FNE: What are some of the main topics of interest for documentary filmmakers in Bosnia and Herzegovina at this time?
Zoran Galić: I would say that the greatest inspiration and the main topic for documentary filmmakers today is the society in the process of transition. This is indirectly linked to the topics of war and its aftermath. However, the approach of great many authors is very general and broad, leaving the films just scratching the surface of the issue. More documentaries are produced than fiction films, primarily due to lower budgets and the number of people working as documentary filmmakers is increasing. This will certainly open up some new topics in the future, introduce new approaches to documentary filmmaking and strengthen this scene in the country.
FNE: What in particular attracts you to documentary film production?
Zoran Galić: Documentary production is, in a way, a process of discovering in all of its phases. Documentaries “allow” the research phase to end up being completely different from the production phase and editing brings something completely new, again. In fiction films, the script is usually carved in stone, and even in very early stages you can close your eyes and see the whole film. Documentaries offer you many potential paths and new twists that you have to keep adjusting to every step of the way. This whole experience of discovering is what attracts me the most.
FNE: How strongly is documentary filmmaking supported in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Zoran Galić: Unfortunately, documentary filmmaking is in the same position as the entire cultural and audio-visual scene; it is somewhere on the margins, receiving very little support. There is only one public fund which covers half of the country, and in the other half there is only infrequent and very low support from the Ministry of Culture and Education. Public broadcasters show very little interest in becoming partners in documentary production, especially if the film is tackling political issues or the production is expected to last a long time. On the other hand, we have two excellent documentary film festivals, the Mediterranean Film Festival in Široki Brijeg and AJB Docs in Sarajevo, that are clear indicators that the potential is there and that with continuous, systematic support documentary filmmaking could flourish.
FNE: In general, is it easier to make a domestic documentary or an internationally coproduced documentary in Romania?
Zoran Galić: It is much easier to make a domestic documentary because with the amount of public funds available in our country we are rarely relevant players in international coproductions. On the other hand, some films simply require international partners, so these partnerships do exist, but are not very frequent. Unlike fiction films, the documentary scene in Bosnia and Herzegovina is quite a closed circle, and this could also be the reason why no larger projects have yet been produced. Most of our films are one man shows, or with a very small crew, just the author exploring with his/her camera. They are not part of a system, which is a must for an international coproduction to take place.
Contact information:
VizArt Film Production
www.vizartfilms.com
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Phone: +387 51 340 637
