From its beginnings Palić festival had an authentic atmosphere, good movies and good socializing. I was and still am his big fan
Srđan Karanović probably stopped counting his awards long ago. So far, he has directed nine feature films, more than 70 documentaries, short films and advertising films, and most of them were awarded. For Fragrance of Wild Flowers he received the critics award at Cannes, in Valencia he won the second prize for Something in Between, for A Film with No Name Grand Prix in Istanbul, and for Virdzina again in Valencia ... In addition, Bane Bumbar, Uške, Rubiroza, Goca, Čombe and a couple of millions of citizens of Yugoslavia, to this day consider its 10 episodes of Jagode u Grlu most valuable local TV series ever.
Against all formalities - what and how much does the prize "Aleksandar Lifka" really mean to you?
This award is a great honor, especially since it is practically the first one of those awards that are given to authors at the end of their careers. It is significant because it keeps the memory of Alexander Lifka, his "first real cinema", and of his traveling cinema as well, which he, to my knowledge, led with his brother and which was wonderfully called - "Electric Cinema ,Theatre’"!
When you first came to Palić festival, what kind of impressions did you have?
I do not remember exactly, I think it was during the sanctions when I was a jury member.
From its beginnings Palić festival had an authentic atmosphere, good movies and good socializing. Even then, it differed from the majority of the festivals fromYugoslavia for its authentic spirit. I was and still am his big fan.
Recently you said that you feel that this award gives you recognition, as you say - "despite all my delusions." What kind of delusions are you referring to?
I am not one of those authors who unreservedly admire their work. I am very suspicious of everything I did and I often think that most of my films I would now do differently. In dreams or in reality I come across some new solutions for specific movies or scenes. This is, of course, all in vain, but my everyday life is not boring.
There is an interview on the Internet with Đorđe Kadijević, in which the director of Butterfly says he became a director in order to change the world. And as he was filming new films, the world was getting worse. If you share a bit of his motives about entering into the world of film, what are your experiences with - changing the world?
I have never had the ambition to change the world. I wanted only occasionally, as circumstances permitted, to do some pieces of my alternative world that was, by the nature of its formation, different from the "common world". And that's all. But otherwise I would agree that the world is becoming inhuman, and therefore worse. I am convinced that I am the last one to blame for that.
Whoever wants to start magazine in Serbia as a model takes Zagreb “Start”; raspberry producers say they want to make jam like Slovenians do; and film producers, at the beginning of every new series, state that they expect success like the one Grlom u Jagode had. Did you believe, 35 years ago, that you shot series that will remain modern even today?
I worked on Grlom u Jagode with my associates, before and behind the camera, I worked long time, seriously and ambitiously. This “easy reading” or “film sequels” was a “handwork” that was still possible to accomplish on TV Belgrade at that time. We had an ambition for the series to be watched by various generations all around our country. Yet, we had no idea that the series would become very popular and that it would last so long. That was a very nice surprise.
Which one of your films makes you recognizable among European audience? And what do you think – why that particular film?
I have never run that kind of record, and I couldn’t have even if I wished. Once a film is finished, producers and distributors takes your “baby” away, and you slowly lose sight of what is further going on with it. I just suspect that films I shot at the time of Yugoslavia were wider distributed than those I shot in Serbia. Maybe not because they were better, but because then there were fewer festivals and more internationally active distribution. I also think that the world was more interested in culture of Yugoslavia than it is now for cultures of Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia… And I had a twelve-year-long break when I didn’t shoot a thing, between Virdzina and Loving Glances.
When and under what circumstances do you expect you could shoot again?
I Don’t believe I will ever shoot another film since I’m too far from the “real centers of power” that distribute significant financial means for professional realization of serious film projects. Other kinds of films are not of my interest, I think I outgrew them so younger directors should make them. But I always have some ideas…
Another winner of this year’s Aleksandar Lifka Award is Lordan Zfranović. He, like you do, belongs to a film movement described by Goran Marković in his book Prague School Doesn’t Exist. What do you think about Lordan’s films? Was it actually expected for both of you to get the same Award at the same time?
I think that Lordan Zafranović is one of the most significant authors from former Yugoslavia and Europe. I regret the fact that we, due to a circumstances, belong to different cinema, but I will always consider him a great, original author and good friend.
Goran Tarlać
