Films, Films, Films... - Director's Cut

I've just started uploading my short films and other stuff on internet, because I would finally like to have most of my work in one place (which will be on this blog - in several days I will rearrange Filmography section).
I've decided to publish them also on posts, as I will upload them, with the short stories about shoots, festivals, etc...
So, here we go:
In winter 2001 I was sitting in Emotionfilm production office chatting with Danijel Hocevar about god knows what. He prepared me a coffee and I went to get some milk, I opened the frige and I saw inside 3 small reels (120m) of 35mm film (I think two were 500 ASA and one 800 ASA). I asked him what's that for and he explained that those were the reels - leftovers from previous project, they didn't use them and soon they would be out of date. I turned around and told him: "Dane, I have an idea!".:)
As I remember, that year we didn't shoot a lot of films in Slovenia, so for one afternoon shoot I called my friends, Sloveniian film workers to help me. Dunja Zupanec and Blaz Valic accompanied by Jurij Meden were actors, Bozo Zadravec was D.O.P., make-up Alenka Nahtigal, costumes - Sabina Buzdon, grips Stane Podobnikar jr. and Marjan Jelnikar, prop master - Rudi Pozeg, sound post-production Julij Zornik, Danijel Hocevar produced it and I was screenwriter, director, editor and camera operator.
Here is a crew.

And a picture from rehearsal.

Funny thing was that this was really no budget shoot, so we borrowed the electricity from Nino&Jelena's appartment. To fix it over the street it looked like this.


Anyhow, here is the film. It was kind of festivals hit, they really liked it, esspecially showing it on closing ceremonies.:) And the film is really made for cinema, because it uses the cinema hall as a film element.


Trivia:
- the voice of producer at the end of the film is acctually the voice od Danijel Hocevar. As I remember Julij Zornik recorded it directly from his mobile phone.
- Jurij Meden, Slovenian famous film critic and filmmaker plays the role of the director.
- on the first few screenings in Slovenia, at the sound of teared film and blank white frame, the cinema operators were constantly stoping the projection. We had to accompany the film reel with the warning: "In this film the effect of teared film is used. Please don't stop the screening.".

J.J.B.

The Air is on Fire

Jenny was late. As usual. Not that it really bothered me. I don't care waiting, at least I have time to observe surroundings. And Neil was already there speaking about some things that had happened to him the day before. I devoted him three percents of my attention, just nodding here and there. The queue was long and I decided to play a game which I'm usually playing when I'm surrounded by the crowd. I was imagining that I'm in bee-hive, hearing just one big buzz. Then I started to analyse particular voices, putting them on one stage: sopranos, alts, baritons, tenors. I had almost put together the whole orchestra, when Jenny arrived. It started raining. Jenny was wearing blue. And the rain was black. Or was it just becuse the night came earlier? I couldn't really say.
A minute later we were in. The band was already playing, not bad but rather flat. A dog was barking in a dictance and a child was crying in a room nearby which created quite interesting sound picture. Jenny and Neil plunged in the crowd while I was still standing indecisive. I saw some familiar faces. Sally was there, all in black as usual, with some blood stains on her face trying to look scary. Bob and Mr. Redman would appear in different corners. Bob was screaming while Mr. Redman was standing behind him with a knife in his hand. Their regular performance.
I moved to the bar. Something was out of the place. I had this image in my head of a chicken following me and screaming: »Put me together, put me together!«. A moment later it felt appart and I was followed by the particular parts: wings, thighs, back, neck. I ran all around the place but the chicken was behind me not leaving me for the slightest moment. In the corridor I met Neil and Jenny. They looked horrified. Neil was shouting while he was fighting with something invisible in the air: »Fishing-rod! Give me a fishing-rod!«. I had enough problems with my chicken so I ran away. That was actualy a good move because when I turned around I saw my chicken speaking with Jenny. I opened the first door in front of me and I found myself in a complete darkness. It was raining again. Black rain. I can tell that for sure because I enjoyed standing there while black drops were melting on my face. First image appeared: drawing of a strange chair on the napkin. Then the second. And the third. Strange shapes and objects drawn on even stranger surfaces: envelopes, bills, puking bags... I closed my eyes but the images were still there. There was no point in trying to escape from them.
I don't remember how long I was standing there but when I opened my eyes, I was standing on the beach and The Air was on Fire.


P.S. Yesterday I went with my friends Luc and Beatriz to see exhibition of David Lynch's work. When I woke up this morning I was still overwhelmed by the images that I had seen the day before. So, while I was drinking my second coffee, I put this story on the paper. Btw, I took the photo above few years ago in Dubrovnik. And here Bea and me in front of the exhibition are doing our best for Luc the photographer.

J.J.B.