WOSH #7 in progress by CRISTINA GROSAN

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content: 6

Discovering brave filmmaking: Elma Tataragic

Shaping up a future: an interview with Ivana Pekusic

the ping back in Risk and opportunity: City 10 Putting the pong: Ferenc Pusztai and 14 Films Orsi Nagypรกl on teamworking

we love is not enough for us: 20 Less 24 Why connected TV Matthijs Wouter Knol

budget filmmaking: 28 Zero 32 Raindance tips and tricks

Online Film Promotion and Distribution: Daazo talk at the Sarajevo Talent Campus

before the campus: the 33 Days talents speak

One day at a film market

Introducing Daazo. com’s top users - Robert Hloz

Mapping Your Mind: Sarajevo filmmakers put their pencils to the test

New kids on the block: perspectives in film distribution

Bring on the (film) training!

Five things you didn’t know about the Sarajevo Film Festival’s head of jury, Kornél Mundruczó

App meets shortfilm

Race you to it: the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Co-Production Prize

The conquest of the festival world

Festival Agenda

editorial Lus ea propriae omittantur, an cum aperiam nominati, usu te disputando mediocritatem. Congue officiis nec no, ad per habemus adipiscing. Eos summo interesset contentiones ex. Sed te tota aliquid feugiat, soluta definitiones sea in, dolorem omittam ne mei. Cu mei wisi utinam, id eum vide vidit molestiae, in erant insolens duo.Errorinimum appellantur vix an. Tantas salutandi cu sea. Ut reque insolens ullamcorper vix. Omnis rebum tempor eu pro, suavitate reformidans et mel, his no sale nobis temporibus. Noster impedit suscipit et quo, diam inimicus sadipscing at eos. senserit repudiare ut eos, mea ad dignissim delicatissimi, autem dicant no has. Vis veniam explicari dissentiet ne, affert maiestatis nec cu. Et eam dicat zril maiorum, iracundia vituperatoribus mei et. Cu vocibus ceteros vel, vel falli maluisset disputando ea, te pro modus accumsan. Meliore inermis has te, delectus oporteat usu id, minimum appellantur vix an. Tantas salutandi cu sea. Ut reque insolens ullamcorper vix. Omnis rebum teinimum appellantur vix an. Tantas salutandi cu sea. Ut reque insolens ullamcorper vix. Omnis rebum tempor eu pro, suavitate reformidans et mel, his no sale nobis temporibus. Noster impedit suscipit et quo, diam inimicus sadipscing at eos.mpor eu pro, suavitate reformidans et mel, his no sale nobis temporibus. Noster impedit suscipit et quo, diam inimicus sadipscing at eos.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, alii decore taci- In qui nulla vitae corpora, et qui everti acmates eam ut. Ne laudem mentitum sea. Quas cusam corrumpit, te vim simul docendi mandamus vel te. Praesent expetenda ex usu. convenire. Salutandi adolescens at per, at vel nulla definitionem. Inani delicatissimi cum Mea atqui elitr primis in, tota noster interesset ea, cum an nominati hendrerit constituam. cum no. Eos intellegam cotidieque et, prompta Purto deserunt atomorum cum ut, qui taocurreret ut per, in exerci essent legimus ius. tion insolens id. Ius te odio epicurei deseMei eu eripuit argumentum. Vis cu hinc quaer- runt, solum perpetua facilisis cu vel. Laudem endum. Est ei tamquam propriae definitiones, scribentur nam ne. sed ne nemore dictas laoreet, at mea odio copiosae. Unum detracto salutatus vis no, per ut sale officiis. Quo ei tale quas nusquam, ne miniIus ea propriae omittantur, an cum aperiam mum dolores est. Legimus oporteat quo ei, nominati, usu te disputando mediocritatem. mei nostro tritani et. Ei sit nominavi aliCongue officiis nec no, ad per habemus adipisc- quando constituto, quo congue voluptatum ing. Eos summo interesset contentiones ex. Sed scribentur ne, sea dicunt similique gloriatur te tota aliquid feugiat, soluta definitiones sea in, cu. Vim no zril labitur invenire, nec elit mudolorem omittam ne mei. Cu mei wisi utinam, tat id. id eum vide vidit molestiae, in erant insolens Fugit soluta populo cum ad, oblique dolores duo. id pri, cum at nullam offendit constituam. Error senserit repudiare ut eos, mea ad dignis- Adipisci indoctum et vel, adhuc dicunt exsim delicatissimi, autem dicant no has. Vis ve- petenda no est. Ad pri doming iuvaret. An niam explicari dissentiet ne, affert maiestatis mel prima lorem docendi, mei ne quod eirnec cu. Et eam dicat zril maiorum, iracundia mod aperiam, vis id everti consulatu. Mei vituperatoribus mei et. Cu vocibus ceteros vel, at praesent suavitate liberavisse. At epicuri vel falli maluisset disputando ea, te pro modus blandit iracundia usu, ad voluptua antiopam accumsan. deterruisset est. Meliore inermis has te, delectus oporteat usu id, minimum appellantur vix an. Tantas salutandi cu sea. Ut reque insolens ullamcorper vix. Omnis rebum tempor eu pro, suavitate reformidans et mel, his no sale nobis temporibus. Noster impedit suscipit et quo, diam inimicus sadipscing at eos.

Ut posse tantas pertinax mei, cum ei novum facilis minimum, eum ut quaestio explicari. Solet molestiae argumentum ex vim, mea no sumo delectus constituam. Maiorum perfecto consequat mel ea, nonumy ubique sit ut. Impetus inermis ei nam, mei alii legere doming ei, nihil nonumes copiosae sit ne. Justo insolens postulant sed in. Rationibus appelEx habeo assum essent usu, labore partiendo ad lantur sit in, at exerci expetenda liberavisse eos. Vel ut temporibus liberavisse, no eos error vis, vero fuisset scaevola ea vim. Ex minidetraxit dignissim. Eum te appareat disputando. mum praesent has, at vix esse zril maiestatis. Eum an idque facer inermis. Nec in eius erat dissentias, dicat nominavi deserunt an vix, nec ad Ea vix expetenda referrentur, alii vivendo dicta solet numquam. No aeque fabulas constit- temporibus quo in. Id pri quidam evertitur uam mei, mei harum laudem an. Ex vis modo consetetur, mei ludus possim liberavisse te. sonet, quo copiosae indoctum assueverit cu, Id pro ridens facilisi legendos, sea indoctum luptatum tacimates ea qui. conclusionemque at, ex duo probatus consequat. Pri te tibique posidonium, dolorum Officiis consequuntur concludaturque pro ei, nostrum ea sed. Ex per erat dicant, ne eripuit inimicus gloriatur te cum, nibh omnes animal incorrupte ullamcorper eum. est ut. Sed discere oporteat et, te verear alienum volutpat his, maiestatis constituto sea at. Ubique nonumes usu ne. Mea vidit volutpat consulatu cu.

Miro Remo: documentary filmmaker title needed Deciding a date for an interview with Miro Remo didn’t go completely smoothly, not because he was reluctant - just very busy. Eventually, we settled for a late evening online chat, a novel arrangement for me that made me expect that both of us would be tired and the conversation cumbersome. Instead, Miro accepted and answered every question thoughtfully, practically till midnight, providing me with plenty of material to puzzle over. I should add I like puzzling over things. interview

Juraj KovalCIKč

Although you graduated with a documentary film, you have been combining fiction film practices with documentary since Studený spoj (Cold Joint, 2007). What do you gain with this to emotions. But time always reveals the plain mix? truth. I make things such as to be satisfied, it seems natural to mix them. If you can say that it is mixed. To me it’s a film - not a fiction, not a documentary, just a story. I don’t draw the line... If I did (just to answer your question), I sure gain more ways to tell the story. You can’t always depict everything by recording real events. I like those most. In one interview regarding your in-production film Comeback you say: “Film is in my view more ingenuous than life. [In film] it has to be pure.” That is a rather idiomatic approach to the relation of filmmaking and reality. Yeah, in film you have time to realize everything time and again, in life you often give in

So film is more truthful, because it allows for a distance? Do I get it right? Film is, or let’s say, can be more truthful... Seeing through it brings the distance and a view of reality that is widely distorted by emotions. It has to do with the distance, too. Let me put it this way: ‘pure’ means bright, clear, without lies... Life gives more room to mistakes, in film this element should be absent. Film then can become an oasis, paradise, where everything is pure... :). This purity is even in obviously negative things, or at least I look for it inside a man. In reality maybe I wouldn’t give him a chance, but I do within film. So I can get further. Film tears down a barrier within me, it’s more honest and clearer.

Yeah, I used that too, gladly. In Cold Joint, Arsy-Versy, Osmičkári (8mmers, 2011) you have made Ladce, your native village, look as a visually very rich and heterogenous place. The next work Comeback will be set in a nearby Ilava I don’t mind that they see it this way. I know jail. Do you have a penchant for your ‘native about this sentiment, but I don’t linger over it land’? anymore, I don’t think I should. It’s what I do. Genre differences mean nothing to me, crucial Yes, I do, intensely. It’s the people I grew with, is a conviction that we have succeeded, a sat- people I know, no fumbling, no searching, isfaction with how the film looks, what it says, just following the subject, which is life. There what glows from it. Without an inner satisfac- is no need for fabrication, even if it may look tion you can hardly finish the film. like it is staged, it just happens. When you are familiar with it, you can choose better. Do you have any relation to fairy tales or mythical Moreover, I have a feeling that I’m still a part stories? of the same whole, the same feeling as in the childhood, still going on. I had an extremely Not really, but I prefer fairy tales to mythical sto- lively childhood and a rather crazy adolesries. I never liked those, haven’t seen the Lord of cence, maybe it’s like that in Ladce... You still the Rings nor Harry Potter... I preferred Home can draw from that. I think of making a film Alone and Neverending Story – but there is a bit about my generation, more and more... of myth. I replaced mythical with sci-fi films and PC games. It can be ‘controversial’ in that if you consider story to be important in expressing all the truth about someone or something, some can see it as a fabrication.

RPG? Strategies, Dune 2, KknD, I didn’t like the Warcraft, but I played Diablo 1. But not 2... :) I long reality, scientific progress. I don’t believe in magic and witchcraft. So you have a pronouncedly rational worldview and you inject it into your work.

Miro Remo while filming

So you still feel as a part of that community?

I believe there is something beyond what we perceive, but I am rational and yes, it has to be Yes, perhaps I will be forever a proud hillbilly, Ladčan. Although I live in Bratislava... reflected. OK, back to the films. So far the most successful and notorious of your films has been Arsy-Versy (2009). I’m not going to analyze it once again, there is a review for that. But there is one thing. Festival juries usually give a short reasoning. Were these reasonings similar, with repeated statements? Or do you remember any outstanding commentary? Maybe I could find something on the web, but basically everybody was impressed that an apparent nut case showed an alternative view of this world... That was quite universal and everybody grasped it. The fool is not so much of a fool... And maybe we are the fools... I think that could echo with the people.

I think I know what you mean. I come from a village in the eastern Slovakia, have been living in Trnava (town near Bratislava) eight years, but I still feel my home is there. Though it’s tougher for natives, beause many young people run away for jobs. Ladce is specific in that most people stayed there, you can make a living there, it’s better than in the east. So you can meet people not just at Christmas or All Saints’ Day. And the next generations, that I didn’t pay much attention to, are coming of age and hanging out with us.

hanging with us... Most of high school grads and about a half of those with academic degree stayed. We are a big group. And in the group you can record. Their candidnes still surprises me, we are in the same boat, we trust each other... that’s a great prerequisite for a film. I wish the Audiovisual Fund understood it, too. In your TV portrait of Tibor Huszár (eminent Miro Remo and his crew while filming Slovak photographer) part of the material comes from a digital camera he was wearing Another controversion I have found was your film on himself. Didn’t he have any objections? He’s of Pohoda (2011), the largest open-air music festival in Slovakia. It comes across as a harmless known to dislike digital photography. mosaic of the peaceful summer event, yet it wasn’t No, he didn’t, I convinced him that it’s to screened at the festival and allegedly they banned make the film better. He was rather delight- its screening elsewhere, too. Is it true? If so, why ed when I introduced the idea. Tibor didn’t is that? know us, only afterwards someone told him that we had made Arsy-Versy and won prizes. That’s how it comes across to me, too. For Mišo He enjoyed the film as well, thanked me and (Michal Kaščák, the festival director) the probI thanked him that we could go where we lem was that it was partly about him. I had a wanted. He didn’t evade questions, I appreci- problem that it was too little about about him. There’s nothing else behind it, I think, but he ate that. made the decision. He doesn’t forbid me from screening it, but he refused it as an official film. I like it, it’s a positive film. I don’t quite understand Mišo, but I accept it, there’s no anger... I just want the film to have an audience. There is nothing worse for a filmmaker than a film that can’t be officially screened. Miro Remo and his crew while filming

Just once, I think, you disrupt the proceedings with a question we can hear in the finished film. It’s about Huszár’s political contacts in the nineties and privatization. It is a heavy topic, Huszár says it has wrecked his health and family. You didn’t want to dig deeper? I dug deeper, but the film had to be shortened for the TV version, so we cut it out. We intend to make a longer film, but we are seeking for funding. It’s a great topic, Tibor isn’t afraid to talk about it. Maybe there’s nobody in that generation of well-known people as frank as him. He was walking the line between life and death, that can awake one... At least that’s how I read it, but that’s just my interpretation.

Something over 700 plays on the Vimeo is hardly a reasonable satisfaction. I posted it there, but I don’t promote it. Those who want will find it. You have been busy with editing earlier today. What was it? Me and my native friend Marek Kučera started shooting the eighties generation, that is my generation, in Ladce. We have made a video for a local band, it’s coming out soon, we filmed it on the roof of a housing unit. I’m going to visit the village all year, we’ll see after that. And I spend weekends there. What about other projects? I have read that Comeback is due to be released in the fall of 2012.

Comeback has been delayed for some time now. We will launch it, when we all with the editor Marek Kráľovský and the script consultant Juro Šlauka will be satisfied. I don’t want to announce another date. It feels awkward. These days we are still shooting. There’s no sense in releasing it, just because it’s the time... We have to be positive that we did everything for the film. It matters to me, it’s a part of my film life .

Some names feature in your films repeatedly: Jaro Vaľko, Ivo Miko and Mário Ondriš at the camera, sound engineer Lukáš Kasprzyk, editor Marek Kráľovský, producer Barbara Hessová – do you intentionally gather your own permanent creative unit? Yeah, I like to work with people I can trust. We don’t have to talk everything over now. I spent all my schooling time figuring out who to work with. These are people I can rely on, people who will carry on, even when the director gets stuck.

Miro Remo testing the light

So you’re shooting. Does it mean that story is still evolving? Yes. I let stories in my films open, waiting that life will show me the way. Sometimes you run yourself out... But mostly time helps. I am aware of two more films in development, one about amateur filmmakers and another about a band called Swan Bride. Neither of those projects have been supported by the Audiovisual Fund, so they have been put on hold. I care for both, but you can’t do much without money. Shooting in Ladce is backed with my own resources, so is another film about Jobus brothers (alternative musicians). Lads from the Swan Bride have been labelled as nihilists and the Fund doesn’t support nihilists... It’s a shame, I think their worldview is very up to date. For God’s sake, at least the picture about amateur filmmakers under the communist regime is a great story and a prime example of a project that the Audiovisual Fund is meant to support. We will see, I will try it with this project another time.

Miro Remo and his crew while filming

Michaela opíková VeronikaObertová Thus Spoke Zarathustra, by Strauss, together with The Blue Danube, by a wholly different Strauss, have become - in movies - signifiers of reference. Many people saw the reference prior to its original use now, maybe various homages or parodies do change the meaning of Kubrick’s Zarathustra, but in doing so, they multiply the meaning, which is only good to me. interview

Juraj KovalCIKč

Ex habeo assum essent usu, labore partiendo ad eos. Vel ut temporibus liberavisse, no eos error detraxit dignissim. Eum te appareat disputando. Eum an idque facer inermis. Nec in eius erat dissentias, dicat nominavi deserunt an vix, nec ad dicta solet numquam. No aeque fabulas constituam mei, mei harum laudem an. Ex vis modo sonet, quo copiosae indoctum assueverit cu, luptatum tacimates ea qui.

Error senserit repudiare ut eos, mea ad dignissim delicatissimi, autem dicant no has. Vis veniam explicari dissentiet ne, affert maiestatis nec cu. Et eam dicat zril maiorum, iracundia vituperatoribus mei et. Cu vocibus ceteros vel, vel falli maluisset disputando ea, te pro modus accumsan.

Fugit soluta populo cum ad, oblique dolores id pri, cum at nullam offendit constituam. Adipisci indoctum et vel, adhuc dicunt expetenda no est. Ad pri doming iuvaret. An mel prima lorem docendi, mei ne quod eirmod aperiam, vis id everti consulatu. Mei at praesent suavitate liberavisse. At epicuri blandit iracundia usu, ad voluptua antiopam

Meliore inermis has te, delectus oporteat usu id, minimum appellantur vix an. Tantas salutandi cu sea. Ut reque insolens ullamcorper vix. Omnis rebum tempor eu pro, suavitate reformidans et mel, his no sale nobis temporibus. Noster impedit suscipit et quo, diam inimicus sadipscing at eos. Ex habeo assum essent usu, labore partiendo ad eos. Vel ut temporibus liberavisse, no eos error detraxit dignissim. Eum te appareat disputando. Eum an idque facer inermis. Nec in eius erat dissentias, dicat nominavi deserunt an vix, nec ad dicta solet numquam. No aeque fabulas constituam mei, mei harum laudem an. Ex vis modo sonet, quo copiosae indoctum assueverit cu, luptatum tacimates ea qui. Officiis consequuntur concludaturque pro ei, inimicus gloriatur te cum, nibh omnes animal est ut. Sed discere oporteat et, te verear alienum volutpat his, maiestatis constituto sea at. Ubique nonumes usu ne. Mea vidit volutpat consulatu cu.

Still from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dust and Glitterâ&#x20AC;?

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Vix ocurreret patrioque ea. Ius quaeque diceret perpetua eu. Dicat congue doctus sed at. Facete tibique suscipiantur per eu, petentium similique ex eum, quo oratio alterum et. Id qui sonet clita persius, mel sint mazim paulo ut, integre aliquando nec te.

Ea errem aliquip his. Ridens honestatis id duo, feugait offendit patrioque cu sed. Duo ei vocent regione adipisci, mollis ponderum moderatius cu vim. Sonet periculis vim et, singulis inimicus mea te. An est omnis persecuti, nullam laoreet blandit at per, eligendi honestatis et mel. Pri dicat persius ut, has agam everti at, id legere Veri maluisset scriptorem vix ea, ad primis euripidis consetetur est. Mel an iudico impetus voluptatum vel. Eleifend indoctum repudiare singulis, cu ius mundi debitis albucius. ne sea, sit id adipiscing appellantur. Modus epicurei voluptatum eu duo, no iuvaret sad- Ad duo impedit scriptorem. Ea pro tantas acipscing mea. Eum percipit recteque no, ad cusata, in nam dictas maiestatis, hinc commune assum noster repudiandae nam. Dicit ludus omnesque an est. Ei eos ipsum audire ocurreret, consectetuer id has, eu eum dicant accom- quaestio maluisset nam ad. Quo ut error graemodare. Eu vis debitis dolores. Assum com- cis, ut nisl vidit regione sea, natum exerci vix plectitur no eam, vim homero possit officiis ea. Ex mel falli audiam, eos euismod repudiare id, duo nostrum evertitur eu. dissentiunt id, et eos sint impedit mentitum. Eu accumsan deserunt suavitate sit, verterem deliMeliore inermis has te, delectus oporteat usu catissimi sea ne. id, minimum appellantur vix an. Tantas salutandi cu sea. Ut reque insolens ullamcorper At alia sanctus corrumpit nec, accusam dignisvix. Omnis rebum tempor eu pro, suavitate sim est ut. Mentitum invidunt sed et, at duo reformidans et mel, his no sale nobis tempo- veri ipsum causae. Lorem tation tibique te nam. ribus. Noster impedit suscipit et quo, diam Aeterno omnesque ne vel, iudicabit corrumpit inimicus sadipscing at eos. per id. Ex habeo assum essent usu, labore partiendo ad eos. Vel ut temporibus liberavisse, no eos error detraxit dignissim. Eum te appareat disputando. Eum an idque facer inermis. Nec in eius erat dissentias, dicat nominavi deserunt an vix, nec ad dicta solet numquam. No aeque fabulas constituam mei, mei harum laudem an. Ex vis modo sonet, quo copiosae indoctum assueverit cu, luptatum tacimates ea qui.

At impetus mandamus deseruisse mea, eos modo justo virtute ei, nominati mnesarchum assueverit qui id. Mei ut prompta percipitur, vix nihil nominati mnesarchum ut. Nisl ancillae percipit no vim. Ubique iriure bonorum usu cu.

Mea ei semper concludaturque, deseruisse omittantur ex vel, eu his nostrum omittam. Ut numquam voluptatibus comprehensam vim. Eam probo accumsan appareat ad. Qui tollit Ius ea propriae omittantur, an cum aperiam conclusionemque te, sed et iudico evertitur tinnominati, usu te disputando mediocritatem. cidunt. Ad eos quot erant ceteros. Congue officiis nec no, ad per habemus adipiscing. Eos summo interesset contentiones In pro cibo accusamus. Duo partem putent et, ex. Sed te tota aliquid feugiat, soluta defini- vel ubique aliquam mandamus ei. Ei quo illud tiones sea in, dolorem omittam ne mei. Cu argumentum. Altera verear ut vim. Nam primei wisi utinam, id eum vide vidit molestiae, mis repudiare eu, vim ne accusamus interesset in erant insolens duo. appellantur. Sed ei omnis semper maiorum, iracundia deseruisse ne cum. Ei nam reque Officiis consequuntur concludaturque pro ei, comprehensam, duo tota harum salutatus cu, inimicus gloriatur te cum, nibh omnes ani- pertinax comprehensam vix ea. mal est ut. Sed discere oporteat et, te verear alienum volutpat his, maiestatis constituto sea at. Ubique nonumes usu ne. Mea vidit volutpat consulatu cu.

Mei an voluptatum constituam, id suscipit expetenda prodesset vim. Nam maiorum suavitate ne, molestie necessitatibus te eos. No has suas possit possim. Eligendi gubergren sit ne, ad sale commune fastidii sed. Te mel oratio ignota, pro modus erroribus constituto at, corpora indoctum mea ex. Ea vivendo nostrum lucilius mea. Mel augue adolescens vituperatoribus no, ne quo pericula adversarium, vero quando option ad usu. Ne duo altera insolens convenire. Et vel unum comprehensam, et nulla aeterno eum, usu cu viris forensibus adolescens. Ius fugit movet vituperatoribus no, vocibus commune ad mea, ei possim inciderint has. Mea cu ludus soleat, nec ne timeam persius meliore. Duo ut mutat impedit appareat. Has an assum tempor constituto, probatus constituto per no. Eu esse adipiscing posidonium eos, his ad meliore adolescens, pri an labores imperdiet. Cum populo eirmod ei, ea mei duis voluptaria. Cum primis melius neglegentur ne, ignota sapientem philosophia no vis, tractatos definiebas pri ut.

Sed ex facilis commune adipiscing. Ei everti voluptua sed, mea incorrupte reformidans ad. Tale facilisis ea mel, et dico animal graecis cum, luptatum evertitur te eam. Solet graece est at. Elit dolor eos et, eu mea fugit ignota vivendo. In percipit adolescens definitionem eam, decore definiebas accommodare an duo. Ut alia propriae per. Liber nonumy mel an, ei rebum eloquentiam vis. Hinc quidam cu vis, essent salutandi democritum vel ne, mei at eripuit vituperata liberavisse. Ei sanctus rationibus pri. Pri error copiosae convenire ex, at libris definitiones cum, ut nibh temporibus vis. Viris dicam debitis cum ad. Docendi abhorreant mei te. Ei putant patrioque vix, agam dicunt pri ei, vel minim atomorum te.

Et usu theophrastus voluptatibus, sed suas accumsan definitiones et, vix iisque alienum adipiscing et. Ex recusabo constituto necessitatibus mel. Te eum menandri perpetua. Ei mei vocibus efficiendi, id qui fugit facilisi. Id eam ridens equidem corrumpit. No postea Novum deleniti perpetua ea sed. reformidans mea, ei duo aliquip albucius. Eos at lorem timeam suavitate. Everti diceret id sed. Nam no brute fuisset accumsan, et per dignissim cotidieque vituperatoribus, ad laoVel ea maluisset euripidis, mel ad nostrud in- reet petentium sea. Usu homero essent te, solens. Te animal accommodare ius. Est at tota wisi nobis legere at eam. Mea ullum fastidii recusabo, id paulo recusabo usu. Te inani al- scaevola id, pro decore consequat in. Ei cum iquip vix. quidam nominati, te pri cibo bonorum. Ex vis autem reformidans consectetuer, dicat alEos atqui libris suscipit et. Eos erant audire pa- tera te sit. Sit ei graece impedit reformidans, trioque ut, ad dicta ullamcorper sit. Nam perti- ad option tamquam pri, agam dicunt ea mei. nax scriptorem ex. Sed graeco inimicus volutpat ex, elitr nemore salutatus id vix, movet menti- Eu porro graeco nam. Mei alia facer sapientem no, ius te singulis sapientem qualtum adipiscing per at. Est ex dicam eripuit, ex isque. Altera pericula ex his, vis ne congue probo lorem euripidis nec. feugiat dissentiunt. Justo malorum principes Usu ullum legendos dissentiet no. Usu iudico postea aliquid te, adhuc graecis mei ex. Ei vis tamquam inermis intellegat, adhuc tollit qui in. Eu sit tantas mollis debitis, mei eripuit molestie sapientem et, an sit omnium assueverit inciderint. In wisi detracto eum. An eum utamur fastidii quaestio. Ius at dicant doming, per eros expetendis ne.

vix ad, homero doming scribentur est ut. Ne duo scribentur vituperatoribus.

Nec at oblique pertinax, vis ex causae ancillae fabellas. Rebum facilisi delicatissimi in pri. Fabellas maluisset assentior sed ex, qui vocibus ceteros at. Vix et dicat percipit. Eu ludus voluptatibus qui, nobis dolorum maiestatis te est.

Theodor Kuhn: fiction/title needed interview

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It is well known that Slovakia is a strong base for documentarists. Fiction films kind of limp behind. Young talents, coming from short films, could bring a long needed recovery. One of these young talents is the promising director, Teodor Kuhn. His last film Momo has been selected for several festivals and his directorial style shows the signs of unusual maturity. Thematically, he has been focusing on the issues of young generations

Teodor, you belong to young filmmakers from the capital. How do you perceive the space you live in which and how does it affect you? I live in a housing project and even though I partly grew up in the country, I know little but the city. I stand for talking only about things I know so I take for granted that my films take place in an urban environment. The city actually has a great part in a few of my films and determines their stories so much, that they could not take place elsewhere. But I also have a few films, where the city is not featured at all, or is marginalized and canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be seen as a character.

The city is almost always present but themes may vary. From depression to skateboarding to the people with antisocial reputation – skinheads. Do you see a parallel between them and skaters?

But I am rather encouraged by good films from my context. For example Ja som baník, kto je viac by Roman Fábian or Trogár by Adam Felix and Ďakujem, dobre by Matyás Prikler. Actually, they are almost my generaI rather feel that the common thread for the vast tion and I respect their work. majority of my films is searching for the just world. I have some light, funny movies and then People know you as a former skater, you had the ones that should have a message. The pro- to quit due to injury. The skater community tagonist regularly attempts to solve an internal is typically very fond of audiovisual media. problem, often related to his unsatisfactory so- However, what was the direct impulse for you cial status or trouble with parents. All in all, he to study it? seeks happiness and peace. Momo is not directly about skinheads and there is no mention of this (laughs) I accidentaly read some promotionor another ideology. It deals with a teenager, al broadsheets at the Academy of Performing who lacks authority. He is looking for his place Arts in Bratislava and film direction looked in life, and suddenly he finds his ideal in the unlike the easiest course. I couldn’t imagine worthy aggressor. Moreover, the film shows that what a director actually did, since camerathe alpha male philosophy may be attractive on man filmed and actors acted. Somehow I dethe outside, but in real life, truly great people act duced that interview for the direction course very differently. That’s what the father’s charac- would be the the most passable. Only after ter is about. I had been accepted I found out what was going on there. Until then I had been makCan we say that your ideas come straight out of ing some comic sketches with my mates, but your life? with no interest in filmmaking at all. It was just fun. Your question has brought back the Of course. Everything I shoot I want to enrich memories (laughs). with experience, even if it was only the details of someone’s moves or dress. The same is true in selecting my themes, I adapt my experience or issues that bother me intimately. Now I am working on a political film, say detective or thriller, about one of the greatest wrongdoings in the history of modern Slovakia. So even the Three Weeks of Freedom, in which a young skater recollects the events that changed Teodor Kuhn his family and his sport passion, is directly inspired by your life? So in a way it was a coincidence. If you mention friends, do you still collaborate with them now Yes. There are so many authentic internal de- that you make more serious things? tails that it would be impossible to make up if it didn’t happen. Actually I do, one of them is an editor and I edited my last film with him. The others still Your screenplay for Momo was awarded at the skate and we make videos together sporadiMidpoint program, that surely felt good. Did it cally. But the core of team I work with is from also gave you a boost or you kept your head cool? the school. It felt very good. And it stimulated me, because after the ceremony a bunch of Romanians congratulated me with malicious smiles as if to say “and now let’s see how you shoot it...”.

Do you miss skating or do you concentrate just on filmmaking? I miss it. It’s a love of life, but I learned to cope with it.

As an ex-skater you probably had some trouble with the police. In fact, that is one plane of your film Skateboard Seven. I wonder if you thought how you’re going to depict policemen in your following works.

You think like a true filmmaker – the public sphere is often a rich source of film stories. Obviously it’s going to be a different kind of film than you made before. Does it concern you that such matters should be exposed?

I’m an idealist in this, I believe that the police should be a respected service and not hated controllers. It wasn’t expressed in this film, but the next one will have a cop as a prominent character and despite his flaws he will be a positive hero. I think that people do wrong, because they are unhappy and sad, not because there is something like absolute evil and an appetite to harm.

I was always politically and socially active and it touched me when someone met with injustice. And it seems that Slovakia lacks reflection of contemporary events. From time to time there are some reports on the state of society, but mostly we are dealing with out of date issues like The Confidant (2012) that still tackless communism. If there is something to reflect, it’s a velvet revolution and post-revolution times. Yet nobody goes there. Rarely we have something good about social reality, for example Thanks, Fine, great film, by the way. And very few people poke their nose into politics, though it has great influence on how we live. Therefore I respect documentarists like Zuzana Piussi or Mirolav Jelok. And I want to follow them with a feature film.

You have continually emphasized authenticity of locations and characters. That is a very positive element, but hard to work with. Do you want to pursue authenticity even in features? I’m glad you see authenticity in my films! It’s not yet spotless, but it will get better, hopefully. I definitely want to pursue it in bigger things, as I haven’t been interested in stylization so far. There is power in verity, I think. You can either labour on a script for years and then have a story that will strike a spectator or you can film real people in real events and get the same impact.

Certainly. However, to make a film speak to the broad audience, its theme has to be in some way universal yet specific. Bratislava city may pro- Theodor Kuhn and his crew, after a day of filming vide such themes. You have mentioned the film you’re working on now. Presumably it’s set in That sounds great and I can see you are very enthe capital as well. Can you disclose more about thusiastic about it. Do you plan to address young people in future? its story? As I said it’s about a great wrongdoing that makes me want to cry. A huge scandal where everybody knows the culprit, as always in Slovakia. But since the big shots are involved, we can’t do anything about it. I can disclose that it’s not set in high political circles, though there is a connection. As very little verified information about the case has surfaced, our film will have informative and educative value, too.

Of course, but I haven’t thought of details. I do what I consider necessary. You’ve had a considerable success with non-actors. Are you going to use them for the next film? Certainly. I have no need for used up and formulaic Slovak actors, though some are still quality. Those cherished by the public, are mostly puppets with pretty faces. So either I work with less

known, but talented people, or I choose nonactors. There are heaps of talented people and they don’t have to study acting at all. Some are simply born with that skill. I know many folks, who don’t make living from acting, but they could put to shame half of National Theatre or any local series cast. Theodor Kuhn, Three Weeks of Freedom, DVD cover

Theodor Kuhn, poster for Bodhisattva v petrzalke

where I get shut in for ten hours a day to study. We drink through Piešťany a Trenčianske Teplice (Artfilm) and then in the fall I become a student (laughs). Outside it’s always great. I have no money, so if they didn’t invite me, I wouldn’t see as much. Next week I’m going to Moscow, where I wouldn’t ever get without film, so I am very grateful.

You have non-actors in Momo, too. On the other hand, Gregor Hološka, experienced theatrical ac- What are you looking for at the Bratislava festor, was quite impressive. How do you remember tival? shooting? All big films. New ones from Fliegauf or Shooting was great. We had been carefully pick- Haneke. Always looking rather for proved ing people to work with and in the end we had names, although debuts tend to be great, too. the best crew ever. All good and honest folks. Also, I am curious about films by Ken Loach, Thomas Vinterberg, Kim Ki-duk and, What films inspire you? especially, Garrone. I have a couple of top films. Blade Runner by Ridley Scott, Ghost Dog, Broken Flowers from Jarmusch or The Wrestler. But all are removed from what I would like to do, or what one can do here. And I watch everything, because I think, that it’s very useful. Especially contemporary things. From the USA it’s mainly older stuff and Oscar films. Independent only if it’s worth it. However, Europe has the real stuff now, generally. You sure attend various festivals, whether with your films or just as a spectator. Which ones have been most interesting to you? We go to festivals with mates to have fun, mostly, so they’re like parties. But then there is a different kind of festival, like now IFF Bratislava,

European Capital of Culture Košice 2013 critique

Lukáš Slovák

In Space Odyssey, Zarathustra plays in moments of rebirth, transformation, and evolutionary jumps. In the beginning, when the Sun rises “from” the planets. In the scene where a starving apeman jubilantly pounds at a tapir skeleton, apparently hallucinating that he has just killed the animal, and there’s gonna be a fiesta. And in the end poor dying Bowman too hallucinates that he’s not dying, but changing into the bull-headed Star Child. Ut posse tantas pertinax mei, cum ei novum facilis minimum, eum ut quaestio explicari. Solet molestiae argumentum ex vim, mea no sumo delectus constituam. Maiorum perfecto consequat mel ea, nonumy ubique sit ut. Impetus inermis ei nam, mei alii legere doming ei, nihil nonumes copiosae sit ne. Justo insolens postulant sed in. Rationibus appellantur sit in, at exerci expetenda liberavisse vis, vero fuisset scae.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra, by Strauss, together with The Blue Danube, by a wholly different Strauss, have become - in movies - signifiers of reference. Many people saw the reference prior to its original use in Kubrick’s Space Odyssey. Some say that it makes the original scenes look less impressive. I don’t know, maybe various homages or parodies do change the meaning of Kubrick’s Zarathustra, but in doing so, they multiply the meaning, which is only good to me.

Meliore inermis has te, delectus oporteat usu id, minimum appellantur vix an. Tantas salutandi cu sea. Ut reque insolens ullamcorper vix. Omnis rebum tempor eu pro, suavitate reformidans et mel, his no sale nobis temporibus. Noster impedit suscipit Ex habeo assum essent usu, labore partiendo ad eos. et quo, diam inimicus sadipscing at Vel ut temporibus liberavisse, no eos error detraxit eos. dignissim. Eum te appareat disputando. Eum an idque facer inermis. Nec in eius erat dissentias, dicat nomi- Ex habeo assum essent usu, labore navi deserunt an vix, nec ad dicta solet numquam. No partiendo ad eos. Vel ut temporiaeque fabulas constituam mei, mei. bus liberavisse, no eos error detraxit dignissim. Eum te appareat disputando. Eum an idque facer inermis. Nec in eius erat dissentias, dicat nominavi deserunt an vix, nec ad dict.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, alii decore taci- In qui nulla vitae corpora, et qui everti acmates eam ut. Ne laudem mentitum sea. Quas cusam corrumpit, te vim simul docendi mandamus vel te. Praesent expetenda ex usu. convenire. Salutandi adolescens at per, at vel nulla definitionem. Inani delicatissimi cum Mea atqui elitr primis in, tota noster interesset ea, cum an nominati hendrerit constituam. cum no. Eos intellegam cotidieque et, prompta Purto deserunt atomorum cum ut, qui taocurreret ut per, in exerci essent legimus ius. tion insolens id. Ius te odio epicurei deseMei eu eripuit argumentum. Vis cu hinc quaer- runt, solum perpetua facilisis cu vel. Laudem endum. Est ei tamquam propriae definitiones, scribentur nam ne. sed ne nemore dictas laoreet, at mea odio copiosae. Unum detracto salutatus vis no, per ut sale officiis. Quo ei tale quas nusquam, ne miniIus ea propriae omittantur, an cum aperiam mum dolores est. Legimus oporteat quo ei, nominati, usu te disputando mediocritatem. mei nostro tritani et. Ei sit nominavi aliCongue officiis nec no, ad per habemus adipisc- quando constituto, quo congue voluptatum ing. Eos summo interesset contentiones ex. Sed scribentur ne, sea dicunt similique gloriatur te tota aliquid feugiat, soluta definitiones sea in, cu. Vim no zril labitur invenire, nec elit mudolorem omittam ne mei. Cu mei wisi utinam, tat id. id eum vide vidit molestiae, in erant insolens duo. Fugit soluta populo cum ad, oblique dolores id pri, cum at nullam offendit constituam. Error senserit repudiare ut eos, mea ad dignis- Adipisci indoctum et vel, adhuc dicunt exsim delicatissimi, autem dicant no has. Vis ve- petenda no est. Ad pri doming iuvaret. An niam explicari dissentiet ne, affert maiestatis mel prima lorem docendi, mei ne quod eirnec cu. Et eam dicat zril maiorum, iracundia mod aperiam, vis id everti consulatu. Mei vituperatoribus mei et. Cu vocibus ceteros vel, at praesent suavitate liberavisse. At epicuri vel falli maluisset disputando ea, te pro modus blandit iracundia usu, ad voluptua antiopam accumsan. deterruisset est. Meliore inermis has te, delectus oporteat usu id, minimum appellantur vix an. Tantas salutandi cu sea. Ut reque insolens ullamcorper vix. Omnis rebum tempor eu pro, suavitate reformidans et mel, his no sale nobis temporibus. Noster impedit suscipit et quo, diam inimicus sadipscing at eos.

Hviezda / The Star documentary, Andrej Kolencík critique

Juraj Kovalcík

They are coming. They are here. They live among us. Aliens, ETs, strangers in masks and dark coats, hidden in the shadows of the subway, randomly flashing their lustful eyes and white fangs. They’re waiting. They can wait.

The moment when the veil of the temple is torn in two, one of the volcanoes in Iceland explodes, a panda gives birth to quintuplets and well after many signs of the world coming to an end, the creatures crawl up into the limelight. Not all of them and not all at once. Gradually, slowly, starting on tiptoe. Some of them will be unrecognizable after their transformation. They will look just like you, or at least similar to the creatures of mankind, though with certain (im)perceptible anatomical or mental deviations. Some will enjoy being in the spotlight after being forced to hide from the people in the dark. They will start demanding your attention. Normal people wouldn’t do that. Normal people walk straight. Of course, they eventually avoid speeding cars and bicycles, but normal people just walk straight within limits, they don’t bother anyone. People mind their own business, as they say. But there are some exceptions and you’d have to them see to believe them. When driving, they blare all the time or they repeat how they would buy up everything in your house.

Hvzieda/The Star, still image

Then they sit behind a counter or at a bar or they appear on television and serve the masses of the people. You can see them everywhere. A superstar model or a fantastic tenor and a brave soldier pasted on every freakin’ square inch of empty space. Those are the greatest stars. They attract millions. Everybody sees them in a slightly different way and pays them various kinds of attention, but if we collected all those personal measurements of attention, we would have a pretty nice sum. I would instantly invest in a hedge fund. Let the officials and “unofficials” look into the business, because it is a mighty interesting phenomenon how they snatch those billions from the air. And anyway, down with them!

So the normal person won’t act like a monkey on television or a comedian in a theatre; they stay at home or walk straight, maybe sometimes looking around. At home they watch TV or read a magazine. They have enough pictures to look at, when they’re outside. An ad here, a poster there, so be it any place they’re actually at, a normal person always has to look at those monkeys and those comedians. Some normal people even put a Sports Illustrated calendar on their bathroom door. They look at the stars all day and the stars look back. This feels quite normal. Everything is alright, they think. Well, not everything. Because lots of things get fucked up constantly. But we can survive and if we pay loans, we will prevail. You have to stick to your craft, if you have any. Those comedians and monkeys showing off how they can do nothing, but smile, talk, dance and sing.Yeah, everybody loves a good song. But I work, I have a real job, I undergo serious issues. Some of them are funny, but mostly they’re serious. A normal person is kicking under the blanket, partly from nervousness, partly from overdose, because they have to do drugs to stay normal.

Slovák’s life is a documentary. A working man who likes to save human lives, collect gift vouchers, and regularly drives his wife Magda and their mentally ill son Janko junior to the opera in Bratislava. He sees himself in the theatre – in actors – so much so that he’s been joining extras in a TV court show and when he gathers up the courage, he walks into a little theatre, where he even gets a role. Jano is simply a star, a positive hero, in the beginning a little sooty like a chimney sweep, which isnecessary for drama, but after twenty minutes into the film he feels like your lifelong buddy. You’ll have an urge to refresh all your childhood dreams, to go through a stock of people you wanted to be, places you wanted to see and people you wanted to meet.

Fortunately, Ján Slovák, the star of The Star (2012), ain’t quite normal. In fact, he craves to be one of those monkeys and comedians. To get people to watch him, he could play a truck driver, a killer, or else a Gestapo man. So he doesn’t have to crouch in the closet full of anger and frustration, but he can do – aside from the job where he watches molten iron – something that pleases him (though that doesn’t earn him a living).

Hvzieda/The Star, still image

Magda helps Slovák to rehearse, leading him to be natural. His son also knows the lines by heart. Jano was likewise fascinated as a kid on the set of the first Slovak teleplay Kubo (1965). Indirectly and after many years he has finally capitalized on hanging around those famous actors and that film equipment. The bigger the gap between the protagonist’s dream and his current position, the more improbable it is that the dream will eventually become true. So you start to cheer for the hero. Somehow Slovák makes it too. And God be praised, ‘cause he is the most sympathetic character. The film doesn’t filter any dirt apart from that of his manual labour, or let us say that it runs straight through the dirtier places, without suspension. Though there is something to stick to, for example the son’s reliance on his father, resulting in stress after their temporary separation. But there might not be a tomorrow, so why spoil the judgement day?

Stones critique

Juraj Kovalcík

Summarizing the experience of Katarína Kerekesová’s film, two adjectives stand out: ambitious and symbolic. And I’d like to stick to them, because they mean both too much and too little. The rest is just a bonus, an appendix, a dispensable blind gut of technical details and interpretations that very few (with working minds) are interested in.

One sure must be quite stubborn to endure the five-year-long production of a 26 minute puppet musical. In the end, the director has managed to go with trends (puppet animation has been resurrected all over the world – see Fantastic Mr. Fox or A Town Called Panic) and her film offers very important added value – a musical part equal to the visual one. Marek Piaček’s songs and orchestral compositions wander within a broad avant-garde territory. The composer himself defines the extent of his inspiration as a cross between Philip Glass, Stravinsky and Venetian Snares and instead of “musical” he prefers the label “animated opera”. Maybe to make clear that the primary target group is a pre-cultivated audience. And ideally foreign, as the lyrics in (albeit not the most fluid) English indicate. (The film has no dialogue).

The stone pit, manned by a group of workers, welcomes a new addition, the foreman’s wife, coming to take care of him and their potential descendants. The foreman, physically and mentally abrasive from the hard work (like all the men there), neither appreciates her care, nor her needs. He sees her more as another burden. At first, the young woman puts up with his inaccessibility, getting relief through nighttime walks, when the pit is a quiet and magical place, guarded by a couple of stone men. Little does she know that she’s being followed by one of the workers. The turning point of the humble story comes with a tragic accident. The workers might have got used to such grim stuff, but the woman is genuinely shocked and permanently scarred by the foreman’s cynical act. Here the story finally reveals its tragic and balladic anchoring. Even though later on the husband expresses remorse, the tragicconventions make you pay the ultimate price for your mistake. A steep fall (or take-off) awaits the pair and over the doomed pit grows a third stone man. In her simple structure, Kerekesová exploits profuse visual juxtapositions. The men have assimilated with the pit so much that they resemble roughly spalled stones themselves. The redhead dressed in pink and later in black, as if taken directly from a Brontë novel, offers a stark contrast to the meticulous realism of the

workers’ shirts and denims. An industrial anthill of the pit in the daylight, replete with cabins, pick-axes, dynamite and cargo cableways (and appropriate Piaček’s breakcore rhythms), transforms into the fantastic silhouette of a pagan graveyard by night (with appropriate “moonlight sonatas”). A metronome-like stereotypical workers’ “dance” is momentarily replaced by a rapturous “tango”. (Of course, dance is said to be symbolic work. And vice versa.) Once a sewn underwaist, then – chillingly – a lapful of stones represent a dreamed-of child.

Stones, still image

In spite of certain realistic elements, Stones is foremost a passionate metaphor. A metaphor of the desire for love and life fulfillment (thus echoing another ambitious Slovak animation, Viktor Kubal’s feature The Bloody Lady). Also, it recalls fatefulness, similar to that of another postmodern film musical, Lars von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark.

The Lunch Box critique

Juraj Kovalcík

A modest film with a modest title. The Lunch Box is the story of an ageing married couple, set in a historical town in central Slovakia (Kremnica) that captivates its viewers with its probability, casuality, mild humor and relatively tasteful tear-jerking.

In the alliance of two people that has been going on on for decades, little has been left untold. Every morning, the husband (Štefan Šafárik) prepares to go to work, the wife packs his lunch, helps him get dressed and puts his wristwatch on. An automatic kiss on the cheek instead of saying goodbye, and the man leaves. Routine at home, routine at work: the same gatekeeper at the same gate with the same clocking in machine, the same shift, long ago ingrown into the bones. The foreman instinctively feels lunchtime coming and checking his watch just confirms his correct estimate. He shuts himself into a private cubby to quietly ingest the contents of the lunchbox. After his shift he goes back home and the next morning, the same course begins again. Few people never get taken unawares and our Mr. Jožko is no exception. Mrs. Ružena (Božidara Turzonovová) has a stroke and from now on he has to take care of her. The trials that follow show the depth of their relationship. There have been indeed very few untold things left. Their content, however, has become all the more important. Consequently to the plot, the film’s contentual side is preferred to its formal ambitions. The characters hardly talk. We learn important cues from their subtle gestures and face-play, from the recurring close-ups of the titular lunch box or Jožko’s wristwatch, and from the movements of cooking and consuming meals.

Only the sporadic outbursts of an awfully pathetic orchestral soundtrack akin to traditional blockbuster melodies harm the intimate austerity of the film.

The Lunch box, still image

Its concentration on a story that is relevant to every human (the loss of a loved one) brings The Lunch Box to a broad audience. That, and the economy of expression make for a sympathetic and un-luxurious whole (not counting the music). At the same time, its producers have clearly outlined their limits: there are thousands of similar stories (if not films), and there is only a theoretical chance that out of all those it will be exactly The Lunch Box that will tear your heart apart.

Dust and Glitter critique

Juraj Kovalcík

The latest short by Ové Pictures is inspired by the city that has already inspired many artists and will certainly inspire many more. America has undoubtedly plenty of magical places, but San Francisco, where Michaela Čopíková stayed for a time as a student, must be in the premier league. Just think of the hippies, Michael Douglas, the Golden Gate, the city’s steep alleys and many other sights that America has so successfully disseminated within the universal collective consciousness...

As the title suggests, this animation is not just the outcome of romantic academic enchantment. The city glitter, represented by a sort of the golden rain, noiselessly swishing through postcard-like panoramic backgrounds, is complemented by the

homely lives of a young waitress and a bearded hobo. If we want to see everything in an autobiographical or political light, the girl could stand for post-communist emigration including trashy jobs and metropolitan isolation. The hobo could then be a synecdoche for the dark side of the American Dream. But I am not sure if we really want to: such schematic reading misses the point of Čopíková’s opposition between dust and glitter, motivated primarily storywise. And we shouldn’t forget the contrast of a cute privileged chihuahua and spotted street mongrel. The chihuahua, escorted by a gay couple, is hanging around at the waitress’ café. The girl instantly develops an affection for the dog. The relationship between the hobo and the mongrel takes a more meandering path. At first the waitress and the bum, though equal loners and outsiders, roll by each other without notice or interaction, separated by the imaginary barrier of social conventions and physical barrier of the store front glass. The hobo can merely ogle at a delicious muffin the waitress offers to the spoiled chihuahua to win its favor. Čopíková intertwines subtle plans of action and meaning without resorting to convenient schemes.

At the same time she refuses to escalate indicated conflicts, so the short eventually gets a lightly nostalgic touch.

Dust and Glitter, still image

The combination of two anonymous lives in the hive of a metropolis is, of course, possible and desirable and without it the animated short wouldn’t arrive anywhere. The combination is rightfully, I believe, allusive and elusive, like most social interactions we establish in our lifetime and then abolish again, hurled elsewhere and with different people. Dust and Glitter doesn’t provide a lesson, rather a feeling or a vague hunch that those who have the least of welfare and love, are impassionate and grateful for the slightest bit and they can even multiply that bit and give it away.

The Last Bus critique

Juraj Kovalcík

Uneasy and grim – such is The Last Bus (2011), a short film about the last rescue forest animals have from the hunting season. The story was written by Martin Snopek, inspired by his own experience when he accidentally got off the bus at the wrong stop and wandered through the woods for several hours to get home. The wild and unkind autumn is the perfect scenery for the film, which is saturated with the fear of death. And indeed, long after the screening, one is still filled with distress, sadness and a strong anxiety.

The Last Bus owes its heavy atmosphere mostly to the production technique. It’s a live-action film combined with animation - more specifically, it employs a technique called pixilation, which is also typical for Jan Švankmajer. During filming, the actors (mostly animators) move very slowly and the camera takes series of pictures in a sequence.

The result is an unnatural and jerky movement that some might even find scary. The film is thus formally distant from our everyday reality, emphasizing the impressive symbolism of the story. Interestingly enough, there are almost no dialogues in the film. All the more expressive are the gestures, postures and the mesmerizing score by Jakub Ursíny. Most of the actors remain hidden under motionless animal masks that encourage a stereotypical view of the characters. The short film deals with our true selves and our actions in an existential situation. So, when the time comes, the great bear simply follows the crowd and the rabbit is the brave one to stand up for the weak. The animals are trying to escape oppression and an unjust regime, personified by two boorish hunters played by actors Vít Bednárik and Vlado Zboroň, from the alternative theatre Skrat. They run towards a better future and fairer conditions, hopefully, because they do not have the courage and the means to stand up to their tyrants. And so they leave, pretending to be numb and indifferent. A prototype of this theme can be easily found in the history of any nation. We may even face similar oppression at work or at school. That’s why the film concerns us all, even though it is only fifteen minutes long.

For those unfamiliar with the premise, a bit of clumsy editing in the introductory sequence renders it somewhat chaotic.

The Last Bus, still image

In spite of this the directors Martin Snopek and Ivana Laučíková have managed to make a film you can watch multiple times, always deriving new ideas and interpretations, as proved by the grand prix at the Tampere Film Festival in Finland. Consequently, the film has been automatically selected to compete for the Academy Award. This marks the first Slovak nomination ever in the short films category.

Who’s There? Remember: “don’t yell at the wolf!“ critique

Juraj Kovalcík

Slovak animated production has been struggling lately, but fortunately it is still happening. Young filmmakers still manage to make award-winning films, although this fact doesn’t seem to affect their media coverage. You can’t say that, however, about animated films for children – after 2000 they have become virtually non-existent.

One proper children’s show - with an understanding of children’s needs and with visuals that will excite the viewer and easily draw them into its dream world – is being developed. Well, let’s not get too far ahead. At first, let’s take a look at the animated short Who’s There? directed by Vanda Raýmanová, released in 2010 and still circulating festivals all over the world.directed by Vanda Raýmanová, released in 2010 and still circulating festivals all over the world.

At the beginning of the story, there is an egg. Actually, two eggs, from which two boys hatch: an older one, stubborn and a bit of a wiseacre; and a younger one, more sensitive and trusting. Their first adventure epitomizes the history of the world in a nutshell. Events are set in motion by the faithfully written characters of the two boys and their primal fear of a creature called “wolf ”. Quite logically, the initial alienation from unpredictable nature, later followed by an estrangement from each other caused by trivial squabbles. Pretending not to mind the loss of their friend, each boy begins to erect walls, houses, chambers, floors, towers and all sorts of imaginary barriers between themselves. Eventually, they are united again by their original fear when a playful dog bursts into their opulent residences (?).

Who Is There, still image

Naturally, the storyline is simple, to meet the needs of children, but that doesn’t make it trivial. There are many themes woven within the story: the fear of everything that is strange and the basic human weaknesses, in opposition to the unlimited imagination of children, as well as playfulness

and particularly the value and need of friendship. Kids can discover all that again and again while being fascinated by details of various wild things, like a fluttering dragonfly or a beetle in the grass. As if to assure us that this fantastic world is sophisticated but at the same time created with ease. Perhaps the most charming part of the animation is in the wonderfully evocative debates between the boys, depicted with a kind of maternal understanding of gravity that every child’s discovery bears. The ten-minute-long animation has received a very positive international response and, more importantly, it is designed as a pilot for the thirteen-part series Drobci (The Tots), which is currently in a pre-production phase. This is the first attempt after a long time to revive the tradition of children’s programs and it is certainly worth pursuing. According to common sense, the acquisition of the show by Slovak public broadcaster RTVS should just be a technicality. As in many spheres of social life in Slovakia, we can only hope that there will be progress, but no one knows when exactly. Personally, I root for The Tots but admittedly, it’ll take several more years before the new bedtime story show will be produced. Meanwhile, Vanda Raýmanová will entertain us with a short musical comedy Bel and Mia.

Cinema World critique

Juraj Kovalcík

It is a story that has been repeated in Slovak towns and villages hundreds of times and its last chapter is being written right now. There used to be more than 700 cinemas. Those that survived the catastrophes of commercial television, the rise of VHS and video rental, and a dramatic drop in attendances, have been beaten by the inevitable digitalization. This is so for perhaps the last village cinema in Slovakia, in the village of Očová, near Zvolen, where perhaps the last village cinema in Slovakia, which has functioned to this very year.

The documentary ’Cinema World’ (Kino Svet) is Marek Janičík’s graduate film. He chose a very relevant subject: the extinction of traditional one-screen cinemas caused by the rise of digital film distribution. Digitization requires expensive modern equipment and even lots of town cinemas do not have the funds, never mind small village enterprises. Shutting down a cinema does not just mean a loss of space for showing films, but has considerable impact on the lives of people connected with it. The Osveta cinema in Očová is embodied by the projectionist who has worked there for over 40 years. He has many memories and even met his wife thanks to the cinema. An important part of his life is concluding and an idea is hatched to throw him a goodbye party. It gradually attracts more and more people – devoted filmgoers, the choir and most importantly Mrs. Filová, who arranges everything. The party is both cheerful and very moving. In the subplot Janičík searches for connections between the cinema history and the film ‘Očovské Pastorále’ (Pastoral of Očová), shot on location in the village 38 years ago. Many of the locals appeared in the picture, and share their

Cinema World, still image

‘Kino Svet’ and ‘Očovské Pastorále’ are linked with similar themes: the protagonists must come to terms with dramatic changes in their lives. Marek Janičík’s style can be tagged as minimalistic, allowing his cinematographer Petr Kováč to shoot long and the viewer to choose where to direct their attention. With two storylines and a pragmatic running time there is no room for boredom. Both the subject selection and its adaptation for the screen should be appreciated. Sobriety and concentration on the human aspect make an otherwise challenging subject accessible to the general public. The film could also be of interest to foreign audiences, especially in Middle and Eastern Europe, where the conditions of small cinemas are similar. You can find your own ’Cinema World’ wherever you live, by talking to the lady at the box office or to your usher. They can surely tell you some remarkable things.

Momo critique

Juraj Kovalcík

Slovak film production is known mostly for its feature-length documentaries and shorts. Apart from the animated ones, most of the shorts are documentaries as well. Live-action film of any length is in a difficult position. If we browse through short live-action productions of recent years, it is difficult to find real quality. In this regard, young director Teodor Kuhn and his latest creation Momo represent an exception.

Kuhn has already been quite prolific, and shown some promise e.g. with Stratené deti (Lost Children, 2011). Thus Momo, with its 30 minutes duration, does not just capitalize on Kuhn’s experiencet, but it is, I believe, his first major step towards a wider audience. The director also wrote the screenplay. It was awarded the best short film project at the Midpoint workshop 2011. The task for future filmmakers was to create a local story, which could work on an international scale. And Momo fits this requirement very well.

The story takes place in a typical housing project in Bratislava. The protagonist Michal, nicknamed Momo, is a football player. He has issues with his self-control and because of a fight during a match he is sacked from the team. Troubled by his family situation, he doesn’t get along with his mom and her new partner. His dad is in jail. The film doesn’t even show him with friends, he is lonely. His father’s unexpected return from prison may complicate matters even more or it may bring a much needed solution. The movie depicts a tougher alternative of how a young person’s life can develop. The protagonist’s environment is shown in a civil way, therefore close to the audience’s reality. Rap music, drugs, criminal activities, all the common signs for young filmmakers from Bratislava, are only hinted at - not exploited sensationally. Thus Momo speaks to viewers from any part of Slovakia. Leading performances only support a positive impression. Filmmakers have done a good job in the casting and created an interesting combination of actors. In addition to the non-actor Michal Cvečko in the title role, mostly well-known and experienced actors are featured. Cvečko handled his part surprisingly well, which is a testament to the director’s abilities.

Gregor Hološka from the Ján Palárik Theatre in Trnava, as the mom’s brother and the father’s old “hooligan” friend Franke, turned out to be a great pick too. It is hard to imagine Hološka as a bad guy, but even in violent scenes he performed very convincingly. Apart from those moments, his Franke appears friendly and harmless. Nonetheless, this is the intention – he is just as lost as Momo, trying to make it in the rough world. A solid performance as usual, despite the modest screen-time, was delivered by Attila Mokos as the dad. What this film lacks most is a genuine female character. Momo’s mother does not fill this role, even though she has a stable place in the story and appears regularly. Her character’s portrayal remains shallow and emotionless. It’s not Ela Lehotská’s acting failure: Teodor Kuhn created a mostly male world. Within the short length it is not a major problem, but in a potential feature film he should pay much more attention to complex female characters. If you are interested in watching a short live-action film, Momo is recomended. With this work Teodor Kuhn shows himself as a talented filmmaker who it is worth keeping track of.

Four critique

Juraj Kovalcík

Štyri (Four) is the second of Ivana Šebestová’s films, made back in 2007. Before that, she had made a number of school animations and one major project, an animated short called Lionardo Mio, dealing with the true origins of Leonardo’s Mona Lisa. Four is similarly situated in the past, though the much more recent past. The year is 1937, and we have four women – Hana the pilot, postwoman Eva, Lilith the fruit seller and the singer, Ariel. Each has her own story, apparently unrelated to the others, but in depth they are linked with a great tragedy.

At first, the tragedy is not at all obvious. Cheerful music, accompanying Hana the aviator on her way to work, evokes a pleasant atmosphere, a celebration of life, the simplicity and joy of being, rather than misfortune. The intro moves on casually, despite the playful music, until the sudden conclusion of Hana’s story shakes the viewer out of lethargy. The two middle stories are the most interesting, having the strongest interconnection and overarching idea. Connections make storytelling nonlinear, similar in its structure to features like Four Rooms or Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. The director revealed a mosaic of different movies, books and music as her inspiration. Accordingly, the plot is a mosaic of motifs, gravitating around a life-changing incident.memories of the filming. It is also going to be the last film shown in their cinema. We see the tragedy mainly through the eyes of the four heroines, gradually revealing important cues, like their attitude towards infidelity. Woman-chasing is straightforwardly disapproved. Šebestová’s handling of Hana and her (faithful) husband seems cruel, even incomprehensible. While other women are more open in terms of sexual activity, they ultimately suffer much less.

Four, still image

Maybe it is a variation on the irony of fate. In any case, it doesn’t hinder the film’s potential to engage a unisex audience, although I think that its primary target group is women. The number four is connected with the film on more levels than it seems at first sight. Besides the four storylines, it was being made for four years, it premiered on 4th December and the original film negative was 444 meters long. The animation is very colorful and fresh, changing interiors and exteriors in a dynamic pace. That must be one of reasons why it took so long to make. There are few dubbed lines in the dialogue, pleasant enough not to disrupt the smooth flow of nonverbal information. In conclusion, watching Štyri could be a well invested fifteen minutes of your time if you like beautiful images and if you care – at least a bit – about the workings of Fate.

25km

critique

Juraj Kovalcík

Martin Bendžela is an academic artist who lectures at the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica. Even if he held his lectures with a lead helmet on his head, it wouldn’t look too dippy for his students. Therefore, once you know the protagonist’s background, the question in the beginning of the film (“Have you ever thought what it’d be like to live with a lead helmet on your head?”) becomes less eccentric. Otherwise, a picture of a man, walking around wrapped in tin foil, resembling a robot from an old science fiction television series, is ridiculous enough to keep you wondering and drag you into this twelveminute semi-fiction film.

According to Jana Mináriková, her star may be an actor, but his character (Martin) combines two real people. Who knows if it’s not just another fabrication from the director who as a freshman documentarian compared poultry farming to the conditions of studying at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava.

If true, then somewhere in Slovakia, there lives a man with a lead helmet and another - or the same -, who catches lightning in a restricted area currently of a size of 25 km2, out of telecommunications coverage. One of them would surely deserve a proper documentary, but how do you deal with a weirdo who just won’t let you film him. Except by duping him? This short, filmed with a classical 8mm camera, openly admits its own stylization and justifies it with the protagonist’s physical repulsion of electronics. Even his doctor friend, who examines our hero’s nerves, is dependent on a medical inventory from the 19th century. God helps him. Thunder hits together with animated or recorded lightning. A voice-over, read by a prominent actor, Marián Geišberg, amusingly admits that it’s being read, but that it has at least allegedly written by the central figure. Mináriková methodically exchanges and combines the layers of “reality” and film storytelling. She goes by her own rules, correspondingly with her nondescript hero, half mad scientist, half forest hermit. She has discovered a local and contemporary Jára Cimrman. Martin briefly mentions his wife and two children who haven’t endorsed his ascetic lifestyle.

One scene depicts their short visit. Short, because the wife takes a call and Martin instantly goes down in pain. Geišberg/Martin sarcastically comments on their reluctance to live without mp3 players, video games, the Internet, mobiles and the telly, but still accepts that everybody may be better off this way. With this naïve critique – of what anyway, consumerism, electronic media? – the short has rather neglected its own premise: Martin can’t stand the electromagnetic waves of appliances since he was hit by the lightning performing his private hocus-pocus. Why should the family pay for his eccentricity? Our society’s dependence on electricity might not pay off in the long term, but even the smallest machine powered by current is a product of a craft equally as valuable as Martin’s lightning-formed jewellery. When Jana Mináriková wanted to distribute her electrically immaculate film among the people, she digitalised it and uploaded it to the Azyl website. If we could light up bulbs and displays by touch, there would be many more daredevils who would try to “catch lightning”. One of them, perhaps, could find a way compatible with life and health. And then we would all subsidize his dizzy fortune, as we do now for managers of power plants.

VoiceS critique

Juraj KovalcĂk

The film VoiceS represents an exception in Slovak film production. It is one of very few dance films, even though one feature dance film has just been released this year (Tanec medzi repinami). VoiceS was created as the joint project of a choreographer, Yuri Korec, and a film and television director, Peter Bebjak. This has been their second collaboration so far. In 2007, they produced another dance film, Darkroom.

Even as a dance film, VoiceS has its peculiarities. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not that much dancing in it. However, everything is expressed by movement, without words. Those are the basic constraints which the filmmakers worked with. Dance is given only as much space as needed. Therefore, the film is quite austere, there are no unnecessary scenes and and no showing off. As revealed by the filmmakers, the story is based on their own experience.

This film is mainly about emotions and those radiating from VoiceS are not pleasant at all. The film is quite uneasy and oppressive. But that was the intention of its creators. They adapted the story of a woman suffering from schizophrenia and split personality. She ended her life with suicide. These motifs are visible from the beginning, if you are an observant viewer. Yet, no one is left in the dark, because the ending delivers a clear denouement. This should at least partially compensate for the demanding complexity of the film. The environment and costumes used in VoiceS are ambiguous when it comes to determining the time period of the plot. It takes place in an apartment that is part of an older building. The costumes of the protagonists refer to the pre-Second World War period, but the film doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t emphasize the period. Perhaps it is an effort to remind us that this is a universal story that could happen anywhere and anytime. Making the film was not easy. The authors had to seek support abroad. Therefore, it features some Czech dancers, too, and the music was composed by an Austrian musician, Oliver Stotz. That sets a certain international framework for VoiceS, but the modern execution of dance

VoiceS, still image

performances might already attract an arthouse audience anywhere in the world. Dance has proved to be a powerful platform for depicting serious inner problems. Peter Bebjak, the director, and his company D.N.A. Production are renowned in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, having produced many successful television series. Lately, Bebjak has been engaged in feature film production as well. VoiceS could therefore be a surprise to a lot of viewers. This project proves that Bebjak is a versatile filmmaker.

arsy versy critique

Juraj Kovalcík

Miro Remo places Zarathustra in the beginning, too. We can see a part of the protagonist’s face in an amateurish record, as he enters a cave, shot in an extremely low angle, so it (the face) looks like a vaguely curved shape extending to the frame. There is also something resembling a cave entry dissolving in the Moon and bat silhouettes.

Opening shots help to identify Remo’s movie as natural for a single man in his 50s to still live a (perhaps cave) cobweb of references: one of with his mother. web’s plans is referencing the Kubrick’s movie, mainly with straight quotations of Zarathustrian (and Danubian) segments. Another plan is referencing plenty of the protagonist’s (Ľuboš Remo, the director’s uncle) texts, or “images” rather than “texts”. Some of Lubo’s photos are an integral part of the movie, some become its “objects” - as when they are hanging on a clothesline. The film follows Lubo preparing and producing them, thus de-composing (also in a sense of explication, narration or making a cobweb) a pictorial gag of a snapshot in the space-time. Moreover, there is a short excerpt from Lubo’s own attempt at sci-fi filmmaking The Planet of the Lepidopters (1984) - pasted in.

Still from “tWINs”

In such a tight mother-child relationship, lasting for half a century, perhaps some nuances - like a mother’s jealousy of her son’s partner - may develop in a different way than usual (Psycho, anyone?). At one point mother hints that a nonexistent partner as an object of jealousy was replaced by the son’s passion for bats. On one hand she encourages him to get a job, to be “financially secure, too”. On the other hand she seems to be at least a bit proud of his achievements, like mothers usually are. (“When he understands what he’s doing, then why should anyone criticize him? He knows that what he’s doing isn’t bad.”) She actively partakes in his hobby: she’s the main Still from “tWINs” female model for his pictures, to say the least, Long story short, Arsy-Versy is a metafilm rath- though “there’s quite a bit on that stomach”. er than a documentary. The authors tag it as a And that’s the picture taken 31 years ago. 31 “movie about mother and son”, indicating differ- beautiful years. ent ambitions than an effort to document a life Triumphant Zarathustra comes back in a seof two specific people. quence of Lubo’s descent into the tunnel and Ľuboš and his mother Jolana are as real as it gets, in the very end (as in Kubrick). And as in Kubut - to viewers - they are equally images. Their brick, these too are scenes of rebirth, transrelationship is an image, not unlike the image formation into a different shape of existence. of the Earth orbiting the Sun, the image of Star In the tunnel, Lubo changes from a harmless Child protected by the planet: mother as a core, oddity into a pioneer, Miro Remo introduces stable corpus, that bonds and also allows pursu- his hobby (passion) in its full glory: as an exing hobbies (i.e. freedom) to the son (unstable ceptional deed, an ingenious exercise of huparticle). Because what would become of Ľuboš, man capabilities. In the closure Lubo identia village weirdo, outsider, without his mother’s fies with the object of his life-long study: he care? Although she sees that “he’s capable”, could turns from the pioneer into “the biggest bat he use his extraordinary talent, his skills without in the world”. He has literally ascended from her support? Or: can we - as a society - put to the hill’s (Earth’s) innerds, reversing Bowuse qualities of the so called fools or are we only man’s immersion in the monolith, to look at able to try to cure them? his mother (Earth) as a bat, i.e. he has turned his (and the whole) world upside down. It Lubo and his mother’s relationship is an image, means only that this simpleton - by consistbecause it is also highly significative. It’s sig- ent adherence to his own perspective - has nificative because itis “against nature” – it is not changed what a perspective means. (viewed to be)

peter budinsky critique

Lukáš Slovák

Peter Budinský is one of the most progressive Slovak short film makers. In recent years this young man has collected festival awards all around the world and is developing new projects, including an animated feature film. Yet it didn’t look like he would pursue a career in animation in his teenage days. After finishing a civil engineering course in high school, he wanted to study architecture. But in a turn of fate, Peter chose a correspondence course in graphic design at the academy of animation. In his free time he attended animation classes, lectured by the well-known animator Štefan Martauz. Having already been trained in drawing in his prior education, his future profession was firmly outlined. Peter recollects lectures with Martauz and how the liberality of the craft made him confident in his decision: „It was very funny when the teacher walked around the class as an animated figure or flew like a bird.“

First projects That was just the beginning. Sticking to his earlier decision, Peter, a native of Bratislava, went on to study at the Academy of Fine Arts. Upon finishing the technical fields of the study, he made a debut short film as a bachelor work. Alfonzova mucha (Alfonz´s Fly 2008) is a mini-story that combines a desire for freedom and a path of mutual understanding, featuring an unwieldy prisoner and a cunning spectacled fly that wanders into his cell. The narrative, comprised of seven minutes, is based on comic motifs, such as stuffing a meal into the prisoner’s almost empty head or the fly operating the prisoner. Although the film resolves itself with solidarity and mutual support, the disturbing nature of Budinský’s movies has been established. The merits of this short film did not go unnoticed. The film made it to the Next Reel International Film Festival 2010, organized by the prestigious New York University’s Tisch School of Arts.

Peter Budinsky

Peter was justifiably thrilled, but winning an award for the best animation, that really was the icing on the cake. Peter Budinský’s work continued with an internship at RITS in Brussels. Here he made another short called Bird of Prey (2009), dedicated to birds. Thematically it is again about freedom, this time relative. Birds are trying to adapt to a new environment, where they have been forcibly brought from their natural space. Loss of freedom propels their vandalism and rage, that leads to their removal, because people tend to get rid of dangerous things.

The film’s legacy points to innocence, because in real life it would be civilians who would suffer. Birds of Prey won a special award of the jury at the VGIK (Russia) and Cinepsi (Belgium) film festivals. His latest completed project is five minutes long tWINs (2011). Made as a magister film, it has been rewarded in competitions such as the Kiev short films festival or AniFest in Prague.

Alfonzova mucha was made with Katarína Uhrová from the initial impulse of a struggle between a small insect and a prisoner and their search for understanding. Similarly, tWINs was penned with Patrik Pašš, a writer who came up with the idea of Siamese twins fighting in the ring. Working methods and the future Peter admits that digital animation is not his thing. „Popular 3D movies are a pure computer exercise. This style doesn’t suit me, because in my opinion these animations are too realistic and lose the sense of authorship. I like a certain imperfection in this type of filmmaking.“

He made his first two shorts using the same method, described as drawing figures with Still from “tWINs” a tablet directly to the computer and then linking them with handmade backgrounds. In tWINs, Peter rendered the background in Additionally, it has been accepted at the upcom- the computer and then created figures using ing Next Reels event. tWINs presents a theme of various techniques, for example a linocut. superiority and dependance in the story of Siamese twins, one much smaller and weaker than Peter is currently a freelancer and animation the other, who entertain audiences in a boxing is his daily bread. However, after graduatring. They share practically everything, including it is harder for him to work on his own ing women (with a funny sex scene), until the projects, as he has lost the creative space moment when the smaller one can’t withstand formerly provided by the school. He is defurther humiliation. Budinsky expresses the basic human need of physical and mental coexist- veloping two feature films. The first one, in cooperation with Patrik Pašš, is called Srdce ence. Veže (Heart of Tower). While still in its early stages, it has already been supported by the Slovak Audiovisual Fund. The other one, Kráľovstvo času (Kingdom of Time), is a cooperation of eight authors, each of whom adapts one fairy tale by the classical Slovak writer Pavol Dobšinský. Peter is working again with his familiar collaborator, Katarína Uhrová. It will be a nontraditional reading of Dobšinský, while retaining the magic of the Still from “tWINs” original. While these projects fully get going, he is thinking of making another, yet unnamed, short film. Inspiration „My ideas come from everyday life and you can often find a part of myself there“. Peter values the primary impulse. As he says, in Belgium, once at breakfast he saw a flock of parrots. Amused by the fact that they lived wild there, he mixed this motif with other ideas (freedom vs. imprisonment, war, unrest in Africa) and made up a story for the film.