Interview » Intervju | 41 KULTURA / CULTURA Legendary author DušanKovačević returns to film audiences after a break of 18 years with a comedy that contains elements of a thriller and poses the eternal question – is the end of life also the end of our residence in thisworld, or does the possibility exist to extend life in some other form? It's Not So Bad to Be Human follows piano professorMilan (Vojin Ćetković) five years after his godfather, former pop star Ranko Beli (Gordan Kičić), disappeared undermysterious circumstances. Milan decides to solve themystery and finally find out what happened toBeli. Failing tofindsupport andunderstanding among his family members and those around him, Milan develops a friendly relationshipwith a stray dog…To find out what happens next, watch the film, and until then we’re speaking with author Dušan Kovačević… Your absence from film screens has reached adulthood by turning 18. Are you excited? “When calculating the years I spent dealing with film, I concluded that I’ve directed films based on my screenplays every 20 years. A friend jokingly told me that, if I stick to that rhythm, I will next direct a film when I’m100 years old. The fact is that it was at the beginning of the ‘80s that I wrote the script and directed the film Balkan Spy, then I did the same at the beginning of the 2000s with The Professional, and now, in 2021, there will be the premiere of the film It's Not So Bad to Be Human. It turns out that this is that 20-year rhythm, which is quite unusual in directing work. Given that directing isn’t my main job, then that’s somehownatural, becausemy primary profession iswriting.” I NT E RV I EW: DUŠAN KOVAČEV I Ć, P L AYWR I GH T Fairy tale of life, death, people and dogs The film It's Not So Bad to Be Human is a story about a friendship between a man facing a major crisis and a dog who has lost a friend. This new friendship will result in something very unusual that resembles a fairy tale Tekst/Words: Jelena Pantović Fotografije/Photography: Oliver Bunić, Dunja Dopsaj Psi ipak imaju posebno mesto u vašem životu? – Oni imaju emotivnomesto, jer samu nekimbaš teškimtrenucima u životu kod njihnalazio najveće razumevanje. Ja to znam i to nije nikakvamistična priča – svi psi sa kojima sam rastao i družio se znali su šta im pričam. Oni su, naravno, odgovarali lajanjem. Nešto sam razumeo, a nešto nisam, i ovaj film je o tome. Meni je drago da će oni ljudi koje viđam po pet-šopovima, a to jemnogo ljudi, videti jednu lepupričuo velikomprijateljstvu s psima, koje postoji već desetinama hiljada godina.Meni je izuzetno žao, i tomi je jedna od potresnijihvesti, kadavidimda jeneki bolesnikmaltretirao ili ubio psa ili bilo koju životinju. Ne volim ljude koji na bilo koji način nanose bol životinjama. Da su ljudi malo normalniji, možda bismo mogli da kažemo da nije loše biti pas? – Ako imate sreće kao pas, onda nije loše biti pas. Ali nažalost, većina pasa ima tu sudbinu da se bori za život i dapreživljava veoma teško. Psimamožebiti uteha da je i većina ljudi u istoj situaciji. Da li je pseći život dobar ili nije, pokušao sam da odgovorim u ovom filmu samo jednim delom, razmišljajući iz glave jednog psa lutalice. Šta to znači biti sam, kako je to kada nađeš prijatelja čoveka koji je isto tako sam i čiji život se može nazvati psećim životom. Ili pas može svoj život nazvati i ljudskim životom. Sve zavisi od toga u kom ste položaju i kako se osećate na ovom svetu. Ovaj filmće pokušati da na crnohumoran način, kao i sve što samdo sada radio, odgovori na pitanje da li ima života posle smrti i na još bitnije: ima li života pre smrti i kakav je taj život This filmwill attempt, in a darkly humorous way, like everything else I’ve done to date, to answer the question of whether there is life after death and, more importantly, whether there is life before death andwhat that life is like
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzExMjc5