The thriller F20 by Arsen Anton Ostojić has already been screened in cinemas, and will soon go into distribution in the US. As the director said at the press conference, in working on a film, he always tries to make it flow, to capture the attention of the audience, whose time he appreciates tremendously.
“I make films primarily for the audience”, he said.
Screenwriter Hrvoje Sadarić explained that F20 is the cipher for schizophrenia, used by doctors to classify the illness. “The film itself is somewhat schizophrenic, it was made in more than one layer”, he said, and added that his goal was to faithfully show the true events he learned about from the papers ten years ago.
“Maybe it makes us think about ourselves and our loved ones. Today everybody has some sort of diagnosis; the question is only whether it will be identified before it escalates - some people will snap in traffic, and some people will, unfortunately, hurt their loved ones”, Sadarić said. In preparing for the film, he visited the psychiatric hospital Vrapče and spoke to the head of the Psychiatric Clinic.
Ostojić read the screenplay and the somewhat schizophrenic writing style drew him to the theme. “Hrvoje has a bit of a more complex writing style, and I like it”, he said.
He did not look for the lead actor to play Filip for long. He had noticed Filip Mayer at the Academy of Dramatic Art and thought of him instinctively, so he invited him to come to the audition.
Filip Mayer plays the role of Filip, and has already presented in Pula with the film Koko and the Ghosts. “I was nervous, but they prepared me well for the film, and everything went smoothly once I got started”, he said.
He plays a schizophrenic young man, so he prepared for the role by talking to patients, and the subject Psychoanalysis at the Academy has also helped him.
He admitted that the sex scenes were uncomfortable for him, and that his colleague and film partner Romina Tonković and him were both nervous, but in spite of that, they approached the scenes professionally.
Working with Ksenija Marinković, who plays Filip’s mother, has also helped him with some of the more difficult scenes. “I felt comfortable with her and I had her support”, he said.
Sadarić said that, other than schizophrenia, the film speaks about social issues, and has a love story, plus, they managed to avoid any political connotations. It is precisely this that makes the film universal and can be screened anywhere in the world.
Producer Hrvoje Vajić said that the film was made using their own funds, and that, despite cutting back, they did not compromise. “We ran on the enthusiasm of the crew, even though it was not exactly easy, especially in the stunt scenes”, he said and added that they managed to stick to their financial structure.
Cinematographer Slobodan Trninić worked in an unusual way, as per the director’s wishes. As he said, the sharp focus was on the main character, and the other characters can’t be seen, even though they are in shot.
“We went for it with great courage, and it turned out to be a good idea”, Trninić concluded.
