On the fates of alienated characters from the margins

When you're driving a carriage from the story "Sadness" Anton Pavlovich Chekhov becomes a taxi driver in the film "Stranac" by a young Montenegrin director Milorad Milatović, empathy with the anonymous driver whose mysterious character and unfinished story intrigue the audience is inevitable.

Milatović's feeling for such topics is undeniable, as evidenced by "Stranac", a short feature film created as an exam paper at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb. After its premiere at the Cinehill Film Festival at the end of July last year, "Stranac" was included and screened in competitive selections at more than 20 international film festivals, Milatović points out in an interview for "Vijesti". In addition to numerous awards, the award for best short feature film at the 44th edition of the VGIK International Film Festival in Moscow stood out, which Milatović received from the renowned director Emir KusturicaHe was the president of the jury in Moscow, and the fact that he recognized the talent of the Montenegrin director is also evidenced by the fact that shortly after that Milatović received an invitation to participate in Kusturica's International Film and Music Festival Kustendorf, which was held in Mećavnik from January 22 to 25.

"It is a great honor when a film is liked and selected by one of the greatest, and probably the greatest, directors from this region. As confirmation of this, a few days after the end of the festival in Moscow, the invitation from the organizers of Kustendorf followed for the film to be part of this year's festival, which I accepted with pleasure. I greatly appreciate participating in Kustendorf and the opportunity to screen our film, especially because of the significance and atmosphere of the festival, as well as the fact that the festival itself has featured the works of many young authors who, after Kustendorf, made their debut feature films that later achieved notable success and were screened at the most prestigious festivals," Milatović points out in an interview with "Vijesti".

One of the most prominent young Montenegrin directors is currently studying for a master's degree in film directing at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb. He shares his impressions from the festival in Mećavnik for "Vijesti", talks more about his short film and the topics that occupy him, but also about the position of young authors in Montenegro and the region, and his plans for the future...

What impressions do you have of Kustendorf, which brings together big names in world cinema every year? Did something or someone leave a special impression on you?

I have only positive impressions from the festival. I am very pleased that I had the opportunity to watch some films that do not belong to mainstream film trends. I think that is precisely the significance of this festival. What distinguishes this festival from most others that I have had the opportunity to participate in is the atmosphere of intimacy and exchange of energy, impressions and ideas among participants, spectators, and world stars. Everyone was very approachable and open to conversation, exchange of experiences, and socializing. It is a particular pleasure to have met a number of young colleagues from Mexico, India, Russia and Serbia who I believe are doing exceptionally high-quality things in the field of film art, and that their work will be even more noticeable in the future. An example of this is the members of the jury of this year's festival, Italian directors Eduardo de Angelis and Giacomo Abruceze, who were young authors at Kustendorf with their first short films, and at this year's edition they were on the jury with feature films behind them that won awards in Venice, Berlin...

The film "The Stranger" deals with a lonely taxi driver and fleeting human connections. What inspired you to pursue this theme and what does the audience discover while watching it?

The inspiration for the film came after reading Chekhov's short story "Sadness", which I first encountered about seven or eight years ago. The story intrigued me and I thought that modernizing the story, i.e. placing it in a contemporary context, could be an interesting basis for a short film. I returned to that idea during the first year of my master's studies at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb, i.e. the year before last when the film was shot. Later, in the process of developing and writing the script, we strayed so far from the main idea that the film is no longer an adaptation of the aforementioned story, and all that remained of it was the structure of the story - that it is a story about a taxi driver (the coachman in the story) and his encounters with customers over the course of three trips. I think that the audience empathizes with the anonymous driver while watching, and that his mysterious character and unfinished prequel intrigue the audience to learn more about him, his past, and his fate.

"The Stranger", moreover, depicts "several brief encounters during a lonely taxi driver's work night," the synopsis says. It seems as if you are focusing on distance, loneliness, people's disinterest in each other... Following your taxi driver, where are we going and how far can we get?

The encounters in the film are interesting, I believe, because they carry with them and develop into something more than the usual relationship between a taxi driver and his customers. These relationships are inevitably doomed to be interrupted in the end by the reality of that relationship, which ends after the ride and the job is done. Although the film is about a taxi driver, "The Stranger" is actually about how people connect, but also how they remain distant at the same time. That dynamic and the brief correlation and intertwining of different human destinies in the course of one night seemed interesting to me for the film material.

Your previous films, I would say, also explore the complexity of human relationships and loneliness. How did that theme come about and do you come to any particular conclusions by working on it?

I think the theme of loneliness and alienation is universal and I've always liked films that explore these themes in completely different styles. These are films like "Taxi Driver", "Drive", "Mommy", "Loveless", "L'Aventura" etc. There is something, for me personally, very interesting about alienated characters from the margins of society and following their destinies. In relationships, I like the unspoken and unspoken, which again comes to the surface through a combination of subtext and good emotional performances by the actors.

How do you comment on the situation on a global level, but also in our country, when it comes to apathy, interpersonal distancing, distraction from relationships, focus on oneself and ambition?

I think that this is the reality and everyday life that modern times bring with them and from which we cannot escape. The time of technological progress, digitalization, as well as the fast-paced lifestyle have made people more alienated than ever. I do not find myself the person who should criticize this because I myself belong to that generation in which we spend most of our time looking into the "black mirrors" of the technological devices we own and neglecting true communication. We also live in a time of aggressive capitalism in which the emphasis is on individualism and business success, and as a result, real values ​​are lost. Unfortunately, people today most often value themselves through business successes, careers, and capital.

Are there any topics or phenomena that occupy you personally and are reflected in your directorial expression?

I wouldn't say there's a specific theme that runs through all of my work. I would rather say that what all of my films have in common is the lack of communication and the incomplete relationships between the characters. My goal is to make the characters and their relationships as realistic and three-dimensional as possible - to contain a dose of ambivalence that I believe exists in every relationship.

Are you currently working on anything, what are you doing at the Academy?

I am currently preparing my final short film to complete my master's studies. In addition, I am developing my first feature film, which is currently going very slowly, and is still in the initial phase and developing the treatment. I hope for support for its development soon so that I can fully devote myself to it, because after all, making a feature film is the goal and the reason why I decided to do this.

The unenviable position of young creators in Montenegro compared to the region

You continued your education in Croatia. How do you comment on the opportunities and position of young directors in Montenegro, and how different are the circumstances in the neighborhood?

I think that the position of young creators in Montenegro is in an unenviable position compared to, say, the position of creators in Croatia or Serbia. On the one hand, we are privileged because of less competition when requesting funds, but on the other hand, the funds received in Montenegro are significantly smaller. Also, filming a film in Montenegro is, in the end, more expensive and also because of the shortage of personnel in the film industry, so we are usually forced to co-produce and hire collaborators from the neighborhood in order to finish the film. Croatian and Serbian cinematography do not depend on co-productions to that extent. Also, the number of people involved in all aspects of cinematography is far greater and it is much easier to find collaborators and organize filming.

Student short films are not lagging behind professional ones

Considering that "Stranac" was created as a student film, how do you see the position of student films, are they accepted, respected, and important for young authors and the wider public, and if so, to what extent?

The film was created as an exam paper at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb. Communication with colleagues, and especially with the mentor By Zvonimir Jurić was very important in the process of developing the idea and writing the script. Their comments, suggestions and interpretations greatly influenced us to see the flaws and holes in the story during the writing process, and in the end, I believe, to correct them. I would also like to emphasize the importance of the Academy at the level of the colleagues with whom I collaborated on the film and without whom the realization of it would not have been possible, and these are Filip Rutic (screenwriter), Ida Barac (producer), Domain Martinčić (director of photography), David Stojakovic (editor), Ana Grujic (sound design). All of them were students and my colleagues from different departments at the time of filming. I think that filming student films is a privilege on the one hand because even without the support of funds, very high-quality films can be made. It seems to me that today's student films are not inferior in quality and execution to professional short films, and that the only difference is that students work voluntarily and with their muscles, which can result in even more beautiful energy and passion for the project. As for the position of the short film itself, regardless of whether it is a student film or not, I think that it is not sufficiently noticed and that it does not get enough space.

About the crisis of young couples and routine relationships without connection

Can we expect a project in Montenegro soon?

At the last FCCG competition, our short film "Carpet" was supported, so we are slowly preparing its filming, which I expect to happen this calendar year. The film deals with the emotional and existential crisis of young couples stuck in routine relationships without a true connection. The story follows a young couple who are facing a feeling of emotional emptiness and the deepening dysfunctionality of their relationship. The film is currently in the preparation phase, collecting additional funds for its realization and gathering the crew. If everything goes according to plan, I expect it to be filmed by the end of October this year at the latest. In addition, I have another idea for a short film that is related to Montenegro, but at the moment it is just an idea, so I would not reveal any more. Also, the feature film that I mentioned earlier could potentially be realized in Montenegro, but the final decision on that will only come after I finish the script.