We wish you 365 wonderful days!

Apart from the award-winning films, the 60th Pula Film Festival will be remembered for the record number of films showcased as part of the national programme. It will also be remembered for the spectacular opening ceremony with 3D mapping on the walls of the Arena and a large number of visitors from the film industry that contributed to the creation of the Festival’s history. Great turnout, rich sidebar programmes, record number of exhibitions about film and film-related topics, and the new Camp RED workshop contributed to the festive atmosphere during the Festival. In numbers, it would look like this:

15 FESTIVAL DAYS // 19 FESTIVAL LOCATIONS // 128 FILMS (14 CROATIAN FILMS AND 10 MINORITY CO-PRODUCTIONS IN THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME) // 71,751 SPECTATORS // 14 CONCERTS // 6 EXHIBITIONS // 3 WORKSHOPS WITH A TOTAL OF 67 PARTICIPANTS AND 14 SHOT FILMS // 1,37 ACCREDITATIONS // 768 MEDIA RELEASES* // 79,144 VISITS TO THE FESTIVAL WEB SITE* // 708 FESTIVAL MOBILE APPLICATION DOWNLOADS // 45,616 VISITS TO THE ATTACHED PHOTOGRAPH BY MATIJA ŠĆULAC

*The published data on media releases and web page visits refer to the period between May 1, 2013 and July 28, 2013.

The Brijuni National Park has played an important role in the life and development of the Pula Film Festival. For the purpose of reviving the tradition of presenting films on the Brijuni, as well as to establish a link and renew cooperation with the Festival, a program entitled Film Nights on the Brijuni has been introduced – a selection of Croatian award-winning contemporary films that were presented as part of the Festival from 2000 to 2012.

Download screening schedule.

Competition programme of the 60th Pula Film Festival:

National Programme:
a) Main section (13 films)
Handymen, dir. Dalibor Matanić, The Priest’s Children, dir. Vinko Brešan, Vis – a – Vis, dir. Nevio Marasović, The Mysterious Boy, dir. Dražen Žarković, Simon Magus, dir. Petar Orešković, A Stranger, dir. Bobo Jelčić, Not All About the Money, dir. Dario Pleić, One Shot, dir. Robert Orhel, Cowboys, dir. Tomislav Mršić, Hush, dir. Lukas Nola, The Bug, dir. Filip Šovagović, The Farewell, dir. Dan Oki, Projections, dir. Zrinko Ogresta

b) Minority co-productions section (10 films)
My Beautiful Country, dir. Michaela Kezele, Shanghai Gypsy, dir. Marko Naberšnik, When Day Breaks, dir. Goran Paskaljević, Feed Me With Your Words, dir. Martin Turk, Goltzius and the Pelican Company, dir. Peter Greenaway, Good to Go, dir. Matevž Luzar, The Forger, dir. Goran Marković, Adria Blues, dir. Miroslav Mandić, Dual, dir. Nejc Gazvoda, Circles, dir. Srdan Golubović

International Programme (11 films)
The Best Offer, dir. Giuseppe Tornatore, It Boy, dir. David Moreau, The Scapegoat, dir. Charles Sturridge, The Lookout, dir. Michele Placido, In the House, dir. Francois Ozon, Jackie, dir. Antoinette Beumer, Young and Beautiful, dir. Francois Ozon, The Last Match, dir. Antonio Hens, Oldies but Goldies, dir. Jiri Strach, Me and You, dir. Bernardo Berolucci, Ludwig II, dir. Marie Noelle and Peter Sehr

Short EU Films Programme (18 films)

The Mother, dir. Lukasz Ostalski, Jump, dir. Kristina Grozeva i Petar Valchanov, The Blue Train, dir. Stephanie Assimacopoulo, Love in Time, dir. Anne Jacqueline, Kiss Me Softly, dir. Anthony Schatteman, Washed Up Love, dir. Dylan Cotter, One Year After, dir. Cristian Pascariu, 12th of Never, dir. Fadi Hindash, Nicoleta, dir. Sonia Liza Kenterman, How the Pig Became the Butcher, dir. Gregorius Grey, Cold Shower, dir. Orsi Nagypal, Water!, dir. Mikel Rueda, Liberdade, dir. Gabriel Abrantes, Thoughts About Dying, dir. Jani Ilomaki, 11:50,dir. Stylianos Constantinou, The Last Bus, dir. Martin Snopek i Ivana Laučikova, The Medic, dir. Ray Mizzi, On Wednesdays, dir. Ieva Javaityte

Short Pula Programme (12 films)

The Badgers, dir. Luka Tokić, Coffee With Jam, dir. Filip Peruzović, Mountain, dir. Goran Ribarić, We Met, dir. Ana Cvitaš, Why Won’t You Hug Your Brother, dir. Goran Odvorčić, Guns N’ Dolls, dir. Vedran Marjanović, The Fix, dir. Ante Novaković, Little Darling, dir. Igor Mirković, Prettyboy, dir. Saša Ban, The Little Raccoon, dir. Barbara Vekarić, Elephants, dir. Daina Oniunas Pusić, Zovko Teleport, dir. Predrag Ličina

Children’s Film Programme Pulica – Matinees for children (7 films)

Ernest & Celestine, dir. Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar and Benjamin Renner, Mother, I Love You, dir. Janis Nords, The Great Bear, dir. Esben Toft Jacobsen, Casper and Emma – Best Friends, dir. Arne Lindtner Naess, The Horse on the Balcony, dir. Huseyin Tabak, Fidgety Bram, dir. Anna Van der Heide, Room on the Broom, dir. Jan Lachauer and Max Lang

Work in Progress Programme (6 films)

The Bridge at the End of the World, dir. Branko Ištvančić, New Folder, dir. Zvonimir Jurić, Filip Šovagović, Ivan Salaj, Sara Hribar, Bobo Jelčić, Hana Jušić, Vlatka Vorkapić, Tanja Golić, Stanislav Tomić, Sonja Tarokić, Edi Mužina, Petar Orešković, Dalibor Matanić, Ivan Sikavica, Saints, dir. Ivan Perić, Zagreb Cappuccino, dir. Vanja Sviličić, The Enchanting Porkers, dir. Ivan Livaković, Music Box, dir. Bruno Mustić

JURY DECISIONS

I. Awards granted by the Jury of the National Competition Programme
Jury: Petar Krelja, director and screenwriter (president), Stanislav Babić, producer Gordana Gadžić, actress, Slobodan Trninić, director of photography and Damir Čučić, director and editor

a) NATIONAL PROGRAMME – minority co-productions section
1. Golden Arena for Best Minority Co-production is granted to producer Jelena Mitrović for the film Circles by Srdan Golubović.
„A powerful film about the force of evil, goodness and forgiveness that reminds us that heroic acts are worthwhile and that sacrifice is not futile.”

2. Golden Arena for Best Director is granted to Srdan Golubović for the film Circles by Srdan Golubović.
„Srdan Golubović guides a film with several plot layers, double timeline and a number of excellent characters in a masterly manner. From all aspects, this is an example of refined filmmaking.”

3. Golden Arena for Best Actor in a Leading Roles is granted to Leon Lučev for the role of Haris in the film Circles by Srdan Golubović.
„Behind the soft and warm family man there is a firm character that convinces us that goodness is universal.”

b) NATIONAL PROGRAMME – main section

1. The Breza Award for best debutant director is granted to Tihana Lazović for the role of Beba in the film Hush by Lukas Nola.
„She demonstrated all the magnificence of her talent and realized an extremely complex role.”

2. Special Golden Arena for Best Sound is granted to Dubravka Premar for the film Hush by Lukas Nola.
„For a faultlessly arranged sound that highlights the homogeneity of the film.”

3. Special Golden Arena for Best Make-Up is granted to Julijana Vušković for the film Hush by Lukas Nola.
„The make-up perfectly fits the style and directly contributes to film’s emotional potentials.”

4. Golden Arena for Best Costume Design is granted to Emina Kušan for the film The Mysterious Boy by Dražen Žarković.
„An important element that places youth energy in a space-time context and contributes to the atmosphere of adventure.”

5. Golden Arena for Best Art Direction is granted to Mario Ivezić for the film A Stranger by Bobo Jelčić.
„He enlivened the space and created the conditions for playful cinematography and characterization in a skilful manner.”

6. Golden Arena for Best Music is granted to Jura Ferina and Pavle Miholjević for the film Hush by Lukas Nola.
„They created the music that generates emotional earthquakes and corporal unease.”

7. Golden Arena for Best Editing is granted to Slaven Zečević for the film Hush by Lukas Nola.
„Thoughtful and functional editing strengthens the film’s credibility.“

8. Golden Arena for Best Cinematography is granted to Erol Zupčević for the film A Stranger by Bobo Jelčić.
„Characterized by a modern approach to film image and discretion, cinematography supports the director and the cast.”

9. Golden Arena for Best Actor in a Supporting Role is granted to Nikša Butijer for the role of Petar in the film The Priest’s Children by Vinko Brešan.
„With his suggestiveness, Nikša Butijer succeeds in making his character simple and close, and this is the quality of the great ones.”

10. Golden Arena for Best Actor in a Leading Role is granted to Bogdan Diklić for the role of Slavko in the film A Stranger by Bobo Jelčić.
„Relying on highly minimalistic acting resources, he played the man who is incapable of reconciling his own contradictions.”

This award is supported by RIO – Clothes Industry from Rijeka, the leading fashion company in the production of men’s suits, jackets, trousers and coats, with a tradition spanning over 60 years. As a long-standing sponsor of the Festival, it provides clothes to hosts and governing council members, and awards this year’s winner of the Golden Arena for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

11. Golden Arena for Best Actress in a Supporting Role is granted to Lana Barić for the role of Mother in the film Hush by Lukas Nola.
„My baby, my only love“, a line we will carry for a long time in our hearts. With a talent of a great actress, Lana Barić created a deeply moving acting role.

12. Golden Arena for Best Actress in a Leading Role is granted to Nada Đurevska for the role of Milena in the film A Stranger by Bobo Jelčić.
„Using acting resources sparingly and relying on her lavish dramatic strength, she played the archetypal role of Antigone from Mostar.

IMAGE HADDAD has been collaborating with the Festival for as many as 13 years and this collaboration has become a tradition which is based on Haddad’s cureless love for film and its belief that business must support culture and art. Apart from providing clothes to governing council members, IMAGE HADDAD will award this year’s Golden Arena for Best Actress in a Leading Role winner, actress Nada Đurevks.

13. Golden Arena for Best Screenplay is granted to Bobo Jelčić for the film A Stranger.
„In an authentic and layered manner the screenplay tackled the topic of the post-war reality and by means of the protagonist’s opportunism pointed at the true reason for the divided city.”

14. Golden Arena for Best Director is granted to Bobo Jelčić for the film A Stranger.
„With a minimalist approach, in an almost documentary manner, the director guides us through a subtly narrated intimate story that goes deep into delicate interpersonal relations.”

15. Grand Golden Arena for Best Film is granted to Zdenka Gold, producer of the film A Stranger by Bobo Jelčić.
„The film A Stranger by Bobo Jelčić has a number of strong points, excellent screenplay, inspired directing, functional cinematography and an excellent cast without exceptions.

Hypo banka grants a prize amounting to HRK 30,000.00 to Bobo Jelčić, the director of the film A Stranger, and the winner of the Grand Golden Arena for Best Film at the 60th Pula Film Festival.

II. Golden Gate of Pula Audience Award
Voting for the National Programme screened at the Arena, the audience granted the Golden Gate of Pula Audience Award to the film Cowboys by Tomislav Mršić, produced by Kabinet, with an average score of 4.79.

Cowboys, dir. Tomislav Mršić – 4.79
The Mysterious Boy, dir. Dražen Žarković – 4.71
The Priest’s Children, dir. Vinko Brešan – 4.66
Good to Go, dir. Matevž Luzar – 4.62
Circles, dir. Srdan Golubović – 4.61
Handymen, dir. Dalibor Matanić – 4.04
One Shot, dir. Robert Orhel – 3.86
Hush, dir. Lukas Nola – 3.81
Not All About the Money, dir. Dario Pleić – 3.73
Vis – a – Vis, dir. Nevio Marasović – 3.72
Simon Magus, dir. Petar Orešković – 3.46
A Stranger, dir. Bobo Jelčić – 2.82

III. Awards by the Jury of the International Programme

Jury: actress Neda Arnerić (president), director Pjer Žalica, director and screenwriter Igor Šterk

1. Golden Arena for Best Actor/Actress:
Jirina Bohdalova in the film Oldies But Goldies by Jirij Strach – „a masterly built character of the old and forgotten film diva“.

2. Golden Arena for Best Director:
Bernardo Bertolucci for the film Io e te – „the old master proves that talent and skill do not depend on the production scope.”

3. Golden Arena for Best Film:
Jackie by Antoinette Beumer – „because of a simple human story that unexpectedly shows that love is not made up of conventions.”

In the International Short Films Section the jury grants a recognition to the film The Mother – „Polish director Lukasz Ostalski proves that there is a future for the European cinema.”

In the Short Films Section, the jury of the International Programme would like to commend the film Kiss Me Softly for its honesty, talent and the skilfully guided film narration.

IV. The Federation of Film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean Jury (FEDEORA)
Jury: Gidi Orsher (president), film critic Blagoja Kunovski, film critic Nenad Dukić

1. Croatian short feature films
A Diploma for Best Film from the Short Film Programme is granted to the film
Coffee With Jam by Filip Peruzović.

2. National Programme – minority co-productions section
A Diploma for Best Minority Co-production is granted to the film When Day Breaks by Goran Paskaljević.

3. National Programme – main section
A Diploma for Best Film in the National Programme Main Section is granted to the film A Stranger by Bobo Jelčić.

V. Awards granted by the Jury of the Croatian Film Critics’ Association

1. National Programme – minority co-productions section – diploma
- A Diploma is granted to director Srdan Golubović for the film Circles, with an average score of 4.45

2. National Programme – main section- Oktavijan Award
- The OKTAVIJAN Award is granted to director Bobo Jelčić for the film A Stranger, with an average score of 4.17

VI. Awards granted by the Young Cinephiles Yury

1. International Programme, Young Cinephiles Jury: Chiara Jurić, Dora Šagovac, Luka Šipetić, Marijana Ivušić, Marin Janković, Mihaela Cenkovčan, Zoja Poropat

- A Diploma for Best International Film is granted to the film Jackie, with an average score of 4.6
- A Diploma for Best International Short Film is granted to the film Water with an average score of 4.6

2. National Programme (main and minority co-productions sections) and Croatian Short Film,
Young Cinephiles Jury: Alica Sladojević, Andrea Božić, Chiara Jurić, Daniel Zec, Dora Šagovac, Filip Zadro, Ivan Mardešić, Ivona Siničković, Jasmina Brković, Katja Milohanović, Katja Regvat, Luka Galešić, Marija Škrlec, Marijana Ivušić, Marin Janković, Matija Drinković, Nika Petković, Ugo Korani, Zvjezdana Balić

1. National Programme – main section
- A Diploma for Best Film is granted to director Nevio Marasović for the film Vis – a – Vis, with an average score of 4.3

2. National Programme – minority co-productions section
- A Diploma for Best Film is granted to director Michaela Kezele for the film My Beautiful Country, with an average score of 5.0

3. Croatian Short Films
- A Diploma for Best Film is granted to director Filip Peruzović for the film Coffee With Jam, with an average score of 4.28

VII. Awards granted by the Children’s Programme Audience
Voting for the Pulica Children’s Programme screened at the Valli Cinema, the audience scored the film Casper and Emma – Best Friends with the highest mark, an average of 4.85.

Casper and Emma – 4,85
The Great Bear – 4,82
Fidgety Bram – 4,76
The Horse on the Balcony – 4,75
Ernest & Celestine – 4,69
Mother, I Love You – 4,53
Room on the Broom – 4,47

VIII. Bring Your Own Film! Awards
Jury: Zoran Stajčić, editor-in-chief of the portal Ravno do dna, Jakov Kosanović film critic and journalist with the daily newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija, and Matija Debeljuh multimedia artist and directorj.

1. The winner according to the votes of the jury is the film A4 papirko by the team named Good Ideas. The team is made up of Ognjen Ivanović and Dragana Momčilović. Hrvatski Telekom, a long-standing partner of the festival, rewards the authors with Sony Xperia Z telephones and MAXtv To Go service for a one-year period.

These are the impressions of the jury: „Good Ideas cheered up the jury and that’s why they will go home with the award in their hands. They cheered us up because they presented a bright and completed piece of story in which love wins against all odds. We are happy, they are happy. Apart from commending the winners we would like to additionally mention the authors of the film Miss Croatia which is like an elixir for the long-suffering nation. It is a luckily found piece of dialogue that has to be jealously protected, because who knows what we will be like tomorrow.”

2. The Audience Award Winner, i.e. award granted by Maxzone Tportal visitors, is the film Bez računa se ne računa by Gerger film organization, the authors of which will receive Samsung Galaxy S3 mini telephone and MAXtv To Go service for a one-year period.

IX. The Marijan Rotar Award

The Marijan Rotar Award, bearing the name of the founder and the originator of the Pula Film Festival, is granted to individuals and institutions whose ideas, actions, help, tendencies and support have helped bring together Pula and film.
This year, the tenth consecutive year, the winner of the award is Pula designer Armando Debeljuh who has intertwined his artistic work and life with the Pula Film Festival as designer, realizer, jury member, director and artistic director.

X. Teleking Post-production Services Award

Works in Progress Jury: Joel Chapron, programme advisor at the Cannes Film Festival (France), Ira Cecić, post-production producer (Slovenia) Miroljub Vučković, International Cooperation Department of the Serbian Film Centre (Serbia).

Out of the six works in progress presented, the project selected as the best one is the film Zagreb Cappuccino by Vanja Sviličić, awarded with a valuable post-production services award at Teleking, the sponsor of the award, amounting to HRK 50,000.

“Zagreb Cappuccino is a brave film about growing-up both of its characters and its author Vanja Sviličić, who presented the complexity of the lives of her characters using rich film terminology and showing respect for rules concerning television expression.

We would like to thank all those who offered their help and support to the organization and realization of the 60th Pula Film Festival:

Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, Croatian Audiovisual Centre, City of Pula, Istria County, Croatian Tourist Board, City of Pula Tourist Board, Istria County Tourist Board.

The Europolis International Programme and Pulica Children’s Programme are supported by the MEFDIA Programm of the European Union.

Croatian Telekom – Partner of the Festivala, Croatian Lottery, Autowill, Arenaturist, Hypo Alpe Adria bank, Croatia osiguranje, Zagrebačka banka, Podravka, Zagrebačka pivovara, LMT, Barco AVC, Image Haddad, Cinestar, RIO, Arena modna kuća, Pernod Ricard and other sponsors and donors, as well as wine makers and companies that presented their products.

Media partners: Croatian Radioteleviison and Pula Radio
Main media patrons: Glas Istre, Jutarnji list, tportal.hr
Media patrons: Novi list, globus, Klasiktv, La voce del popolo, Regional Express, Radio Istra, Tv Istra, Tv Nova

Pula, July 27, 2013
60th Pula Film Festival Management

For more photographs from the opening ceremony check out our photo gallery!

Press Conference: Festival’s Management and National Programme Jury

At the first press conference of this year’s jubilee edition of the Pula Film Festival director Zdenka Višković-Vukić remembered her work with the Festival from 1977 to 1987. Excited because of the Festival’s 60^th anniversary, she remarks that this year we will have the opportunity to enjoy even more programmes and novelties. She is impressed with the work of Croatia’s filmmakers, who contributed fourteen films to this year’s National Programme. Furthermore, there are ten minority co-productions, which amounts to as many as 24 films in total. The director thanked the Croatian Audiovisual Centre for the digital technology that will be left for the citizens of Pula to enjoy after the Festival. She pointed out that the 60^th anniversary is not the only anniversary to celebrate because it’s been five years since the Valli Cinema opened its door.

Artistic director Zlatko Vidačković is proud that the International Programme Europolis on Kastel achieved a record attendance once again although the admission fee was charged for the first time. The European Programme affirmed itself fully this year, which is particularly pleasing also because of the fact that for the first time its partner country is the European Union. Vidačković stressed that Croatia should be proud of having the longest-lived and most visited national festival in the world!

Maja Weber of Hrvatski Telekom is proud of the fact as well. She thanked the entire organization for excellent cooperation during the last eleven years. Stela Prislan Fujs from Croatian Post points out that a postage stamp was issued marking the 60th anniversary of the Festival. The quantity is 100,000 stamps. The first day cancellation was on July 2, one day after Croatia’s accession to the European Union.

Finally, the director emphasized that we can expect nice weather, without rain, during the course of the entire Festival.

After the director’s and entire festival management’s address, the national programme jury presented itself to the journalists. The jury is presided over by screenwriter and director Petar Krelja and its members are producer Stanislav Babić, actress Gordana Gadžić, director of photography Slobodan Trninić and director and editor Damir Čučić. Krelja mentioned how he was brought to the first, founding Festival in Pula in 1953 by his parents and he joked about his memories of Pula reaching far back in the past. He pointed out that this year there are many films and the jury has a rather difficult task but that he doesn’t doubt their readiness to select the best films.

Conversation: Dalibor Matanić, screenwriter and director of the film Handymen

We deliberately went for the retro version in everything, with a general idea to show that our characters are stuck in time in a certain way.

After seeing your Fine Dead Girls, The Lika Cinema, Mother of Asphalt, Daddy, and other films, we expect from you dark films with an unpleasant taste. However, Handymen is an unexpectedly spirited film, a comedy that, to put it that way, goes along the lines of your feature length debut The Cashier Wants to Go to the Seaside.

The film Mezzanine is to blame, my short film from two years ago, the third part of the omnibus 6/6, that had been slowly developing since 2002. When I saw Mezzanine I thought: “It does not get darker than this. It’s time for a comedy.” This was a turning point for me to start tackling the same problems in a lighter manner. In any case, now it seems to me that this is a more accurate approach to reality.

There are a lot of gags and physical humour, which is not common for Croatian film.

Comedy is really the most difficult genre for a director. In terms of physical humour, this was the first time that I had a choreographer on a film. I engaged Irma Omerzo, with whom I collaborated in theatre on the production of Fine Dead Girls. We had an excellent working relationship. With her help we dealt with delicate details, we examined things; we searched for a gag that would be funny without being exaggerated. Actually, gag as a caricature has to be exaggerated, but we tried to avoid this gag humour becoming an end in itself, becoming isolated, forcing laughter. We wanted it to fit into the plot and the story. We wanted it to be casual, of course, to the highest extent possible. Before starting shooting I examined some films with this particular comedy note, such as The Party by Blake Edwards or films by genial Billy Wilder. I quote them at times in Handymen and some might recognize the quotes. I could not resist having the chase around the table scene, which is, of course, homage to Golik’s One Song a Day Takes Mischief Away. Working with a choreographer on more complex movements, actors felt more at ease. They felt they were in safe hands and they could work on their fine points.

The time in which the film is set is rather indefinite. References on the collapse of the railway evoke present time. However, there are no modern devices, such as mobile phones, and most of the technology – cars, radios, cassette players – and songs seem like resurrections from the dustbin of history.

We deliberately went for the retro version in everything, with a general idea to show that our characters are stuck in time in a certain way, although they are trying to be in the present, that would be – summing it all – the so-called real time of action. We could say that there is a trace of irony toward the present, the kind that I like in the films by Aki Kaurismaki.

Your excellent working relationship with director of photography Vanja Černjul is very noticeable.

We understand each other easily and I think he finds it enjoyable to come to Croatia and make a film in an atmosphere different from that in America, where he lives and works. For example, in this film, among other things, his American experience with working with actors was very useful. He knew how to subordinate the overall photography to the actor, without neglecting everything else.

The film is loaded with Croatian old popular melodies. Did you develop part of the screenplay according to those songs?

To an extent. During the shooting phase we knew the soundtracks for individual scenes and this was helpful to actors and even to Vanja Černjul. Looking from that angle, it was great that the film was produced by Croatian Radiotelevision because it was easier to get hold of these songs and to get a permission to use them.

By Janko Heidl

Conversation with: Areta Curković, actress in the film Handymen

After your screen debut in the film The Lika Cinema, your new collaboration with Dalibor Matanić brings another good-hearted and plumpish woman hungry for love.

It was beautiful to shoot The Lika Cinema, but it was strenuous at the same time and I couldn’t relax because it was my first film. Apart from that, there was that famous scene in the pigsty that we were going to shoot at the very end waiting for us. It was beautiful to shoot Handymen and not strenuous at all, although it was very intense and serious in terms of work. But generally, the atmosphere was light and collaborative. Olga was not very successful in finding love in The Lika Cinema, whereas Keka in Handymen succeeded in realizing her plan to shatter her husband Baja’s routine and awaken his love for her.

Was it fun to play slapstick?

There was laughter and fear. When we shot the scene in which I throw vegetables at Goran Bogdan, who plays the role of Ilija, everyone kept saying: “Don’t hit him in the eye!” Of course I did hit him in the eye, with a carrot. I was scared stiff, tears went down my face, and he was wonderful. He was saying: “It’s OK, don’t worry!” He held his hand on the eye – it hurt him like hell – but everything was OK in the end so we continued shooting. At times I would start laughing and I couldn’t stop myself.

The scene in which you dance tango with Bojan Navojec, or the Dalmatian flirter Lujo, is very funny too.

People practice tango all their lives, and we practiced some ten days with choreographer Irma Omerzo. And we learned what we learned, and it seems that the measure was ideal to make the scene sufficiently funny. We did not try to dance funny, we actually did our best.

 By Janko Heidl

Conversation with: Nikša Butijer, actor in the film Handymen

What is the origin of the unusual prop-phrase Đavo popija! (May the Devil Drink it!) that the character you are playing often uses in the film?

I heard it somewhere, in my childhood, and I used it now.

Baja is another reticent, down-to-earth, simple man you are interpreting.

I made my first screen appearance when I was nearly thirty. I played a small role in The Lika Cinema. In the course of five or six years a certain number of screen appearances actually did accumulate. I keep gaining experience and I always try to work from the beginning. But you cannot run away from yourself. One tries to build into oneself the projection of life that the director wants to have and that is wanted during the filmmaking process. I still enjoy this and I’ll try to endure while it lasts.

The shooting phase was relatively short, only twenty days. Does such a tight framework make it harder for actors or does it help them?

The film was not made in a couple of weeks. You create things like that in your head and what is written at the end is the result of longer considerations. Dado Matanić came up with an idea for such a film one and a half or two years ago. He mentioned it to me and he mentioned his casting choices. So it did not come as a surprise when he told me that we were actually going to shoot it. It’s true, the period between preparations and the realization was very brief, but that is not necessarily negative. It can be an advantage. No time to think – we agree on things, we do our job and complete everything in ten or fifteen days, which can be very stimulating. Although nowadays in Croatia it is not easy to withstand the twelve-hour working day on the film, especially if you’re playing a bigger role. After six or seven hours it is becoming hard to concentrate. However, we met, we had a creative idea and we got down to work with open hearts.

By Janko Heidl