Premiere of "17" at MNT draws standing ovation
Director Kosara Mitic says she aimed for realism; lead actress Eva Kostic and co-stars describe the preparation and trust needed for difficult scenes.
The new Macedonian film "17" received a long standing ovation at its premiere last night at the Macedonian National Theatre (MNT) in Skopje, and the director said at a press conference today that the reaction confirmed her intentions for the film.
About the film and the team
Kosara Mitic, who directed and co-wrote the film, said she set out to create a sense of realism. "My goal was to create realism. To create an emotion that will feel real to the viewer," she said.
"17" addresses peer sexual violence, focusing on victims who remain silent while their surroundings fail to notice. Producer Tomi Salkovski said the cast was selected through an extensive casting process. The lead role of Sara is played by Faculty of Dramatic Arts student Eva Kostic.
On preparing for a pivotal childbirth scene, Kostic said she and the director observed real births to inform their performances. "We were with Kosara in the hospital as well, to watch births. We watched different types of births," she explained.
Martina Danilovska, who plays Lina — a friend of Sara in the film — said mutual trust among the actors and crew was crucial for filming the scenes that involve violence. "The fact that we allowed ourselves to be vulnerable and to surrender to one another created that trust among us as young actors, colleagues, collaborators, so that we would not doubt at any moment," she said.
The Skopje Film Festival programme also featured a masterclass by Serbian actor, director and producer Dragan Bjelogrlic. He told young filmmakers he tries to steer them toward asking the right questions about their work: "I try to go in the direction of which questions they should ask themselves and others at the moment they decide to make a film. What are they making films for? For whom are they making films? And why do they make films?"
The programme announced that on Sunday the Serbian film "Mraz", directed by Pavle Vuckovic and starring Macedonian actress Kamka Tocinovski, will be screened. Vuckovic described expanding casting across the region and receiving a self-tape from Tocinovski that matched his vision: "We expanded casting into the region and we received from Kamka a self tape, which she made herself, which was 1:1 what I wanted. And then maybe I destroyed more as a director what she did herself. I mean, in the end of course I am satisfied with it," he said.
Photo: press material from the event
