As part of the Main Competition Programme of the 52nd FEST, the film ‘The Holy Family’(Sveta obitelj) by Vlatka Vorkapić was screened for the festival audience in the MTS Hall on 1 March.
A few hours before the screening, director Vlatka Vorkapić and actors Luna Pilić, Judita Franković and Ivan Čuić presented the film to the audience in a meeting with the media. ‘The Holy Family’ is a Croatian-Serbian co-production between Interfilm and Zillion Film by Lazar Ristovski, who sent a letter to FEST.
"The Holy Family"; is the seventh film in the series of minority co-productions, and all previous film projects had a significant impact on the Croatian and Serbian film scene. All these films in cooperation with Interfilm production were presented at prestigious film festivals, where the quality of our regional cinema was highlighted,' said Ristovski in the letter. Director and screenwriter Vlatka Vorkapić pointed out that film cooperation in the region was valuable.
‘I am very glad that we have a film at FEST, which means a lot to me, especially since we are coming with a project that represents regional cooperation between Serbia and Croatia,’ she said.
As she stated, the film is set in the 1960s.‘The film is based on a true event, which screenwriter Slavica Šnur told me about, she learned about it from her mother. We took that basis and went further, later we developed itdramaturgically in a different direction. Although the story takes place so long ago, the film is a mirror of society. All this is happening to us today as it was happening to us then,’ stressed Vorkapić and added:
‘I am afraid that this topic will be relevant in 20 years, although I would not like it. The issues of manipulation, equality and abuse are ever-present.’
According to the synopsis of the film, a sudden marriage with a young man who is burdened with a shameful secret, which makes him a hostage of a pathologically traditional and religious mother and an unscrupulous and charming father, will be a big trap of lies, dark lust,traditionalism and deviant piety for the day laborer Janja.
One of the main roles in the film ‘The Holy Family’ is played by the Serbian actor Nikola Đuričko.
‘I thought for a long time about who could play the role of Marko, and one evening Đuričko spontaneously came to mind. It was very important to me that Marko be charming, handsome, witty, likable, which Nikola Đuričko is. And then, when one digs into Marko's being, one comes across a deep darkness, under so many beautiful layers. Nikola's career is such that he plays endlessly nice guys, here I wanted it to be with a different approach,’ said Vorkapić.
According to her, the production sent Đuričko a script, and the actor was confused and wanted to speak with the director.
‘Nikola immediately asked me how I saw him for the role of Marko. He did not see himself in that role. That was his first reaction. I want to give the actors the opportunity for their new roles to be different, it is a challenge for them,’ says the director.
As she pointed out, she was not wrong because Nikola Đuričko and Ivan Čuić, who plays his son, at one point wore mustaches and looked very much alike.
The lead actress Luna Pilić said that there were ideal victims in the world today, such as Janja, whom she portrayed.
‘This means that each of us can be put in a situation of being manipulated and abused, and become a victim ourselves. I believe that victims are created, not born,’ she stated.
Actress Judita Franković plays the character of a beautiful seamstress in a small village and says that it is a supporting role, yet that the English phrase ‘best supporting role’ is a betterdescription of what she plays.
‘She is more aware of the time in which she lives than other characters, she has a mirror of events, she comments on everything, and in a way, she is the bright spot of the story and a potential bearer of change. Something positive happens from the tragedy in the film. Those three women have the possibility to create their own new world despite the tragedy that befell them.
When you scratch the surface a little, this is actually a magical and positive world,’ said Franković.
Actor Ivan Čuić believes that his character, who has a terrible secret, gradually opens up only to his wife, whom he did not want to marry. He says they commented that he was silent for most of the film.
‘That silence is dominant, it prevails, it seems that it is better to sweep a problem under the carpet and hide it than to talk about it and solve it,’ said Čuić.
In addition to the aforementioned actors, the following actors also play in the film: Anita Matić Delić, Aleksandar Cvjetković, Aljoša Čepl, Lidija Penić-Grgaš, Sandra Lončarić. The audiencecan see ‘The Holy Family’ on 2 March (Cineplexx Galerija, Sala 7, 4.30 p.m.) and 3 March (Cineplexx Ušće, Hall 1, 5 p.m.).
