Emir Kusturica

Interview by Rada Djurica

This interview took place during the press conference at the 2006 International Film Festival in Belgrade (FEST), in which Rada participated. For more on FEST, see her essay.

Could you share a few thoughts about Anna Karina?

I must thank her for such a great honor coming from someone who was an important part of my youth, my cinematography career. She’s someone I’ve recognized in Jean-Luc Goddard’s movies. I’m very glad to meet her, to see her singing today. Anna is someone I’ve grown up to.

How is your latest film project going?

This project is in a good stage. Shooting starts in May. It will be in the 2007 Cannes Festival.

Tell us something about the film.

It’s about a boy who gets to an assignment from his grandfather to go to the city, sell the cow and an icon, and find a woman. But the boy falls in love with a girl whose mother works as the kindergarden teacher during the day and as a prostitute by night. He falls into an incredible love triangle.

What's your attitude about Latin American cinematography?

As Latin America recovers from past regimes, I think the world trends are such that their time is coming. They are going to come into something new, in the big world market that eats everything up in no time.

What are your thoughts about FEST?

The idea of FEST presenting the cultural identity of Serbia is great. The '70s were the golden years of Serbian film, when we compare this to new American films, as Hollywood imposes the American cultural identity. FEST cannot ignore the fact that cinematography is not what it used to be. It is not true, however, that art film doesn’t exist. It does, but it’s in the shadow of commercial film.