News

Press Report / Day 6

20.07.2023.

Andreas Dresen: The Palić European Film Festival is one of the most wonderful festivals in the world

On the sixth day of the 30th Palić European Film Festival, on Thursday, July 20, speakers at the press conference on Great Terrace were director Andreas Dresen, the Aleksandar Lifka Award laureate; actor Nikola Ristanovski, the regional Aleksandar Lifka Award laureate; multimedia artist Maria Cañas, Underground Spirit Award laureate; crew of the film "Cold as Marble" - director Asif Rustamov and screenwriter Roelof-Jan Minneboo; Andrija Lekić, director of the film "Mavena" and the crew of the film "Supporting Actors - Fragments" - director Árpád Sopsits and director of photography Gergely Tímár.

Director Andreas Dresen, the Aleksandar Lifka Award laureate in the category of foreign authors, spoke about his experience at the Palić Festival: "This is one of the most wonderful festivals in the world. It is very relaxed and not very typical. You don't have to "sell" anything, but you are simply in a place where you meet people, audiences, other filmmakers, where you watch films in a wonderful environment. The screening of Ken Loach's film was packed last night, and it's a wonderful feeling when so many people from different countries are laughing and crying at the same time - that's the greatest gift from film."

Actor Nikola Ristanovski, the regional Aleksandar Lifka Award laureate, said about this recognition and the Palić Festival: "I am proud of this award. First of all, I have the feeling that in Palić I am with a group of people who are incredible, who cultivate incredibly beautiful energy. I was here 5-6 years ago and I have the impression that this place is full of enthusiasts and people who really love what they do. The word regional in the award matches my feelings and understanding not only in the approach to my profession, but also a little wider than that. I am very grateful and this means a lot to me".

Maria Cañas, Underground Spirit Award laureate, said that she feels great gratitude for the award and for being in Palić. Regarding the exceptional attendance at the screenings of her films at the Festival, she said: "We worried since my films were screened at the same time as the main festival program, but I am very satisfied and feel it as a success that the hall was full, and with young people. They expressed interest in my work, which I perceive as the cinema of the future. It should be possible for such films to reach as many people as possible. It is important that we agitate for this kind of art and free thinking, which I represent in my works."

Asif Rustamov, director of the "Cold as Marble" in the "Parallels and Encounters" section, spoke about the differences in the reception of the film on the domestic and international scene: "I am very satisfied with the international reactions to the film. I cannot say that it was the same in Azerbaijan, because it is controversial. There were a lot of haters for different reasons - some were bothered by the sex scenes, some saw it as Islamophobic, or as if it was against Azerbaijani tradition. So, the film was controversial in Azerbaijan, and very successful on the international stage, where it received many awards and was warmly welcomed and that makes me happy. However, so far we haven't had a big audience in Azerbaijan, maybe only 200 people. I'm really curious about the reactions of the wider audience”.

Andrija Lekić, director of the film "Mavena" screened in the New European Documentary Film section, reflected on the key segments of this production: "Four stories were filmed over a period of eight years - blood feud and its consequences, the virgina phenomenon, love between a sister and a brother who fell into a coma and woke up with permanent brain damage, and the last days of my father in the terminal phase of a cancer. This is partly an autobiographical film, but it's based on the experiences of many people I've talked to over the years."

On the seventh, last day of the festival, on Friday, July 21, at the Summer Stage in Palić, at 9 p.m., festival awards will be assigned to the best European films. After the ceremony, the film "Safety First" by Pavle Vučković, will be screened in the Official Selection out of competition. In the program "Parallels and Encounters" at the Abazija Cinema in Palić, the film "The Penalty Kick and Sexual Life of Ana Đ" directed by Milica Stojanov will be screened out of competition at 5 p.m., and at 7 p.m. the film "Coma" by Petar Jakonić, is on the program as a special screening.