DENMARK DANICA CURCIC
16
INTERVIEW
to investigate the dark and destructive sides of a human being. I was very close with my director, and we worked on things together. I did not have a lot of time between being cast and shooting the film, but I did a lot of research on my own. I met with a psychiatrist to go more into depth about people who suffer from a mental disease, and used music to inform my choices as well.
Tell me a bit about how you became an actor? It’s hard to say exactly when I decided to become an actor. I grew up in a story-telling home. My family is of Serbian heritage, and it was a part of the culture to tell stories. Everyone was very expressive. When I was younger, I always acted in school productions, – I was very musical, and played classical piano and accordion. I grew up performing. But before I started studying to be an actor, I studied documentary filmmaking. In some way, it made me realize that I had more to do. Through documentaries and through music I’d been trying to tell stories, but I felt that I was missing something. I wanted a more direct connection with the audience, to tell stories through my own body. I then found my way to the Dell ’Arte International School of Physical Theater in northern California. When I returned to Denmark, I auditioned at the Danish National School of Performing Arts. I made it in, even though I broke my nose during the audition!
You just worked with Bille August on “Silent Heart”. What is that like for you to be working with a director of his stature? He’s very warm and giving. We were shooting in the countryside and it is a chamber piece – everything takes place in one location. So it’s all about the relationships. We were eight actors and the story deals with grief. We stayed together during the shoot which made us all very close. Also, Bille August’s style of shooting was intense. We only rehearsed a little, and at most, he did three takes of a scene. Everything feels very real and immediate.
How do you bring a character to life? Well, it varies, of course, with each film. Working on “The Absent One”, I had a very emotionally intense role to play – an extreme character on the streets, which gave me the opportunity
The Danish film industry is quite strong. Why do you think that is so? They’re just very good at telling very small stories, very honestly and with truth. I am very proud to be a part of it.
EU RO PE A N SHOOTING STARS 2014
© ISAK HOFFMEYER
D EN M A RK DA N I C A C U RC I C
“ DA N I S H FI L M S A R E V ERY G O O D I N T EL L I N G V ERY S M A L L S TO R I ES, V ERY H ONESTLY AND W ITH TRUTH. I AM V ERY PROU D TO BE I NVOLV ED.”
Danica Curcic, European Shooting Star, Denmark.