Radmila Djurica

A little more about Serbian Short Film production and Serbian filmmaker Marko Kostić and about his promising career and interesting ideas you can read in this interview. Marko Kostić directed short film Mašinica (The Gadget), a little  film that Belgrade film lovers had the chance to see on the last Documentary and Short Film Festival in Belgrade.  

- What is the advantage of the short film in Serbia and general?

Distribution options are limited to short film festivals in the art and such festivals are limited to serious topics, which are opposed to the aesthetics of commercial cinema. Short film, however, can serve as a springboard to full-length theatrical film. But if you are not a beginner, a special reason for the realization of short film does not really exist. Film Mašinica (The Gadget) written by Vladislava Vojnović got the money at the national competition two years ago and is the main reason why this movie was filmed.

- The future of short film in Serbia and in the world?

Jukka Pekka Laso, Member of European Film Academy and head coach of one of the largest short film festival in Europe - the Festival of Tampere in Finland, he said to me in an interview with Serbian online portal Popboks; the situation is unchanged for the short film, especially when it comes to the movie. So, the solution is for the State to establish a budget for such a short film that authors can live out or any short film in production to be co-financed for a feature lenght.But the possibility of independent short film distribution is not achieved by any country in the world. Film is an art in which the small forms are treated as second-class creative and looking at the problem that there is no solution.

- Did you as a member of the commission for the distribution of money to finance films at the Film Center of Serbia, had access to the real situation? What is the procedure, some say that there was manipulation in term of setting up to a right people?

Since then it has been a long time, some things are, I hope, have changed. In the meantime I became a member of the Association of Film Directors, which has already resulted in some changes to the cinema. As for the procedure, I was never against the setting up, but against the secret setting up, which are two completely different things. My contribution to the Association was that I suggested the possibility that the financing of films is not decided by the commission, but by always different person different from competition to competition and from year to year. It would be a valued by the person who works in culture with attitudes and artistic taste, and who would in advance inform the public. In fact there would be no fraud or setting up, but the official opinion of the respective figures of renown.

- Are you going to do a feature film?

Currently assisting in various functions on multiple feature projects. The first is a great documentary film Vilinska pesma (Fairy Song), by Vladimir Ilic, the implementation of the Majdan Children's Cultural Centre, which will premiere at this year's Beldocs, Documentary Film Festival in Belgrade. Theme is a musical performance of children with autism, I volunteer helping this project in marketing, by the invitation of producer Uglješa Dapčević. I am also an official friend of the new Montenegro film Dječaci iz ulice Marksa i Engelsa (Boys from the streets of Marx and Engels), directed by Nikola Vukčević, a screenplay by my longtime associate Milica Piletić. The third project in which I participate is the documentary film Peternek about our famous photographer, directed by Miladin Čolaković and produced by Jelica Vićentijević, which will be partly recorded in France. In this project I will be a production assistant, and executive producer of scenes shot in New Belgrade municipality and the protagonist of the film. As far as directing projects, the most current feature screenplay would be about the film critic of postwar Yugoslavia Vicky Raspor. It would be done by idea of Sonja Milošević, screenwriter of the film written  by a true event in his life that occurred during World War II. In part it is a partisan film, or film about the resistance in Belgrade during the occupation. With this project I will participate at the next competition of Film Center Serbia.

- You have had a huge success with the Princ od papir (Prince of paper) in China? What was that experience?

That was the finish of the tour of the film, which is the period from 2007 - 2011, film has been screened all around the world. It is the first international Film Festival in Beijing, although the Princ od papira (Prince of  Paper) was already known to the Chinese audience, so he was released on a pilot version of the festival in 2007. The festival is not competitive, which enables him to give equal honor to invited participants. Paper Prince was one of the most prominent in the international program, tickets to all screenings of the film were sold out and I was included in the honorary guests of the festival, alongside Darren Arenovsky and its realization hit Black Swan. This year the festival guest James Cameron, and my film Mašinica(The Gadget)participated in the selection of short film. To note that I have established excellent relations with the Serbian Embassy in China that has so far organized several public screenings of Princ od papira (Prince of  Paper). One can say that today that film is more successful than me, at least until the next shoot.

- I heard about screenings of your documentary film Fatamorgana Josipa Novaka i pauci (The Mirage of Joseph Novak and Spiders) in region?

It is the middle length documentary that has already been screened at several regional festivals. It is a film about the first Serbian propaganda film, Rudarska sreća(Miner's Luck) filmed with the intent to encourage the mining industry in South East Serbia. I the co-director and Milan Milosavljević comparing it to former and present the forgotten industrial plans, started between the two world wars. Judging from the film Rudarska sreća(Miner's Luck) seems as if the history of the Balkans runs regressive. Today, there is very little left from those mines, so watching the silent movie seems like the beginning of last century promised a more modern state than today. Otherwise, my entire engagement as an author consists in a critique of feudal class and praise of the market system. And some of the aesthetics of propaganda film, attentive viewer can recognize in Relating the documentary film, we are doing feature - documentary film produced by AFC, project Alogon screenplay by Milosavljević. The film deals with the Greek banks, ie. connection with the ancient tradition of globalist messages today. Process of artistic and documentary editing in this film  deal with the abstract phenomenon of the monetary system, or symbols of the economy in today's media. The film received some funds, a part of the recording will take place in Greece.

- I have read one of your lengthy article on a subject of of Kusturica and his films? Tell us a little about it.

People here do not like Kusturica's new film. I, on the contrary I prefer his new films better. In fact only one of his films I really do not like, and this is the first Sjećaš li se Doli Bel (Do you remember Doly Bell) to be more precise, I hate the audience of this film. This is not an art audience, but the provincial social audience that does not allow a change in culture, making a living art in the monuments. This is a public untouchable memory that keeps the tradition of the local mentality in its static but the concepts such as art, culture and fame are dynamic concepts in constant motion I think the popularity unconditionally Kusturica's first film with our audience is in the fact of overlook the value of the latest Život je čudo (Life is a Miracle)and Zavjet (The Pledge), its provocative, subversive, and liberal, and paints changes in the Balkan family at the end of the twentieth century. If we can define a situation, Kusturica is in the new century, and doing a series of attempts to terminate his relationship with his old crowd and turn to the new values but the undeniable success of his first film Sjećaš li se Doli Bel (Do you remember Doly Bell)does not allow it.

- Your role model is Makavejev, tell us a little about that?

This notice is coming from the premiere of the film Misterija Makavejev(Mystery Makavejev)directed by Dragomir Zupanc and a screenplay by Radmila Radaković. It was an honor to be a guest in the film along with the legendary avant-garde films from the sixties stated in this documentary. Since I was a young film lover I followed his statements, by the time I directed his interviews for television, I remained caught his charisma and curiosity that has always reminded me of the great personality of the detective crime novels. Unlike many celebrities who pretend to see nothing and understand nothing, Makavejev sees and understands everything. The sharpness of vision and thinking in me was awakened by the spirit of engaged, and that determined my critical position in Serbian cinematography. I recently heard that Mak is also a fan of my films and my film critiques. Full Circle!