INTERVIEW WITH MICHAL KOLLÁR

> You are the Slovak Producer on the Move 2011. What are your expectations regarding Cannes?

I am going to Cannes with quiet expectations of networking, of establishing high-quality contacts... I want to broaden my insight of the possibilities and challenges of European cinema, mainly co-production. Also, I have several meetings set up regarding our previous movie The House and the upcoming one called Clownwise which is made in a quite non-traditional Czech – Slovak – Finnish co-production. To paraphrase Zuzana Liová, the director of The House: My ambitions / expectations are realistic...

>The House had its world premiere at Berlinale a few months ago. Which moment in the making of The House was decisive?

Perhaps, the moment when the Czech Television and the Czech co-producer Samastinor confirmed their participation to us, or rather to the Czech producer. Without them, The House we would not have been able to make the film for a long time yet, if at all.

> It is a film made by a Slovak filmmaker, but it was “easier“ to get funding for it in the Czech Republic than in Slovakia. Why is that?

“Easier” is not exactly the right word here. At the time, there was a quite disputable system of financial support from the Slovak Ministry of Culture, which was closing down. Moreover, this debut required a lot more than a single source of financing (or, two – with the Slovak Television) and Slovakia is a very small country. I hope that the current Slovak Audiovisual Fund will consider these circumstances and will support our new project. In this respect, I dare say that Slovak cinema is a debtor.

> You have already made several projects as screenwriter, film director, and producer. What are you working on at present?

Currently, I am the producer of the film with the working title Clownwise written by Peter Jarchovský, helmed by Viktor Tauš, and starring Bolek Polívka, Jiří Lábus, and Oldrich Kaiser. There will also be an appearance by Kaurismäki ’s “muse" Kati Outinen in this film. As a co-producer, I am involved in Jaro Vojtek´s feature documentary The Gypsies Go To Election, which is in development. Of course, I am also working on my own author projects, but I am superstitious so I will not talk about those...

>See Michal's profile here.

published: 06.05.2011
updated: 09.05.2011