Lordan Zafranović for NIN: I am afraid that our fears will come true

His cinematic opus and a recognizable authorial style, say the connoisseurs, are known for their high artistic quality, commitment, complexity, receptiveness… In short, as it happens in art, even when he is speaking mercilessly about the most horrible things, he does it with the power of beauty.

The latest in his list of awards is the Lifetime Achievement Award of the 71st March Festival (Belgrade Documentary and Short Film Festival, March 26-30), which was officially announced to the public at a press conference held to promote the event in Belgrade’s Dom Omladine on March 22nd.

Among other things, it was pointed out that Zafranović is a laureate who “gives a part of his own value and significance to every award he receives” and that he is “inextricably linked to the history of the March Festival, where he presented his first film in 1966 and his one hundredth in 2019”.

In all those years in between, the statement reads, a brilliant director’s career ensued, filled with masterpieces in the realm of feature films, as well as short films and documentaries, such as “Ave Maria” (“Ave Marija”, 1971),  “Antique” (“Antika”, 1972), “It’s Hard Work to Build a City” (“Rad zida grad”, 1975), “Homeland: Vladimir Nazor” (“Zavičaj - Vladimir Nazor”, 1978), “Jasenovac: The Cruelest Death Camp of All Times” (“Krv i pepeo Jasenovca”, 1983), “Terracotta Faces” (“Lica terakota”, 2003), “Celestial City Symphony” (“Simfonija nebeskog grada”, 2004) and many others, which are not only a part of history, but rather anthology of our documentary and short film.

He has been recognized as an uncompromising creator, and described by screenwriter Arsen Diklić as a person who “is not afraid to dig through things to get to the bottom”.

At the conference, Zafranović emotionally recalled some of his films, various colorful situations, experiences…

And then he spoke to NIN about his attitude to awards, his new and most recent film, political and social circumstances, topics that preoccupy him…

Last year at Fest, you were presented with the Belgrade Victor Award for outstanding contribution to cinematic art, to mention only one of the recognitions you have received so far, and now the Lifetime Achievement Award. What does it mean to you?

It is always a kind of confirmation that we have achieved something. That we have used the medium of film, being in it for so long, to present everything that has troubled us, that we wanted to say in various different times, various ideologies, various downfalls, wars, horrors, filled with the fears that it would happen again, which is the reason why we were doing it.

Considering that this award is given for the work of a lifetime, a question is raised – when you look back, what is your main impression?

I find the phrase “lifetime achievement” funny in a way, because I am still working. It may sound bizarre, but I feel as if I’m only at the beginning. With my every film, even now. I am already thinking about a new film, because this one is about to be finished soon. The filming is over and it is now being edited. And immediately I am captivated by a new film.

Which film? What is it about?

A tragicomedy set in Split, before the emergence of fascism, before the onset of World War II. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time.

Why?

To bring out my temperament in a way, and to show the world, in a felliniesque fashion, that we were also a part of that same tradition and culture, only on the other side of the Adriatic.

Following in Fellini’s footsteps…

Something like that. All right, it sounds as it does, but it is true.

Are you saying that it would be almost autobiographical?

You can say that. It would have something that people would recognize, that is a part of this culture, the spirit of this part of the world.

NIN / Zoran Ilić

In your rich filmography, the viewers might single out “Occupation in 26 Pictures” (“Okupacija u 26 slika”), “The Fall of Italy” (“Pad Italije”), “Aloa – The Whores’ Festival” (“Haloa - praznik kurvi”), “Evening Bells” (“Večernja zvona”) ... What would you mention first?

First of all, there would be no feature films without the documentaries. A slightly deeper analysis would clearly show that I, almost habitually, first made a documentary film. It is because I wanted to research a certain topic, to make a documentary first, and only then, with some experience of the truth that I would come to, would I venture into a feature film. The film that I am working on now has also been preceded by a documentary, “Jasenovac: The Cruelest Death Camp of All Times”. There are no documents in it, but played parts, characters, dramas, fates, tragedies… nevertheless, it is almost identical.

What is identical?

The evil is identical.

Last time, when we were talking about the film under the working title “The Children of Kozara” (“Djeca Kozare”) or “Golden Cut 42” (“Zlatni rez 42”), you said that the phenomenon of evil was a topic that fascinated you...

That is true, it does fascinate me. Jasenovac is undoubtedly a major historical fact, but it is also an inspiration for exploring the phenomenon of evil. How is an ordinary man, when faced with ideologies and historical upheavals, seduced by evil? What is it that develops in humans – in both individuals and masses – and in what way, that later on, as history shows, results in mass tragedies? The phenomenon of execution. How do we kill? How does an ordinary man with all his virtues and flaws become consumed by hatred, a murderer, a torturer? There are painful processes and facts at work. And always an open question.

While you are editing “The Children of Kozara”, or “Golden Cut 42”, do you ever think that less and less is known today about the partisans and the Germans in World War II, about chetniks, ustashas, leftists, rightists…except when something – often in a problematic setting – is pulled out to the front for various purposes. Are those not the things on the margins of memory and even more so, on the margins of interest?

Unfortunately. In the letter left behind by one of our heroes, he says: “Jasenovac is as if it never existed, there is only wasteland.” It is a fact. There is nothing except grass and a vast wasteland. But, if important things, especially if they are horrible, are on the margins of memory and our mind, it does not mean that they do not have an effect. On the contrary! In our film, we dealt with one of the most severe traumas of our region. And that trauma is also a warning. So that it would not happen again. And I’m afraid that it is very close, the tensions are high. The spreading of propaganda, that is, of hatred, is immense. My gut feeling tells me that our fears have come true. It only takes a little spark to set everything on fire.

When you talked about your documentaries, you emphasized the critical attitude and the need for it. From that perspective, do you follow the political situation in Serbia? What is your opinion about the events, the president, the people in power?

I have been here for almost two years. I follow the political situation as much as possible, considering that I am focused on my new film. You could say, I am an amateur follower. It is quite confusing. I also follow the situation in Croatia. It is also confusing. It looks like there are two or three polar opposites in the game, but the real question is how different they actually are. It is as if both the government and the opposition are associations of profiteers that differ only in the degree of their success in profiteering. There is a grey area, some call it the deep state, and I call it a mafia type organization, which is inherited by all new arrivals. Elections are held, new people maybe come, but there is this so-called deep state with the people and the services who know the inner workings of the corrupt system. And more or less everybody enters those caves, and that is where the most important things are happening. Occasionally, someone might get away, break through, but the majority simply joins the system of money grabbing. After all, it’s no secret: nobody becomes rich without the state’s backing. As for me, I am waiting to see how this blow will be received, because it is very strong. Uncompromising.

What blow?

My film. A blow to the plexus… I expect reactions. And I know that they will depend on the particular constellation of relations between Serbia and Croatia when it comes out. Because the people in power make different agreements at different times. On one occasion, Kolinda said, I’m paraphrasing – “I will not mention the Serbian military aggression, and you will not mention Jasenovac”, and that’s OK. They made an agreement, so there was a break, quite a long one. But things are messed up again. Although, it’s all the same to me. I don’t get upset over it, I’m just curious.

What has guided you through life, through your career?

Beautiful women and good films.