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Video: Gaja Madžarevič

After the screening of Love Island at Komuna Cinema, the enthralled audiences had the opportunity to chat with the filmmaker and co-scriptwriter, Jasmila Žbanić. She first welcomed the film’s sound engineer Igor Čam, who watched the screening from the auditorium, which earned yet another applause. The filmmaker explained that she came up with the idea for the new work soon after her celebrated debut feature, Grbavica, but her hectic professional career was first steered towards other projects. It was only thereafter that she could realise the film, which is showing again today at 17.15 in CD’s Kosovel Hall and on Wednesday, 19 November, at Kino Šiška Cinema. Basically a Croatian production, the film’s shooting was complicated by several predicaments mostly on account of the scandalous corruption of the national film administration, which the Film Centre Director was also involved in. He refused to fund the film-in-the-making with the excuse that it was propagating paedophilia. She told us that she had searched high and low for her actors; her first choice was Ermin Bravo, who portrayed Grebo, while further casting took place throughout the countries of the former Yugoslavia, as well as Europe.

A member of the audience was of the opinion the film was a potential drama that turned into a likeable comedy. The undaunted filmmaker explained that “this was our trick that allows us to make a sequel.” Žbanić and co-scriptwriter, acclaimed author Aleksandar Hemon, were of the opinion that the subject would be more accessible if interspersed with comic moments. Moderator Toni Cahunek wanted to know whether the shooting on an idyllic Istrian location boosted the working spirit. Jasmila Žbanić told us that the shooting had been very pleasant, still, that June had been immoderately cold and the actors had to pretend they were hot because the script demanded it of them. She also revealed how hard it was to edit the charming scenes by the sea, because it was impossible to hear what the actors were saying on account of the wind and waves. Additional synchronisation problems arose with the singing acts because the cast was vocally only moderately talented. She is currently preparing a documentary about the centennial of the Sarajevo assassination and the diverse, oft diametrically opposed, views of it. 

Andraž Jež

Photo: Iztok Dimc
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