Meet the participants
Dubrovnik Male Dormitory
Introducing the author of 'He' and 'Insomnia' - Neno Barović
Seventeen-year-old Neno Barović is a student of Tourist school in Dubrovnik nad with his friends from Dubrovnik Male Dormitory, he made a six-minute documentary film 'He' which won the award for Best Documentary at last year's Youth Film Festival. Neno's talent is now recognized, and a new film called 'Insomnia' entered into this year's competition at the 20th Youth Film Festival held in Karlovac from June 23 to 27. The multimedia section of the Dubrovnik Male Dormitory and its leader Miro Bronzić is responsible for his interest in film and audio-visual content.
Neno Barović
Why did you start filming documentaries?
Neno: My mentor Miro Bronzić put an ad for a multimedia section in our male boarding school and I signed up because I was always interested in photography, but in the end I became a director. The mentor encouraged me to direct my creativity best and showed me what it actually means and what it's worth to make films. We gathered a smaller team and chose the subject and so we created two documentaries.
How long did the process of selecting the topic for 'Insomnia' last?
Neno: Actually quite a while. The pre-production, research and selection of topics lasted for almost three months. We look for topics in people and places that are close to us and in things that are part of our everyday life. Thus, in 'Insomnia' the protagonist is tormented by insomnia and his life somehow deteriorates. Consensus is important, i.e. that the whole team agrees on the topic we want to explore.
Do you have some other ideas or topics you would like to explore?
Neno:I am aware that you need an entire team to make a film. That team needs to have the same goal and be able to express the topic of the final product. That's why my ideas don't always land on fertile ground, but I have many ideas I want to explore. One of them is the issue of education, how it used to be and how could the students relate to their teachers in the past compared to today.
Could you tell us what is the idea and topic of your winning film 'He'?
Neno:The idea of the film is essentially a critical review of the situation that occurred in all spheres and sectors of society during a time when we were creating a story for our film, and that is the definition of marriage in the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia. The film is about an ordinary young man who is, on the other hand, completely strange and who is trying to cope with and find himself in this situation.
'Insomnia'
How long did the process of making the film 'He' last and did you encounter any problems during filming?
Neno: Interestingly, the idea was initially developed for a feature film. We had almost the whole scenario and when we came to the audition and casting, at the last minute we decided that, given that the actors were amateurs, our story will not be strong and convincing enough. We then opted to switch to the documentary form and make 'documentary fiction'. Therefore, the filming took a while longer and altogether we needed about three months. The filming and editing was done in about twenty days, and during that process we have not encountered any major problems.
Given the fact that you have decided on 'documentary fiction', according to you, what is the most important difference between a documentary and a feature film?
Neno: We decided to do a documentary because we concluded that we we will be able to convey our idea and message to the viewer in an easier and more serious way. I consider that to be very important because this film, as well as the film 'Insomnia', should have a powerful message. The most important difference between a documentary and a feature film is of course the fact that feature film is more based on fiction, while the documentary form is more concerned with facts. I read somewhere that in a documentary the viewer has to learn something he would not know or what he would not think about if it weren't for the documentary.
What are your further ambitions regarding film?
Neno: I have continued to actively deal with film and video in the multimedia section of the Dubrovnik Male Dormitory, and besides, I think that I will continue to make films on non-professional level my whole life.
What are your expectations from the 20th Youth Film Festival?
Neno: The film 'Insomnia' will have its premiere at the festival, so I cannot wait to hear the reaction of the audience in Karlovac. Also, I think that, like last year, I will learn new things and socialize with people who have the same ambitions as me and have great fun.