Reditelj Milutin Petrović na setu Director Milutin Petrović on the set
Anđela Jovanović
SOUTHERN BLOOD COURSES THROUGH MY VEINS
You are recognised by the public for your current roles in numerous television series. What kind of experience did you take away from the shooting of the film Impure Blood – Sin of Ancestors? “I had a big role in Military Academy, but this is defini-
IMPURE BLOOD SIN OF ANCESTORS What came before Sophka's birth? Impure blood - Sin of Ancestors, a film based on the works of Bora Stanković, opens the season of great domestic premieres on 26 th August and takes us back to our favourite heroes of Serbian literature, the city of Vranje and a forgotten era T oday we would call it Impure Blood – Gene- sis, or dub it a prequel, like some of the Bat- man films or the first episodes of Star Wars. Directed by Milutin Petrović, it is based on a long-lost script authored by Vojislav Voja Nanović, which deals with the time prior to the birth of the character Sophka. It was originally supposed to be directed by Žika Pavlović, before the loss of the script, and the project was recently resurrected when literally the last copy of the script was rediscovered. Adapted by Milena Marković, the film follows the story of prominent Serbian merchant Hadži Trifun, who strives to keep the peace with the Turkish authorities whilst also preserving his reputation and influence in Vranje, then an important Turkish town near the bor- der with the liberated Serbia. While Trifun prepares his two sons to succeed him as leaders of the Serbian people, he suffers not only at the hands of the powerful Turk- ish beys, but also due to his family. Trifun makes diffi- cult decisions that will later impact on his descendants – the heroes of the novel Impure Blood. A set inspired by Vranje’s former appearance was built for the purposes of the film – including several hous- es, an inn, military structures, a mosque, market, town square and municipal building. Authentic costumes and uniforms were tailored, while the film will be followed by a series to be aired on Radio-Television Serbia. Ac- cording to the director, Impure Blood – Sin of Ancestors is like those old films that we love to watch repeatedly. We’ve yet to see whether that’s actually the case. In the meantime, however, we spoke with the film’s two her- oines about their impressions from the shoot...
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tely my first major lead role in a film and it brought me a lot. I think it’s an extremely precious experience that I had the opportunity to work with one of our greatest writers, with this epoch, with the fellow actors with whom I worked, with director Milutin Petrović etc. I would also mention costume designer Marina Medenica, whose costumes are incredi- ble, but really the entire team, both behind and in front of the camera, was brilliant.” Besides the director, with whom did you consult the most when it came to your work on the role? “I consulted with Milutin Petrović the most, while I al- so worked on the dialect with Dijana Marojević, who was the speech and dialect coach on the film shoot. I did most of my preparations at home. I work in that way for each ro- le, and for me that's one of the more interesting parts of the filming process. I enjoy to research and see how I wi- ll approach the character, exploring the historical context.
Bora Stanković is from Vranje, as is my father’s side of my family, so I know plenty about the south and that mentali- ty. Southern blood courses through my veins. Those pro- blems are close to me, as is that way of thinking and the feelings that intertwine in his books.” To what extent were you helped and hindered by the fact that your parents, Gagi Jovanović and Bran- ka Pujić, are accomplished and well-known Serbian actors? “That’s a double-edged sword. I think I was helped a lot by the fact that I have the privilege, to this day, of discu- ssing our work with my parents in the most beautiful possi- ble way, and of listening to their stories and experiences.
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