Savina GERŠAK I REALLY LIKED KATARINA’S CHARACTER You stated on one occasion that you wo- uld return to film when a role came up that would allow you to find yourself in it. What attracted you about the character you play in The Elegy of Laurel? “The way in which the darkness of a community is presented, and marital relations within it, were extremely intriguing to me and I immediately agreed to play the ro- le. When I read the script, I really liked Katarina’s chara- cter, as a woman whose apparently ideal life was actually filled with disappointments and distance from her nea- rest and dearest. Her decision to abandon her existing normality, after decades of marriage, and start an in- dependent life as a way of critically examining her own experiences, seemed exciting to me, and important for considering the role of women.” Shooting the film took a long time, due to interrup- tions. How did you feel on the set itself, considering the big break that you’d taken from acting? “The film crew gave me great support and we shot it with ease. From the outset, director Dušan Kasalica had a clear vision of the relationship between the characters in the film. We had a good understanding of each other in terms of interpreting the script and the characters, so again working in front of the camera brought me great joy. Special emotions bubbled up in me upon returning to Montenegro, where I first started my acting life almost four decades ago.” How were your impression of Frano Lasić? “Frano Lasić is an exceptional actor and professio- nal, and above all an incredibly sophisticated person in whose presence you believe that you can accomplish everything. In today’s times, you can’t say that about a lot of people. He has a healing effect on the world arou- nd him. It was an indescribable pleasure for me to spend time with him and to together create a striking on-screen relationship.” More mature audiences remember you from the pe- riod when you actively engaged in tennis. You we- re written about as an icon of style and the muse of many renowned directors. And today you’re working very successfully in psychotherapy. In which ways are these three very different careers connected? “Through acting, you handle and play with different psychologies. It is thoughts that trigger different acting be- haviours. In that sense, psychology and acting are inextri- cably linked. And tennis is my greatest love. I started trai- ning at the age of 12 and still play in tournaments today.” SG
You’ve shot as many as three films with the legen- dary Živko Nikolić. What are your fondest memories of that collaboration? “From the shooting of Živko’s films, it is him perso- nally that I most often recall. For the first film we did to- gether, The Death of Mr Goluza, I was found by his assi- stants, who requested photographs of me from my parents. When they called me by phone, I thought so- meone was playing a joke on me and I almost hung up. It was only on the set that I actually met Živko. I was on- ly 19 and, at first glance, his pronounced individuality left me with the impression that he was an unapproacha- ble, strange man. After the screening, I became aware that I was working with one of the greatest European di- rectors.” You’ve spent a long time living in Rome. Tell us three things that no one should miss out on in the Eternal City… “Be sure to have a coffee at Sant’Eustachio Il Caffè near Piazza Navona, visit the tomb of Raffaello Sanzio at the Pantheon and see the Orologio ad acqua (Water Clock) at the Villa Borghese.”
Tekst/Words: Jelena Pantović Fotografije/Photography: Arhiva/Archive , Kadrovi iz filma/ Scenes from the movie
Film » Film | 49
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