Press Conferences for High on Life and Kick and Scream

Press Conferences for High on Life and Kick and Scream

The press conference for the film High on Life did not lack in good fun, with participation from director Radislav Jovanov, producer Sabina Krešić, director of photography Stanko Herceg, editor Anita Jovanov, musician Coco Mosquito, Svebor Kranjc, who did the animation, and actors Aleksandra Naumov, Rakan Rushaidat and Hrvoje Barišić.

Director Jovanov said the preparations for the film took a long time, a full five years, even though it was made in only 19 working days; and that he got inspiration from different sources, himself and the people around him. Producer Sabina Krešić thanked the director for trusting her production company Fade In with this project, even though it was their first feature film, and said that working with the film crew was a wonderful experience. Actress Aleksandra Naumov, also in feature film for the first time, said she could relate to her character when she first read the screenplay, but emphasised that the key in making this film was the team work, or the interaction among the actors. Hrvoje Bašić commented that they had a lot of rehearsals, which is rare, but necessary in making a film. Rakan Rushaidat also underlined the importance of the excellent casting, and added that it was very important for the crew to interact, which can actually be seen in the film. As the director is really a cinematographer who has worked with almost the entire music scene, both the director of photography Stanko Erceg, and Coco Mosquito said they are proud and happy to have been selected for this project.

Nina Violić, the producer, director, and lead actress in Kick and Scream, presented her film crew, lead actor Goran Bogdan, actress Lee Delong, producer Vanja Sremac and Filip Šovagović, who did the score.

The idea for this film, which examines the issue of divorce, was to talk about a similarly traumatic event in the life of all three characters to hear the other side of the story, and for nobody to be placed in the position of victim, especially a child, said Nina Violić. She spoke about the role of Vanja Černjul, director of photography, whose work in varying the shots contributed to the atmosphere, or the different emotional states of each of the characters. She added that it was much easier to direct the film than be in front of the camera. Lee Delong said that her role was written in a very smart way, because the film offers not only the three different points of view, but a counterpoint as well, through the role of Maggie, who sees the situation from the outside and offers additional value to the film and underlines the magnitude of the family tragedy. Goran Bogdan said that he worked on his character in a very deliberate and detailed way. Nina encouraged me to explore my character and the process as a whole was very enjoyable. Finding the nuanced differences in my character’s personality was truly fulfilling. Filip Šovagović, who did the score, said that after the initial idea for music with violin and percussion, Nina and him did decide to go the simpler route and came up with a melody that a boy can whistle. They had help from the band TBF, who the director and the author of the score said was a pleasure to work with.

The films High on Life and Kick and Scream will be screened this evening at the Arena at 9.30 and 11.15, respectively.

The programmes, as well as the detailed schedule of screenings and all other information can be found on the official webpage of the Festival: www.pulafilmfestival.hr.