Women Cinemakers meets
Pavlina Braco As I move through life and look back to reflect, I never find clear, sharp memories of events. Only small glimpses of beauty that possibly made me into who I am. And I approach my work in the same way, by analysing characters and telling their stories without providing a sensation of time as a linear experience. Instead, the focus is shifted to meaningful moments that were vital in shaping the subject. In the words of writer Milorad Pavić: “Man was not created to only look forward.”. In my most recent and ongoing work, video art pieces inspired by the book Dictionary of the Khazars, I explore the boundaries between dreams and reality, future and past, life and death by having different images mirror one another. The concept of a mirror is especially important in „Ateh“, since duality is a vital component of the story. The odd number of images is derived from the fact that one mirror is faster than the other. Even though all my pieces are based on some kind of plot, and study certain characters, the pattern in which they are pieced together leaves space for the viewer to engage and interpret the story for himself without ready-made deductions, which is valid, since all life events can also be experienced in multiple ways. In a way, the piece itself becomes a mirror of the viewers thoughts.
An interview by Francis L. Quettier and Dora S. Tennant womencinemaker@berlin.com
Hello Pavlina and welcome to WomenCinemakers: we would like to introduce you to our readers with a couple
of questions regarding your background. Are there any experiences that did particularly influence your evolution as an artist and a videomaker? Moreover, how does your cultural background direct the trajectory of your artistic research? I am a video artist based in Tuzla, Bosnia and