The situation with the spread of the corona virus is developing quite rapidly, the virus is spreading, and the entire film world was in a kind of shock, so shootings and work on films that involve several people at the same time in a limited space were urgently canceled, cinemas were closed, festivals were postponed and many other measures were taken, the director of the Film Center of Montenegro, Sehad Čekić, summarizes the circumstances in an interview with "Vijesti". He points out that the reaction in the film world was also quite fast.
"After the initial shock, the film started making adjustments. As for Montenegrin films - a number of them, recently produced, can be found on certain free and paid platforms, as well as on various televisions, and, on the other hand, we support all initiatives that contribute to bringing contemporary Montenegrin films closer to the audience," he says. A hammer. In addition to the existing ones, numerous online platforms have appeared that offer a rich selection, even of the latest film productions whose festival life was supposed to start right now. Movies are one way to spend quality time, and in addition to what fans of the seventh art are used to, online you can find a lot of other content related to cinematography. Despite this, according to Čekić, the absence of independent production is felt, and oversaturation of content can often be a problem when choosing.
"Legal platforms offer a rich offer, although there is a certain absence of independent production, original films, as well as classics. However, even in what is currently on the platforms, you can find a large number of highly regarded films and series. We live in a time of oversaturation of contents and easy access to those contents, and making an appropriate choice appears as one of the special problems. I admit, it's not simple, and conditional leave is either shortened or deformed. I would also direct attention to the huge number of exceptional documentaries, very rare interviews, online education in the field of film, experiments carried out in the field of digital improvement of cinematographic works, as well as many other and related things, which can capture the attention and enrich the knowledge and skills of those interested to the citizens", says Čekić.
When asked what he would recommend to citizens, apart from staying at home in order to facilitate the fight against the corona virus with discipline, solidarity and responsibility, Čekić admits that it is difficult to give general advice. He adds that activities that can enrich one's own interests that already exist, or new ones will develop, are key, and the key, he honestly answers, is to preserve mental health and, above all, to follow the recommendations of experts.
"It is difficult to give general advice, since a certain number of citizens spend part of the day working from home, and there are other types of obligations, as well as many different cases, so it is impossible to advise them all in the same way. I hope that citizens will find ways to spend time in their homes in some kind of activity that can occupy them and enrich the interests they already have or develop new ones. Experts point to the importance of preserving mental health, and activity these days, in the home environment, is an essential item in the fight against the virus. The most important thing is that this period passes in accordance with the recommendations made by medical experts and authorities, so that everything goes smoothly and with as few consequences as possible.
Recommends three recent films and the series "Succession"
When asked if, as the director of the Film Center of Montenegro, he would single out which films are worthy of attention, and if they were available online, Čekić points out that there is a lot of quality content on different platforms. He singles out three recent films and one series that he says is his favorite from the previous year.
"There is really a huge amount of very high-quality content on the platforms, whether film or series, so the possibilities are almost limitless, and this specific period, I hope, very limited. As for legal platforms, I would single out at least three exceptional films from recent production that can be seen on Netflix: 'The Irishman' by Martin Scorsese, 'Uncut Gems' by the Safdi brothers, as well as 'Atlantics' by Mati Diop. I would also recommend the series 'Succession' on the HBO platform, which I would single out as my favorite from the previous year. In addition to these achievements, Čekić also referred to many organizations that have now launched free platforms, all with a humanitarian goal.
"Many organizations and distributors these days have launched free platforms, among which is the platform of the international documentary film festival in Amsterdam - IDFA (one of the most important documentary film festivals in the world) - https://www.idfa.nl/en/collection /free?page=1, or the initiative "My Darling Quarantine" (https://talkingshorts.com/festivals/my-darling-quarantine-short-film-festival) which presents a selection of exceptional short films with a noble cause. These are recent initiatives that offer exclusive movies, which are hard to find in regular offerings. Of course, new initiatives appear on a daily basis", points out Čekić and adds that all these initiatives are worthy of attention.
Bonus video:
