastavljene „Ratnim reporterom“. Lakše Vam je izraziti se filmskim nego govornim jezikom, ili razlog leži negdje drugdje? Sva ova tri osobna filma sam radio kad mi je bilo teško, kad su me preplavljivali osjećaji koje nisam znao kako kanalizirati. Smatram se stidljivim i zatvorenim čovjekom, i rad na filmu, odnosno filmovima je pomagao postupnom otvaranju, sloj po sloj. Pretpostavljam da su poteškoće na koje ste nailazili u radu sa obitelji bile drukčije od onih koje ste sami sebi pravili. Koliko je komplicirano biti jedan od likova u svom filmu, i možete li opisati šta je bilo najteže u radu sa suprugom i djecom na jednoj i snimanju samog sebe na drugoj strani? Rad s obitelji je složen. Dok kao autor lako sami dozirate vlastito otvaranje, pitanje je kako postaviti granice, ponekad i neželjenom otvaranju članova obitelji. Stvari treba ogoliti da postanu jasne, i svi teško pristajemo na to, lakše je živjeti okrenute glave, da ne gledaš stalno ono što te boli… Teško je bilo pronaći način da se pokažu stvari, a da protagoniste, svoje bližnje, ne povrijediš i ne posramiš. Kod snimanja samoga sebe, i zapravo u ovoj priči u cjelini, teško je bilo istodobno biti unutra i vani, sudionik i promatrač, u istom trenutku i emocionalno angažiran protagonist i analitički pripovjedač, to je izuzetno delikatna pozicija, koja zahtijeva puno vaganja i nijansiranja. U jednom trenutku vaša kćer kaže majci da se osjeća kao da nema mamu nego drugaricu. Je li bilo situacija u kojima su se granice u odnosu roditelj-dijete pomicale, blijedile, gubile...? Pa bilo je u nekoj mjeri, i u doslovnom smislu, i u onom prenesenom. Ovaj primjer koji navodite je zgodan, a poznata je i mudra izreka “dijete je otac čovjeka”, koja filozofski promišlja o uzročno-posljedičnim vezama i pozicijama roditelja i djece. Na kraju, mislim, ipak svakom ostaju svoje odgovornosti, djeca u tom odnosu ostaju djeca, a roditelji zauvijek zadržavaju roditeljsku poziciju. Neki obiteljski problemi donijeli su težak teret i vama i vašoj supruzi. Čini da ste od ovog filma tražili pomoć. Možda bi olakšanje donijela razmjena iskustava sa skupinom roditelja koji su prošli nešto slično, ili sa psihologom. Jeste li pomišljali o traženju stručne pomoći kada ste se suočili sa krađama, vršnjačkim nasiljem, gubitkom godine u školi i je li završetak filma svima vama pružio katarzu? Ja od ovog filma doista i jesam tražio pomoć, i meni je ovaj rad bio i terapeutski. Ali zašto mislite da nismo i na drugim stranama tražili pomoć? Samo zato što te epizode nisu u filmu prikazane? Ali to nije baš pomagalo. Niti društvo ima funkcionalne mehanizme, niti su svi voljno surađivali, pa nije išlo. Završetak filma… Unatoč tome što općenito previše ne vjerujem u aktivističke potencijale filma kao medija, potajno sam se nadao da bi ovaj film možda mogao pomaknuti obiteljske odnose u nekom dobrom smjeru. Mislim da se to u nekoj mjeri i dogodilo, da je pomogao, tako da kažem, pozitivno preusmjeriti obiteljsku dinamiku. Tako da, ne samo da je meni bio svojevrsna terapija, pomažući mi da si bolje posložim stvari u glavi, nego i da odigra, kako ste to lijepo rekli, i neku katarzičnu ulogu po sve nas. Pred kraj filma vaša supruga rezignirano konstantira da nikad nećete biti normalna obitelj. Možemo li malo o tome što je danas normalna obitelj i koliko se „normalno“ danas razlikuje od onoga što je bilo „normalno“ dok smo mi bili djeca? Tu bismo mogli puno općenito raspravljati o rasapu tradicionalnih modela i atomizaciji obitelji, i navoditi brojne primjere. Možda bismo mogli reći nešto o tome što bi nama predstavljalo “normalnu” obitelj. Funkcionalnu, s pozitivnom razmjenom emocija, s međusobnim razumijevanjem i potporom. Osjećaj da se u toj obitelji svi osjećaju dobro, da svi nalaze ljubav u tom odnosu, i osjećaj da smo djeci usadili vrijednosti koje sami zagovaramo. Tako nekako, i mislim da se u tome slažemo i supruga i ja. Naravno, to nije lako, kako trajno nadići prirođene nam taštine, sebičnosti i rivalstva. Vaš je film u Puli osvojio dvije Zlatne arene. Obje su zanatske nagrade i odaju priznanje za uspješnost bavljenja filmskim poslom, vama za režiju, a Denisu Golenji za montažu. Da li vam Zlatna arena dolazi kao zagrljaj potpore i kao melem za sve nelagode i poteškoće koje je ogoljavanje osobnog života izazvalo? Nagrada za režiju je tek uvjetno zanatska nagrada, jer je jako teško definirati što sve pojam režije podrazumijeva. Izreka da dokumentarni film nastaje u montaži se na ovom primjeru doista potvrđuje. Postojeći materijal je omogućavao da se ispričaju različite priče, te je izbor i organizacija materijala bila od ključne važnosti i tu je montažer dao herojski doprinos kroz nekih šest godina rada, i njegova je nagrada apsolutno zaslužena. Nagrade pomažu, kao što pomaže i činjenica da se mnogi gledatelj u ovom filmu prepoznaje. Meni je čak važnije što mi se čini da to pozitivno vrednovanje pomaže i obitelji, kad vide da njihova žrtva postaje dijelom nečeg vrijednog, i možda većeg od nas samih. Marinela Domančić Sub-headings
Silvestar Kolbas OUR CHILDREN
It is more accurate to say that it raises numerous questions rather than offering any definitive answers. This deeply personal, open, and honest story is a product of parental concern, the fear of making mistakes in raising children, and the love the author feels for his three children. And children are loved regardless of whether they are conceived naturally, through artificial insemination, or adopted. It's not easy to make the decision to bare your personal life in front of the camera and the audience, especially when you decide to show the pleasant moments as well as the ones you might be ashamed of. You have made such a decision three times because Our Children comes as the final part of the trilogy that began with the film All About Eva and continued with War Reporter. Is it easier for you to express yourself in film than in spoken language, or does the reason lie elsewhere? I made all three of these personal films during difficult times when I was overwhelmed by emotions I didn't know how to channel. I consider myself a shy and introverted person, and working on these films helped me gradually open up, layer by layer. I assume that the difficulties you encountered in working with your family were different from those you created for yourself. How complicated is it to be one of the characters in your film, and can you describe what was the most difficult about working with your wife and children on the one hand and filming yourself on the other? Working with family is complex. While as an author you can easily dose your own openness, the question is how to set limits, sometimes also to the unwanted openness of family members. Things need to be laid bare to become clear, and we reluctantly agree to that; it's easier to live with your head turned, so that you don't constantly look at what hurts you... It was difficult to find a way to show things without hurting and embarrassing the protagonists, your loved ones. When filming myself, and actually in this story as a whole, it was difficult to be inside and outside at the same time, a participant and an observer, at the same time an emotionally engaged protagonist and an analytical narrator, it is an extremely delicate position which requires a lot of weighing and nuance. At one point, your daughter tells her mother that she feels like she doesn't have a mom but a friend. Have you experienced situations in which the boundaries in the parent-child relationship shifted, faded or were lost? Well, to some extent yes, both literally and figuratively. This example you give is nice, and the wise saying "the child is the father of the man" which reflects philosophically on the cause-and-effect relationships and the positions of parents and children is well known. In the end, I think, everyone still has their own responsibilities, the children in that relationship remain children, and the parents forever retain the parental position. Some family problems have placed a heavy burden on both you and your wife. It seems that you were seeking help through this film. Perhaps sharing experiences with a group of parents who have gone through something similar, or consulting with a psychologist, could have brought some relief. Did you consider seeking professional help when faced with issues like theft, bullying, or repeating a school year? And did the completion of the film provide a sense of catharsis for all of you? I really sought help from this film, and this work was also therapeutic for me. But why do you think we didn't ask for help from other parties? Just because those episodes were not shown in the film? But that didn't really help. Neither society has functional mechanisms, nor did everyone cooperate willingly, so it didn't work. The ending of the film… Despite not generally having much faith in the activist potential of film as a medium, I was secretly hoping that this film might be able to move family relationships in some good direction. I think that this happened to some extent, that it helped, so to speak, to positively redirect the family dynamic. So, not only was it a kind of therapy for me, helping me to organize things better in my head, but it also played, as you put it nicely, a cathartic role for all of us. Towards the end of the film, your wife resignedly asserts that you will never be a normal family. Can we at the end talk a little about what a normal family is today and how "normal" today differs from what was "normal" when we were children? We could generally discuss the breakdown of traditional models and the atomization of the family and list numerous examples. Perhaps we could say something about what would represent a "normal" family to us. The one that functions well, that has positive exchange of emotions, with mutual understanding and support. The feeling that everyone in that family feels good, that everyone finds love in that relationship, and the feeling that we have instilled in the children the values that we ourselves advocate, something like that. And I think my wife and I agree on that. Of course, it is not easy to permanently overcome our inherent vanity, selfishness and rivalry. Your film won two Golden Arenas in Pula. Both are technical awards, recognizing excellence in filmmaking—one for your direction and the other for editing by Denis Golenja. Does the Golden Arena feel like a supportive embrace and a balm for all the discomfort and challenges that exposing your personal life has brought? The award for directing is only conditionally a craft award, because it is very difficult to define what the term directing entails. The saying that a documentary film is created in editing is indeed confirmed in this example. The existing material made it possible to tell different stories and the choice and organization of the material was of key importance, and here the editor made a heroic contribution over some six years of work, and his award was absolutely deserved. The awards help; as does the fact that many viewers recognize this film. It is even more important to me that it seems to me that this positive evaluation helps the family as well, when they see that their sacrifice becomes part of something valuable, and perhaps bigger than ourselves. Marinela Domančić Sub-headings Sub-headings
Emotionally Engaged Analytical Narrator
Competition Documentary
The documentary film Our Children by Silvester Kolbas does not provide an answer to the question of how successful he and his wife have been as parents.
Van konkurencije – dokumentarni
Valmir Tertini BEKIM FEHMIU
U svom filmu „Bekim Fehmiu“, o čuvenom glumcu rođenom u Sarajevu, redatelj Valmir Tertini izražava divljenje i poštovanje prema Bekimovom karakteru i djelu.
Mnogo više od glumca
Karizmatičan, skroman, karakteran, pretalentiran i prezgodan, Bekim Fehmiu ispisao je zlatne stranice svjetske glumačke enciklopedije. Nezaboravna uloga u crnotalasnim Skupljačima perja Saše Petrovića (Gran pri žirija Filmskog festivala u Kanu i nagrada Međunarodnog udruženja filmskih kritičara) otvorila mu je vrata svjetskih filmskih studija. Glumio je na romskom, albanskom, srpskohrvatskom, talijanskom, njemačkom, engleskom... Volio je film, ali mu je kazalište bilo draže. Nepravdu nije mogao podnijeti, kao ni život u licemjerju. Svojevoljno je otišao sa ovog svijeta. Ovaj je film izraz divljenja i poštovanja prema njegovom liku i djelu. Belom Bori, s ljubavlju. Znajući kakav je perfekcionist Bekim Fehmiu bio, je li vas bilo strah uhvatiti se rada na dokumentarcu koji slavi njegov život i rad? Znao sam da je Bekim Fehmiu bio izvrstan glumac i imao sam vlastitu percepciju o njemu, ali nisam znao mnogo detalja o njegovom životu osim njegovih filmova. Nisam proučavao njegov karakter. Ideja da mogu snimiti dokumentarac o osobi koja više nije živa privukla me je jer je istraživanje tog lika bilo izazovno. Ali ja volim izazove i još me više privlačilo saznanje da to neće biti baš jednostavno. Kad sam počeo raditi na ovom dokumentarcu, radije nisam istraživao unaprijed jer krajnji proizvod ne bi bio dokumentarac u kojem informacije o liku teku prirodno i svaki bi ih gledatelj mogao percipirati na svoj način, nego bi to bilo moje osobno subjektivno istraživanje. Uopće me nije bilo strah. Naprotiv, privukla me ideja da radim dokumentarac o liku za kojeg mnogi misle da ga poznaju, ali nakon što su pogledali dokumentarac shvatili su da o njemu znaju samo malo. To je bio moj cilj, osvijetliti tako višedimenzionalan lik kao što je Bekim Fehmiu. O Bekimu govore dvadeset dvije osobe – članovi obitelji, kolege, prijatelji, susjedi, školski drugovi... Iako govore različitim jezicima, svi nedvojbeno svjedoče o snažnom karakteru čovjeka koji se uvijek izdvajao i bio svoj, istovremeno i velik, i jednostavan. Da li je tvrdnja da je bio više od glumca, umjetnik u pravom smislu te riječi, bila vaša vodilja? Dobio sam više od dvadeset i dva intervjua, ali sam pokušao odabrati ljude koji su ga poznavali u različitim vremenima, u različitim fazama života, na različite načine, sa stvarnim pričama za koje sam nekako morao provjeriti jesu li relevantne ili istinite, budući da su mnogi tvrdili da ga jako dobro poznaju i osjećali su da mogu govoriti o njemu. Da, zapravo, ovo je bila ideja prikazati Bekima ne samo kao velikog glumca, kakvog ga svi znaju, nego i govoriti o njegovom djetinjstvu, načinu odrastanja, obrazovanju, domoljublju, peripetijama života i njegovu hrabrost da ispliva na površinu, da se otkrije kao umjetnik, kao detaljist, britak i zahtjevan prema sebi i drugima s kojima je radio. Za razliku od mnogih drugih velikih umjetnika, mislim da je Bekim bio osjetljiv na povijesne događaje i da je imao vrlo poseban način prosvjeda protiv događaja koji mu se nisu sviđali, što se odražavalo na njegov rad i utjecalo na njega. Istina, o Bekimu se govori na više jezika. Svi oni pokazuju djeliće koji bacaju svjetlo na njegov lik koji biva još kompleksniji. Kroz intervjue doista shvaćamo puno toga o njemu, ali se u isto vrijeme postavlja još više pitanja o njemu, poput razloga koji je Bekima naveo na samoubojstvo. Izabrali ste vrlo klasičnu formu dokumentarnog filma koja se sastoji od inserata iz filmova i monoloških izlaganja. Dakle, film nema naraciju i zavisi od onoga što sudionici pričaju. Koliko je teško režirati film na takav način, govoreći kroz tuđa usta? Ovo je žanr koji najviše volim, promatrački, gdje je cilj da svatko percipira lik na svoj način. Ovaj oblik dokumentarca nije lak žanr, ali ostavlja prostora za maštu i individualnu percepciju. Postoji mnogo Bekimovih fotografija, a nema njegovih video zapisa osim njegovih filmova. Odlučio sam ne koristiti fotografije, već samo njegove filmove i intervjue. Nakon svakog intervjua koji sam uradio mozaik njegovog karaktera se popunjavao i još više oblikovao. Pričalo se o tome da će film dobiti i televizijsku verziju u vidu serije od četiri četrdesetpetominutne epizode. Ostalo je na ideji ili je došlo do realizacije? Osobno mislim da je Bekim toliko višedimenzionalan, a u isto vrijeme i tajnovit. Svatko tko će snimiti dokumentarni film ili seriju o njemu imat će mnogo posla i puno izazova i dilema na putu, ali jako bih volio da i drugi umjetnici nastave raditi na njegovom liku jer se ima zaista puno toga reći o njemu. Bosanskohercegovačka premijera Vašeg filma desit će se u gradu u kojem se Bekim rodio. Prije toga je prikazan u Tirani, Prizrenu, Prištini, New Yorku... Kakve su bile reakcije publike i medija i kakav prijem očekujete u Sarajevu? Da, zaista. Drago mi je da se film prikazuje u zemljama u kojima je Bekim živio i radio. Uživam čitati brojne kritike moga rada koje pokazuju kolika je pozornost koju moj rad dobiva u inozemstvu od strane medija i stručnjaka na tom području. Jako sam uživao u prethodnim premijerama što me učvrstilo u uvjerenju da je odabir lika bio pravi. Takav lik nije mogao biti prepušten zaboravu i jako mi je drago kada od publike čujem da su kroz dokumentarac upoznali kakav je bio Bekimov karakter. Toliko je karizmatičan kao lik da inspirira ne samo svoju generaciju, već i nove generacije, koje možda drugačije percipiraju život, također mogu biti inspirirane njime i voljeti lik poput Bekima. Mislim da će dokumentarac imati jako dobar odjek i u Sarajevu. Marinela Domančić Sub-headings
Out of Competition – Documentary
Charismatic, modest, characterful, over talented and too handsome, Bekim Fehmiu wrote the golden pages of the world acting encyclopedia. An unforgettable role in Saša Petrović's black wave film Gatherers of Feathers (Grand Prix of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival and an award of the International Film Critics Association) opened the doors of world film studios for him. He acted in Romani, Albanian, Serbo-Croatian, Italian, German, English... He loved movies, but he preferred the theater. He could not bear injustice, or a life of hypocrisy. He voluntarily left this world. This film is an expression of admiration and respect for his character and work. This goes to Beli Boro, with love. Knowing what a perfectionist Bekim Fehmiu was, were you afraid of working on a documentary that celebrates his life and work? I knew Bekim Fehmiu was a great actor, and I had my own perception of him, but I didn't know many details about his life beyond his films. I hadn't studied him as a character. The idea of making a documentary about someone who is no longer alive intrigued me, as it would present unique research challenges. But I enjoy challenges, and the complexity of this project drew me in even more. When I began working on the documentary, I chose not to do extensive research in advance. I wanted the final product to be less about presenting information in a conventional, linear way, and more about offering a subjective exploration of Fehmiu’s life. Each viewer would have the freedom to perceive the narrative in their own way. I wasn’t intimidated at all. On the contrary, I was drawn to the idea of making a documentary about a figure many think they know, only to have them realize, after watching it, how little they actually did. My goal was to illuminate the many dimensions of Bekim Fehmiu's character. Twenty-two people speak about Bekim - family members, colleagues, friends, neighbors, schoolmates... Although they speak different languages, they all undoubtedly testify to the strong character of a man who always stood out and was special, both great and simple. Was the claim that he was more than an actor, an artist in the true sense of the word, your guiding principle? I had conducted more than twenty-two interviews, but I tried to choose people who had known him at different times, at different stages of life, in different ways, with real stories that I somehow had to verify if they were relevant or true, since many claimed that they knew him very well and felt they could express themselves about him. Yes, in fact, this was the idea to show Bekim, not only as a great actor, as everyone knows him, but also to talk about his childhood, the way he grew up, his education, his patriotism, the vicissitudes of life and his courage to come to the surface, to reveal himself as an artist, as a detailer, sharp and demanding towards himself and others with whom he worked. Unlike many other great artists, I think that Bekim was sensitive to historical events and had a very special way of protesting about events that he did not like, which reflected and influenced his work. It is true, that it is spoken in several languages about Bekim. All of them show pieces of him that shed light on his figure, which becomes even more complex. Through the interviews, we really understand a lot about him, but at the same time even more questions are raised about him, such as the reason that led Bekim to commit suicide. You have chosen a classic form of documentary film, which consists of inserts from films and monologues. Therefore, the film has no narration and depends on what the participants say. How difficult is it to direct a film in such a way, speaking through someone else's mouth? This is a genre that I prefer the most; observational, where the goal is for everyone to perceive the character in their own way. This form of documentary is not an easy genre, but it leaves room for imagination and individual perception. There are many photos of Bekim and no videos of him except for his films. I was determined not to use photos but only his films and interviews. After every interview I did, the mosaic of his character was completed and formed even more. There was talk of making a television version of the film in the form of a series of four forty-five-minute episodes. Is it still an idea or did the realization happen? Personally, I think that Bekim is so multidimensional and at the same time a mystery. Anyone who will make a documentary or a series of documentaries about him, will have a lot of work and many challenges and dilemmas on the way, but I really wish that other artists will continue to work on this figure because there is really a lot to say about him. Marinela Domančić Sub-headings
In his film Bekim Fehmiu, about the famous actor born in Sarajevo, director Valmir Tertini expresses his admiration and respect for Bekim's character and work.
Much More Than an Actor
Maria Stoianova KOMADIĆI LEDA
Kompletan film „Krhotine leda“ ukrajinske redateljice Marie Stoianove zasnovan je na VHS snimcima njenog oca i arhivskim podacima klizačke trupe Balet na ledu koji su jasno odražavali klišeiziranu političku ideologiju.
Velike se stvari mogu reći kroz male
Zaroviti se u ovaj materijal za redateljicu je značilo ponovo, sada iz perspektive odrasle osobe, proživjeti kako svoje djetinjstvo, tako i političke promjene u Sovjetskom Savezu koje su dovele do raspada kolosalne države. Istovremeno, nastajale su nove države u kojima je probuđena nacionalna svijest glasno progovorila protiv jednopartijskog sistema i opresivne rusifikacije, a za uvođenje tržišne ekonomije i otvaranja prema zapadu. Zanimljivo je da je vaš otac osam godina gotovo stalno imao kameru u ruci, snimao je često i obiteljski i profesionalni život, a onda je prestao snimati. Zašto? Ako govorimo o obitelji, jednostavno je: fotoaparat se često kupi kad se dijete rodi i ostavi kada dijete odraste. Zanimljivije je kada govorimo o radikalnim društvenim promjenama. Za generaciju mojih roditelja takve su promjene bile povezane s promjenom pogleda na Zapad. Ono što je moj otac snimao tijekom svojih sovjetskih putovanja u inozemstvo bila je, naravno, površina. A onda je postupno, nakon raspada Sovjetskog Saveza, ta stvarnost za njega postala dublja i kompliciranija. Kada je početkom devedesetih radio u europskom lunaparku, već je bio iscrpljen i nezainteresiran za snimanje. A ako ne snimate ni svoje dijete ni “imaginarni Zapad“, što vam preostaje? Članovi Baleta na ledu mogli su svojim očima vidjeti život u inozemstvu i usporediti ga sa životom kod kuće. S jedne strane, to je bila privilegija. S druge strane, ta je privilegija davala gomilu materijala za preispitivanje teških povijesnih tema koje su dovele do izmijenjenog poretka svijeta. Jeste li, kada ste odlučili da se ozbiljno posvetite radu na očevim starim snimcima, bili svjesni koliko se jasno u njima naziru promjene? Ja sam 2017. snimila kratki film „Ma“ temeljen na privatnim videima jedne žene iz Mariupolja. Shvativši kaiko se „velike“ stvari mogu reći kroz „male“, odlučila sam istražiti našu kućnu arhivu. Intuitivno sam znala da da kroz nju mogu pričati o povijesnim lomovima i kontinuitetu, ali nisam bila sigurna do koje mjere. Jedva da smo ikada gledali te videe s mojom obitelji. Kad sam se konačno zadubila u snimke, njihov potencijal me oduševio. Tatini snimci puno govore o vremenu iz kojeg potječu, kao i o tome koliko smo se promijenili od tada. Posljednjih godina smo često gledali filmove iz Ukrajine i o Ukrajini ali niti jedan nije tako savršeno povezao osobnu priču punu stinih intimnih detalja i globalnu političku stvarnost. Domišljato ste povezali pukotine na plafonu vašeg stana sa kolosalnim promjenama. Koliko je proces rada na ovom filmu bio težak i izazovan? Forma filmskog eseja podrazumijeva autorov glas iz sadašnjosti, a sadašnjost se pokazala najtežom. 2021. počeli smo raditi na montaži s Viktorom Onyskom. On je otišao je u rat 2022. godine, a u prosincu je poginuo na bojišnici. Pola godine kasnije, producenti Alina Gorlova, Maksym Nakonechnyi i ja našli smo snage da nastavimo. Počeli smo montirati sa Marynom Maykovskom. Jedan od izazova je bio povezati arhivske snimke s onim što se događalo pred našim prozorima. Nadam se da sam našla način. Naša ekipa gledala je grubi presjek u ljeto 2023. ujutro nakon još jednog teškog granatiranja Kijeva. Noću su bile eksplozije, a ujutro smo gledali presjek. I osjećala sam da sam u posljednjoj sceni filma rekla upravo ono što sam htjela reći. Međutim, mnogo toga je ostalo neizrečeno. I mnogi naši sunarodnjaci zauvijek su ušutkani. Pred očima gledatelja u svega sat i pol san o Zapadu kao mjestu beskonačne slobode i boljitka rasipa se u paramparčad i postaje realnost u kojoj vašeg oca od stalnog napora bole leđa, muči ga strepnja hoće li zaraditi dovoljno, teška mu je odvojenost od obitelji u Ukrajini, nad glavom visi neobnavljanje ugovora... Crno-bijele slike se mute i postaju sive i komplicirane jer ni jedan ni drugi svijet, očito, nije savršen. Je li povratak u Kijev bio otrježnjenje ili nešto drugo? Doista, slika Zapada postupno se produbljavala za moje roditelje nakon 1991. Možete to nazvati „otriježnjenjem“ ili „razočarenjem“, ali mislim da su ove riječi malo previše dramatične da bi opisale njihova iskustva u to vrijeme. Za njih su se njihovi životi u Evropi i Kijevu 1990-ih više odnosili na individualne strategije preživljavanja. Da su moji roditelji imali pravu šansu da se naša obitelj nastani u Evropi, oni bi ju iskoristili uprkos realističnijoj viziji Zapada koju su stekli. Iznimno je dojmljiv trenutak kada vaš otac kaže da se, iako se od njega očekivalo da u svijetu predstavlja prvenstveno Sovjetski Savez, eventualno Ukrajinu, sve vrijeme osjećao kao da predstavlja isključivo samog sebe – njegov je identitet nadnacionalni. Da li umjetnost treba nositi nacionalne boje? Ono što je moj otac predstavio na pozornici bilo je sovjetsko, a ne ukrajinsko. U SSSR-u su narodni plesovi bili ukrasni paravan za uništavanje pravih nacionalnih kultura. Postoji epizoda o putovanju Baleta u Južnu Afriku u gruboj verziji filma. Izrezali smo ga iz konačne verzije iz dramaturških razloga i zbog duljine. Ipak, ekspresivan je: baletna trupa gleda nastup u Zulu parku, gdje Zului plešu svoje narodne plesove i pjevaju svoje narodne pjesme. Ovo su još uvijek dani apartheida. Etnografski prikaz je paravan za ugnjetavanje... Dakle, ono što je moj otac predstavljao bilo je sovjetsko. Htio je samo misliti da predstavlja samog sebe. To je naravno bila iluzija. Radio je za ideološki stroj nehotice, dok mu je identitet bio izlomljen a ne nadnacionalan. Jedna od zadaća umjetnosti, po mom mišljenju, jest razotkrivanje vlastitog potisnutog identiteta. Umjetnost može biti bilo koje boje ako je refleksivna, a ne nametnuta. Marinela Domančić Sub-headings
Big Things Can Be Said Through Small Ones
The entire film "Fragments of Ice" by the Ukrainian director Maria Stoianova is based on her father's VHS tapes and archival data (which clearly reflected a clichéd political ideology) of the Ballet on Ice troupe.
Maria Stoianova FRAGMENTS OF ICE
For the director, burying herself in this material meant re-living (now from the perspective of an adult) both her childhood and the political changes in the Soviet Union that led to the collapse of the colossal state. At the same time, new states were emerging in which the awakened national consciousness spoke loudly against the one-party system and oppressive Russification as well as for the introduction of a market economy and opening to the West. It is interesting that your father had a camera in his hand almost all the time for eight years, he often filmed both family and professional life, and then he stopped filming. Why? If we talk about family, it's simple: a camera was often bought when a child was born and left behind when the child grew up. If we talk about radical social changes, it’s more interesting. For my parents’ generation, such changes were connected to a shift in their view of the West. What my father filmed during his Soviet trips abroad was, of course, the surface. And then, gradually, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, this reality became deeper and more complicated for him. When he worked at the European amusement park at the beginning of the 1990s, he was already exhausted and also uninterested in filming. And if you neither film your child nor the “imaginary West”, what's left for you? Members of the Ballet on Ice had the opportunity to see life abroad with their own eyes and compare it to life back home. On one hand, it was a privilege. On the other hand, that privilege provided a wealth of material for re-examining difficult historical themes that led to a changed world order. When you decided to seriously focus on working with your father's old footage, were you aware of how clearly the changes are reflected in them? In 2017, I made the short film “Ma” based on the private videos of a woman from Mariupol. I appreciated how 'big' can be told through 'small' and decided to explore our home archive. I had an intuition that I could tell about historical ruptures and continuity through it. But I wasn't sure to what extent. We hardly ever watched those videos with my family. When I finally dove into the footage, I got excited about its potential. Dad's videos tell a lot about the times they originate from, as well as about how much we have changed since then. We have often seen films from Ukraine and about Ukraine in recent years but none of them so perfectly connected a personal story full of intimate details and global political reality. You have ingeniously connected the cracks in the ceiling of your apartment with immense changes. How difficult and challenging the process of working on this film was? The form of the film essay implies the author's voice from the present, and the present turned out to be the most difficult. In 2021, we started working on editing with Viktor Onysko; he went to war in 2022, and in December he was killed at the frontline. Half a year later, the producers, Alina Gorlova, Maksym Nakonechnyi and I found the strength in ourselves to continue. We started to edit with Maryna Maykovska. One of the challenges was to connect the archival footage with what was happening outside our windows. I hope I found a way. Our team was watching the rough cut in the morning in the summer of 2023 after another heavy shelling of Kyiv. There were explosions at night, and in the morning, we watched the cut. And I felt that in the final scene of the film, I had said exactly what I wanted to say. However, much remained unsaid. And many of our compatriots are muted forever. In front of the viewer's eyes, in just an hour and a half, the dream of the West as a place of infinite freedom and advancement crumbles into pieces and becomes a reality in which your father's back hurts from constant exertion, he is tormented by anxiety about whether he will earn enough, he is experiencing a hard because of being separated from his family in Ukraine, the non-renewal of the contract hangs over his head... The black and white pictures blur and become gray and complicated because, obviously, neither of two worlds is perfect. Was his return to Kiev a sobering up or something else? In just an hour and a half, before the viewers' eyes, the dream of the West as a place of endless freedom and prosperity shatters into pieces and becomes a reality where your father suffers from constant back pain, worries about whether he'll earn enough, struggles with the difficulty of being separated from his family in Ukraine, and faces the looming threat of not having his contract renewed. The black-and-white images blur and become gray and complicated because, clearly, neither world is perfect. Was returning to Kyiv a sobering experience or something else? Indeed, the image of the West gradually gained depth for my parents after 1991. You can call it 'sobering up' or 'disillusionment' but I think these words are a bit too dramatic to describe their experiences at that time. For them, their lives in Europe and Kyiv in the 1990s were more about individual survival strategies. If my parents got a real chance to settle in Europe with our family back, then they would have used it - despite the more realistic vision of the West they gained. There is an extremely impressive moment when your father says that, although he was expected to primarily represent the Soviet Union, possibly Ukraine, he felt all the time as if he represented only himself - his identity is completely supranational. Should art carry or reflect national colors? What my father presented on stage was Soviet, not Ukrainian. In the USSR, folk dances were a decorative cover for the destruction of the real national cultures. There is an episode about the Ballet's trip to South Africa in the rough cut of the film. We cut it out from the final version for dramaturgical and timing reasons. Still, it is expressive: the Ballet troupe watches a performance in a Zulu park, where Zulus dance their folk dances and sing their folk songs. These are still the days of apartheid. Ethnographical representation is a cover for oppression… So, what my father presented was Soviet. He only wanted to think he represented himself. That was an illusion, of course. He worked for the ideological machine involuntarily, while his identity was fractured, not supranational. One of the tasks of art, in my opinion, is to reveal one's true suppressed identity. Art could be of any colour if it is reflexive and not imposed. Marinela Domančić Sub-headings
Industry drink
Festivalski život / Festival life
Autori filmova u takmičarskom programu kratkometražnih igranih filmova / Authors of films in the Short Film Competition Programme
Docu Press Corner
Projekcija studentskih filmova/ Screening of student films
Projekcija filma „Svemu dođe kraj“ redatelja Rajka Grlića / Screening of the film It All Ends Here by director Rajko Grlić
Slobodan Maksimović, redatelj filma „Praslovan“, i njegov subjekt, glazbenik Zoran Predin / Slobodan Maksimović, director of the film Praslovan, and its subject, musician Zoran Predin
U fokusu / in focus
Plesačka trupa "Bez granica" privodi kraju svoju turneju po Maroku. Tokom predzadnjeg nastupa u Atlaskim planinama, Aida isprovocira Hedija, svog scenskog i životnog partnera, koji fizički nasrće na nju pred užasnutim pogledima ostalih članova trupe. Aidi je potrebna medicinska pomoć i članovi trupe je hitno vode do jedinog doktora u toj regiji, u nadi da će uspjeti spasiti svoj posljednji nastup. Dance company Without Borders is nearing the end of its Moroccan tour. During the penultimate show in a two in the Atlas Mountains, Aida provokes Hedi, her life and stage partner, and he injures her in front of the horrified eyes of the other members of the troupe. They must depart immediately to seek urgent medical care, and so they take to the road to meet with the only available doctor in the region with the hope of saving their final performance.
THE SHAMELESS Switzerland, Bulgaria, France, Taiwan, India, 2024, 115 min. Režija / Director: Konstantin Bojanov, Uloge / Cast: Anasuya Sengupta, Omara, Auroshikha Dey, Rohit Kokate, Kiran Bhivagade, Tanmay Dhanania, Mita Vashisht
BUY TICKET
IZA SCENE / BACKSTAGE Morocco, Tunisia, Belgium, France, Qatar, Norway, Saudi Arabia, 2023, 102 min. Režija / Director: Afef Ben Mahmoud, Khalil Benkirane Uloge / Cast: Sondos Belhassen, Afef Ben Mahmoud, Saleh Bakri, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Sofiane Ouissi, Hajiba Fahmy, Ali Thabet, Abdallah Badis, Salima Abdel-Wahab, Nassim Baddag
Sarajevo Film Festival Partner Presents
U gluho doba noći, nakon što je nožem ubila policajca, Renuka bježi iz jednog bordela u Delhiju. Utočište pronalazi u zajednici seksualnih radnica na sjeveru Indije gdje upoznaje Deviku, mladu djevojku osuđenu da život provede kao prostitutka. Njihov odnos prerasta u zabranjenu romansu. Zajedno kreću na opasno putovanje kako bi pobjegle od zakona i pronašle slobodu. In the dead of night, Renuka escapes from a Delhi brothel after stabbing a policeman to death. She takes refuge in a community of sex workers in northern India, where she meets Devika, a young woman condemned to a life of prostitution. Their bond develops into a forbidden romance. Together, they embark on a perilous journey to escape the law and forge a path to freedom.
Mladi prirodoslovnjak Yura svjedoči zločinu dok traga za primjercima ugrožene vrste mrmota u divljim stepskim predjelima južne Ukrajine. Odlučan da razotkrije istinu o onome čemu je svjedočio, Yura svoju fotodokumentaciju s mjesta zločina nosi u redakciju lokalnih novina. Međutim, ubrzo shvata da tamo nema nikoga zainteresovanog za istjerivanje pravde. Dok se iza brda valja veliki rat, životno naivni Yura podliježe zovu lažnih vijesti, "ukradenih" izbora i misterioznih kultnih rituala. U potrazi za istinom, naš bi junak trebao pronaći odgovor na pitanje da li je i sam predstavnik ugrožene vrste dobroga čovjeka ili tek obični gubitnik. In the wild steppes of southern Ukraine, a young nature researcher named Yura is looking for an endangered species of groundhog. Instead, he witnesses a crime. Eager to expose the truth, Yura takes his photo evidence to the editorial office of the local newspaper. He soon realises, however, that nobody there cares about the pursuit of justice. While a major war looms on the horizon, Yura's naive worldview splinters in a storm of fake news, rigged political elections, and mysterious cult rituals. On his quest, this hero will find out who he really is—that endangered species of the good man, or merely a loser?
summer screen
REDAKCIJA / THE EDITORIAL OFFICE Ukraine, Germany, Slovakia, Czech Republic, 2024,126 min. Režija / Director: Roman Bondarchuk, Uloge / Cast: Rymma Ziubina, Andrii Kyrylchuk, Oleksandr Shmal, Vasyl Kukharskyi, Maksym Kurochkin, Oleksandr Hannochenko, Serhii Ivanov, Dmytro Bahnenko, Zhanna Ozirna
Neukrotiva Touda ima samo jedan san – da postane Sheika, poštovana tradicionalna marokanska umjetnica osnažena lirikom snažnih pjesnikinja, njenih prethodnica, i njihovim pjesmama o otporu i emancipaciji. Dok svake večeri nastupa u provincijskim barovima pod pohotnim pogledima muškaraca, Touda planira napustiti svoje malo selo i osvojiti pozornice Kazablanke, gdje se nada da će je prepoznati kao istinsku umjetnicu i gdje će osigurati bolju budućnost za sebe i svoga sina. Irrepressible Touda only dreams of one thing: being a sheikha, a respected traditional Moroccan performer empowered by the lyrics of the fierce female poets who came before her with their songs of resistance and emancipation. Performing every evening in provincial bars under the lustful gaze of men, Touda sets her sights on leaving her small village for the bright lights of Casablanca, where she hopes to be recognised as a true artist and to secure a better future for herself and her son.
TAKMIČARSKI PROGRAM - igrani film Competition Programme - Feature Film
SVI VOLE TOUDU / EVERYBODY LOVES TOUDA France, Morocco, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, 2024, 101 min. Režija / Director: Nabil Ayouch, Uloge / Cast: Nisrin Erradi, Joud Chamihy, Jalila Tlemsi, El Moustafa Boutankite, Lahcen Razzougui
Na programu danas... / On today's schedule...