You are a scriptwriter, director and, also a producer. With My Dog Killer successfully touring the international festival circuit since its Tiger-awarded world premiere at the Rotterdam IFF, how do you see the creation/production of the film in retrospect? |
I will certainly need more time to take a look at the whole process from a distance, to be able to analyze it properly. But what I know for sure is that we made some very good decisions, as a production team, about shooting on 35mm with non-actors within our very limited budget. For me as the director and for my author’s concept it was very important, however, very risky for me as a producer. Also, we decided to go for the smallest crew possible, which allowed us to be more flexible and cohesive as a team and gave me more of “free hands” in my work with my non-actors who were completely inexperienced, but also very talented. |
You have done an impressive deal of work with non-actors; their acting is highly appreciated by both professionals and the general audience. What is your approach towards achieving such results as a director and a producer? |
It was a matter of hard work done by me and my colleagues, and certainly also of the openness of all people chosen to participate and act in the film. I spent a long time at casting and acting workshops with locals. In terms of production, I received much support from our great, hard-working production assistants who organized all those sessions for me. And my production partners gave me enough space to make the right decisions for casting. |
Will you continue working with non-actors in your future projects? |
I must see what is the best for my next projects that I´m starting to work on now. Sure, I really truly love and enjoy working with non-actors; the process of creation with them enriches me not only as a filmmaker, but also personally. But to turn this love into a rule would be dangerous for my essential attitude as well as for these emotions. |
You have several projects in development for which you intend to seek more international collaboration. What are your expectations from Producers on the Move? |
I don’t have exact or specific expectations, but I believe I will meet new people and talk about making films and listening to other producers will be good for me as I am mainly a director. As a producer, I am at the stage of learning, which is necessary for becoming a full-time producer one day. So I hope I will gain some new experience by meeting people with similar or even different taste in films, and I’m looking forward to this even a lot. |
Apart from the work on your auteur projects, you are also interested in co-producing international works. What kind of projects are you attracted to? |
Our small production company was established to produce my own films and I admit that this is still our priority, and we search for partners in those. But if there was a project and we (as small company) felt strong enough to support it as minority co-producers – we’d certainly try! We are interested in participating in projects with a spirit of originality and clear author’s concept and opinion. |
published: 09.05.2013
updated: 13.05.2013