KULTURA / CULTURE
“I like working with well distributed roles and good people, which means when I feel good among them. And perhaps they even give me more than I’m initial- ly willing to give for a project. I’ve been heavily engaged over recent years and I’m glad that most of the series have been well received among both the audience and critics. In our country we really shoot the most series compared to the region.” You also act in the series Time of Evil, a ti- tle that’s quite symbolic of the time in which we live... “That Dobrica Ćosić novel has long since been im- portant. We constantly live during times that are nev- er able to bring us anything good and better; there is constant talk about better bygone times. It doesn't have to be like that, but that’s what this project addresses. In that story, it was a great challenge for me to act in the German language. My colleague Anica Dobra, who speaks excellent German, taught me, and it seems to me that she did so very successfully.” Which roles or characters represented turn- ing points in your career? “I can't determine a turning point. And I don't pre- cisely know what a career is. Acting is my job, for some people it makes a mark, for others it doesn’t, and for me it makes a mark on my life. I started acting profes- sionally in the theatre immediately after finishing col- lege, thanks to Mira Trailović and Ljubiša Ristić, and also in film, thanks to Aleksandar Petković, who gave me my first significant role in the film Hajduk. I had the good fortune to work with Yugoslavia’s most im- portant masters of directing. It was with them that I made cult Yugoslav films. A turning point for me was my meeting with director Miša Radivojević, whom I felt as both having my number and as my man.” While we’re on the topic of turning points, it is interesting that the song ‘My friends’ has literally become the anthem of our diaspo- ra population. How do you recall that song and film? “The film In The Middle Of Nowhere was shot dur- ing the catastrophic 1993. I remember a conversation with Bajaga, when director Miša Radivojević explained to him what kind of music he wanted and that it was important to compose a hit. Alongside the song “My friends”, the rest of the music still lives on almost three and a half decades later. Whenever I enter some tavern, I rejoice in that song as a sign of one period. Both Ba- jaga and the director and actors are still recognised by many people thanks specifically to that film.” Do you sometimes prepare for roles aboard flights and do you generally like to fly? “Many of my friends fear flights, well I really love them. I like that they pass quickly between point A and point B, and that those places differ significantly, while I also like the fact that the pilots and flight attendants always have something personable about them… Yes, I really like to fly, in every sense of the word.”
INTERVIEW: SVETOZAR CVETKOVIĆ, ACTOR I like to fly. In every sense
S vetozar Cvetković has spent more than four decades enjoying himself while taking off in acting and producing challenges, and he equal- ly enjoys every take off by plane. This Novem- ber, he was once again flying with Air Serbia to his beloved New York, where he is embarking on a new acting adventure on the Broadway stage. “Belgrade’s Atelje 212 Theatre, New York’s La Ma- Ma Theatre and Priština’s Kendra Theatre have been working together on the English-language play “Bal- kan Brothel”, directed by Berta Neziraj and written by Jeton Neziraj. This international, independent co-pro- duction includes seven American actors, Ivan Mihajlovic and myself from Atelje, and one actress from Prišti- na. The premiere took place in early November at At- elje, then, in April 2022, we will performe with this play in New York.” You generally love New York and have your favourite places there… “New York is the city that most reminds me of Bel- grade, though that’s paradoxical, because it is kind of dishevelled, just like Belgrade, and has special charm. I most like the Village and Cafe Reggio, where you feel great with an expensive breakfast and excellent cheese- cake. I was there with my younger daughter two weeks before the declaring of the pandemic.” Returning to current projects, tell us about your role in the film Bullets Over Marseille... “This film is very dear to me, as is the role of the legal defender, with which director and screenwriter Gordan Matić paid me a great honour. It was a great challenge for me to defend the indefensible, because King Aleksandar Karađorđević’s assassination changed the course of history for us. The defence lawyer succeed- ed in having the death sentence for the participants in the assassination transmuted into life imprisonment. None of the three convicts completed their sentences. ” You manage to stand out in different roles in TV series. These include the series Professor Mišković's Notebook, Radio Mileva, The Fam- ily, Branded on Court etc. Do you still feel good when working on several projects si- multaneously? I have the impression that Air Serbia advanced a lot as a company. I'm overjoyed flying to Broadway on your planes
Pesma Moji drugovi ostaje za sva vremena The song My friends lives forever
26 | Intervju » Interview
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