Make Dox
Creative Documentary Film Festival 3rd Edition, Day 8
22 June 2012
Master Class’ secrets: Zelimir Zilnik, five decades of active cinema authorship This year’s focus in the Makedox festival is on the author Zelimir Zilnik who is present among the many guests. Yesterday in the Children Theatre Center, Zelimir performed his master class in which he talked about the process, the methodology and the strategy of film making. Among all these subjects he also pointed out different ways of achieving successful production and editing in the film works. Since 1965,Zilnik is active in making documentary films. During yesterday’s master class he fascinated us with his energy, self-confidence and sincerity and his convenience in the fact that the film-makers are never alone. In his process of film making he is consistent in using a rather empirical method of uniting character’s individual creativity and energy in front of the film camera. Zilnik discussed the concept of the so-called individual management during the Yugoslav Black Wave, talked about Avala film, the support of the public fonds and studios that didn’t abolish author’s freedom. He continued discussing various matters such as his role-models in filming, the French ‘Nouvlle Vague’, Italian Neo-realism and New-York’s underground cinema scene at that time. He continued discussing the censorship of these films in the period of ‘Neo-Stalinistic’ ‘ interventions’ in Yugoslavia in 197 and 1973 year. He emphasized how nowadays the film techniques are cheaper and how that eases the path for the up-coming film authors. He gave an
example f his own experience. After the collaps of the Yugoslav Republic, Zilnik made 17 films(10 of them were feature-length) in a time period of 20 years. These films have never been massively distributed. New technology and inteligent budgeting provide the system of individual managment that was put in practice during the Yugoslav socialistic period and gives an alternative opportunity for independent financial surviving in the first 2-3 years. He put the importance and cntent of the artistic message as superior in contrast of the film budget. Another subject matter that Zilnik offered during his class was motion-picture methodology and the necessity of authors self-awareness about creativity, talent, affinity and knowledge. He talked about how these feature characteristics can offer the author a back-up plan, adaptability in different situations and a clear vision about how the final product should look like. Mentioning his favorite film ‘Zaseda’ by Zivoin Pavlovikj tried to explain the way one should keep up the life and vigour f the documentary’s texture. Finally, Zilnik carried out his message to the audience that every author ought to always have in mind the responsibility that he/she has in presenting his subjects during the filming process and that social themes are always a fertile ground for provoking the audience attention.
Later, in 21:00 h, the audience in Kurshumli An had the opportunity to see ‘Early Works’ whose prime premier was here in Skopje, in april 1969.Before the film started Zilnik addressed the audience:’Though this film is very old, we can still feel the themes and the questions that derive from it’. On this last day of this years Makedox, Zilnik will present his latest film work ‘Edna zena-eden vek’in the Children Theatre Center at 19:00 h.
Vladimir Martinovski on MakeDox These days in Skopje we can see hundreds of small crafted “cinemas” under the open sky, where we can see the same thing - football and lots of advertisements. Commentators do not miss out to emphasize the fact that the same match is being watched on TV in over 250 countries. But not everyone has to watch football to have the sense that “they are united with the world”, watching the same thing at the same time. MakeDox festival is a great example that we can be in substantial contact with what is happening in the world in the field of documentary film. Thanks to MakeDox, the magical Kursumli an is turned into a beautiful open air cinema for the entire week. After watching the documentaries, one gets the feeling that in just a week, through the big screen, we can get an insight into various aspects of the lives of people in more than 250 different parts of the world.
“Blockade” - student revolt in CTC (Children’s Theater Center)
Yesterday (Thursday, 21st of June), in CTC we had the chance to see the inspirational documentary “Blockade” directed by Igor Bezinovic. Unfortunately, only few people came to see it. The film talks about the student rebellion that happened in Zagreb in 2009, when the students of The Faculty Of Philosophy have made a blockade and took the building over. Their request was clear - free education for all students! The documentary is assembled in a very interesting manner, it shows us the full picture of how the students were organized among themselves, and also can serve as a general incentive for students from other countries. The students from Croatia were later asked by those in Serbia to help them accomplish their blockade in 2011.
There is a camera that records from within: the unofficial talks and agreements that the young people make among themselves, and later as it appears officially on TV cameras. You can see the advice of professors and their thoughts, as well as individual discussions between professors and students. All of this is great, because it gives the viewer an opportunity to objectively perceive the situation and make a decision for himself. After seeing the documentary, we had the chance to have a brief conversation and a debate with the film producer, Oliver Sertic. „Blockade“ is a really valuable piece of document, which allows us to see directly and clearly what a revolt means, and to draw conclusions and learning points from it, as much as we can, for the following revolts that have yet to come.
Talks about onion, love and Balkan „troubles“ under the fig tree Yesterday afternoon under the shade of the fig tree in Kursumli we met closely with Oliver Sertic (Croatia), Hanna Slak (Slovenia) and Srdjan Keca (Serbia). Petra Seliskar led the discussion during which the authors and guests generally talked about how authors should always find a way to produce and distribute our stories. But also as to when to pull the bar before you make too many compromises? The three filmmakers, despite the creation of documentary films, are devoted to other activities and projects connected with filmmaking. So, Oliver, except with directing and video activism, in recent times is more concerned with distribution and production, Srdjan is a filmmaker who is converted from a dedicated physicist, and Hanna works mainly on fiction film projects. The future of documentary film was discussed... For example, Oliver predicts that we’ll be trading our movies for food, in a joke. The authors and guests present under the fig tree discussed the fact that more regional support is needed to enable the exchange of ideas and creating co-productions, as one solution to the problem. It seems like a number of relevant authors are allergic to the need to present their ideas in the frames of the forms imposed by financial donors. Even if the film achievement is not as successful, the measurement of success being for example, how many people have seen it; sometimes an author should just not play the “game” along, concluded Hanna. In addition, Srdjan emphasized the fact that we are “blessed” to live in countries with lower standards, where things are cheaper. Petra then asked the key question: “If you have a magic wand, how would you make this system for the Balkans?” Vladan Petkovic, who was among the guests under the fig tree, quickly replied to this: “Maybe having a magic wand is the only way to make a system that will work in the Balkan region”. The conversation continued with a variety of topics: ethics in documentary film, creating and maintaining the relationship with the subjects and their stories, “limited” truth in documentary films, mixing the concepts of fiction film and documentary... There is never enough time to “complete” the talks under the fig tree... And many of them should be kept going. Perhaps the bright spot of MakeDox is exactly this fig tree, which primarily enables creating friendships, that will hopefully grow into wonderful collaborations in the future.
The Traveling Onion
When I think how far the onion has traveled just to enter my stew today, I could kneel and praise all small forgotten miracles, crackly paper peeling on the drainboard, pearly layers in smooth agreement, the way knife enters onion and onion falls apart on the chopping block, a history revealed. And I would never scold the onion
for causing tears. It is right that tears fall for something small and forgotten. How at meal, we sit to eat, commenting on texture of meat or herbal aroma but never on the translucence of onion, now limp, now divided, or its traditionally honorable career: For the sake of others, disappear. from Words Under the Words Naomi Shihab Nye (1952)