h.nazan ışık—

24 March 2014—

Let’s meet Directors Benedikt Erlingsson (Of Hourses and Men), Tudor Cristian Jurgiu (The Japanese Dog) and Roberto Minervini (Stop the Pounding Heart). Their films are very different than each other, and they are all in the New Directors / New Films 2014 program. And their answers are very different than director Ana Lily Amirpour’s (A Girls walks Home Alone at Night) answers.

Benedikt Erlingsson (Of Hourses and Men)

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Hatice nazan ışık: We are at the “Of Horse and Men” party at Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center. It is your event, and it is crowded. And you have so many people to greet. Yet you are so kind to talk with me. In your movie people are always watching each other, even with binoculars. Would you like to talk about it?

Benedikt Erlingsson: It is a custom in Iceland to watch each other. In a small community where there is a long distance between properties, people are very curious about what one does, and become very interested in each other. But when you put people together like in big cities, everybody become isolated. It is a great paradox. And people in the countryside they follow each other’s movement.

HNI: How difficult was it to make this movie since you had horses with important ‘roles!’ ?

BE: This film was a quite challenge. You can’t practice; tell horses what to do, where to do, and when to do. of the times you have to wait for the event happen. For example you want horse to look at that direction, but not happening, you just have to wait. For one seen with the black horse and the white horse in the movie, you need to know how their hormones work, anticipate their needs…and you know you have only one shot. You can’t tell them “take 2/ do it again”, you have be ready to shoot and wait…..

HNI: And sometimes they might cause embarrassment for the owner as in your film.

BE: Definitely, in some cases it hurts the integrity of the owner, in the film of a man.

HNI: If you were a journalist what would you ask director Benedikt Erlingsson?

BE: Ehhhh (a long, long pause) I am not interesting in asking directors questions. I think the film should speak for itself. If I have a lot of questions that means something is wrong.

HNI: OK. One question.

BE: Ahhh! Do you like it? (He laughs) Do you like to make it? Was it more terrible than pains?

HNI: You already asked more than one question. Was it more terrible that pains?

BE: Oh..And I would say, yes it was more painful that pain.

He laughs again, and leaves.

Tudor Cristian Jurgiu (The Japanese Dog)

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Tudor Cristian Jurgiu at the “Of Horse and Men” party at Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center.

Hatice nazan ışık: If you were a journalist what would you ask Tudor Cristian Jurgiu?

Tudor Cristian Jurgiu: Oh.. What would I ask myself? Let me think about it a little bit. (He took a long, long pause. Looked up and down…) I really don’t know now. (He smiles) I can write it, send it to you.

Roberto Minervini (Stop the Pounding Heart)

I had a chance to meet director Roberto Minervini and his film’s subject Sara Carlson and her family at “New Directors Brunch’ at Rosa Mexicano.

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Roberto Minervini (second from left) , Sara Carlson (forth from left) and her family at the New Directors Brunch.

hatice nazan ışık: (I started directly with my ‘signature’ question that I ask everyone I interview) If you were a journalist what would you ask Roberto Minervini?

Roberto Minervini: Why do you make this film, why do you hang out with these people?

HNI: And why do you hang out with these people?

RM: It is all about couple of things, it is almost a political thing for me. People should be aware of what is going on of other people. Force people to look at neighbors. Creating awareness; it is something political.

HNI: How long did it take you developing the project and shooting it?

RM: We met five years ago and talked how we tell the story. Shooting took 54 days.

HNI: Do you like making movies, what is it for you?

RM: I don’t care what filmmaking as structure process. I don’t care about entertainment value of it. I don’t care about the success. First thing for me it is a creating awareness.

Photos © h. nazan ışık —NKENdiKEN

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