A carefully selected selection of short student films of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts (FDU) in Cetinje will provide the public with an insight into the movement of the contemporary Montenegrin film scene with the "FDU in the Montenegrin Cinematheque" event, which will begin tomorrow evening and continue in the following weeks through the imagined five units.
Announcing the program at yesterday's press conference, the dean of FDU Edin Jasarovic, pointed out that the show of selected works represents a benchmark for the work of both students and this unit of the University of Montenegro.
"The selection emancipates a kind of special sensibility, all films are of a research character, experimental and precisely because they are free in expression, ideas and formats, they are also specific and different. With these five weeks of a full program in which we will also have conversations with the authors, I hope that we will bring the idea of how important film is to film and media literacy and will contribute to the understanding of what contemporary film expression is in Montenegro," said Jašarović. .
Regular professor dr Nikola Vukcevic he pointed out that more than 30 student films selected for this occasion represent a representative third of what was produced during the previous 15 years.
"One of the maxims of FDU everywhere in the region is 'Don't talk, work', and this is the right opportunity not to tell you how great those films are and how interesting the processes are, but to show it. Additionally, for these five Fridays we have mixed generations, we have films from 2009 onwards, and every Friday those five or six films represent a kind of picture of several of our generations, primarily from the studio program Directing, then Film and Media", he said.
When asked by "Vijesti" what characterizes the contemporary Montenegrin film scene and the manuscripts of authors of the younger generation, what kind of poetics, expressions, and motives dominate, assistant professor and professor at FDU, producer and director Dušan Kasalica he reminded that domestic cinematography, in addition to established directors, is increasingly made up of young people, who mainly make their mark in short films, documentaries, and then feature films and feature films.
"I can't thematically find and define the framework of the themes of those films because our cinematography is quite diverse in thematic and aesthetic terms. The authors move between what we could characterize as a commercial, cinema or genre film to what belongs to the niche of arthouse film. In this context are the topics that are being discussed, and what I can point out as a common thread is that it is almost everyone's tendency to communicate some local topics to a wider audience and make them universal, as the popular saying goes", said Kasalica to "Vijesta ".
Jašarović and Vukčević point out that diversity and diversity is what stands out in the handwriting of authors of the younger generation, and that it is impossible to talk about it in general terms, but they single out knowledge as a success factor.
"If there is something that generally characterizes the contemporary Montenegrin film scene, it is the students' feeling that they know the blood flow of film very well. Through their work, they get to know all the elements of the script, production, post-production and how they help each other", says Vukčević.
He also points out that the contemporary Montenegrin film scene is actually mostly made up of cinematography that comes from FDU, which makes them all proud because it speaks of effort and dedication, but also the results that testify to the existence of a film school in Montenegro.
"What characterizes her, I don't think we would be able to talk about it, because that should be determined by the viewers and colleagues. We are people from the inside and I am not sure that our feeling on the subject is right. The films of our students are screened at the majority of professional festivals for which films were made with serious budgets by everyone but our students. It is a beautiful picture of the beginnings of our students. Their results today are relevant and they are something that says that we are all on the right path together", said Vukčević.
With that in mind, Jašarović says that these activities aim to bring the work of students, schools, and colleagues closer to the Montenegrin public.
"A student with us shoots about seven films or exercises, along with an assistantship. They have an obligation not only to work on their own films, but also to be assistant directors to their classmates. That's a significant number of days on set, through work," points out Jašarović, and Vukčević reminds us of a specific, recent term that describes the practice and knowledge of FDU students who later create our film scene.
"There is an expression that is present today and it is called filmmaking, and which I did not support and love for a long time. That seemed lower to me than directing, scripting, producing, but now I think that the modern world is going in that direction. Filmmaking is actually something that sublimates all our activities, and the way of working on film in Europe during the last 15 years is represented through that term. I am also pleased that the reforms within FDU have led to the fact that, through student programs and models, we also start with this filmmaking in the first two years of study, so that after that the students differentiate themselves, both in terms of poetics and craft", says Vukčević.
Speaking at yesterday's press conference, Asst Dušan Kasalica points out that short films are increasingly becoming an interesting form, separate from what is preparatory work for feature films.
"Even though cinematography has become quite varied and diverse, more and more films by domestic authors are financed by significant international funds and thus a completely different dynamic of working on films is adopted, which is in line with what European cinematography represents", says Kasalica.
The program at the Montenegrin Cinematheque starts tomorrow at 20 p.m., when the following films will be shown: "Thirst" Nikola Vučinić, "Hero from the Park" Nemanja Lakić, “Pause” Matija Jovanović, “Letter or Head” Dušan Vojinović, “Intro” Ivan Salatić and "The Death of Blood" Senad Šahmanović. On this occasion, works whose authors belong to different generations of directing students will be shown, so visitors will be able to view the early works of today's prominent directors who make up the contemporary cinematographic scene in Montenegro.
Jašarović also noted that the framework for creating those films was a synergy, but also the support of the Ministry of Culture during the first years, and then the financial assistance of the Film Center of Montenegro.
The increasingly rich program of the Montenegrin Cinematheque
The Director of the Montenegrin Cinematheque, Goran Bjelanović, announced the enrichment of the institution's program in the coming period, which starts with this review, and will continue on March 18 with the new event "Saturday Evening Film Fever". In addition, he announced a program dedicated to contemporary Montenegrin cinematography, from Živko Nikolić to the present day, as well as numerous accompanying activities, such as thematic workshops, lectures, exhibitions, all with the aim of enlivening and making the work of the Cinematheque more visible.
When it comes to the revue of student films, he pointed out that he wants to support young authors.
"The idea of this presentation is to make the work of FDU visible, as well as to give satisfaction to young people who did not make films to languish in laptops, but to give them the opportunity to see their works on the big screen and to present to the audience, which means that their the soul woven into every shot, every frame, on the main, big screen of the offer to the audience", he said at the press conference.
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