NAFF: Bosnian film 'The Golden Apple' screened

(Patria) - On the fourth day of NAFF, a book promotion was held for "Film Doll: Aesthetics, Genre Conventions, and Hybridization in Model Animation", by Midhat Ajanović Ajan. The author
shows the foundations of the animated doll as a genre, but also refers to the works of many puppet film authors. The book intrigued the Festival participants who closely followed
Ajan's presentation, given that it specifically deals with storytelling in puppet films, the bodily architecture of models, and the representation of illusory space.

Bosnian Original Fairy Tale Transformed into an Animated Film

In addition to master class lectures, book promotions, and accompanying activities during the Festival, films from the competition program are screened every night at 9 PM on the terrace of the Sunce hotel. Last night, 13 animated films by authors from all over the world were shown. To the delight of many, the competition program also included a film from Bosnia and Herzegovina, titled "The Golden Apple". The film's author is the renowned BiH actress Tatjana Šojić, and the animation is by Alan Savić. The film has an interesting theme and tells the story of an emperor who had a golden apple at his court – under which he sat every day, waiting to see if the apple would bear more golden apples. The apple soon blossomed and produced new golden apples, which soon began to fall.

This is the first Festival where this film is being screened, said Savić.

"It is actually an original Bosnian fairy tale. We somehow came across a book of Bosnian fairy tales that was printed a long time ago, and many people don't even know that the book exists. We took the entire text,
which Tatjana narrated, and I created the animatic based on it, and we filmed it. We literally filmed this movie on the kitchen table in my studio," explains Savić, for whom, as he says, a good film is one that can entertain the audience.

Aćimović: It is a shame that Croatia does not support NAFF

This year, one of the members of the professional jury is Dejan Aćimović, a Croatian film director and actor, multi-award winner at Croatian and international film festivals – a man for whom roles were specifically written. The jury's task, he says, is not easy at all.

"I think the jury at this year's NAFF is extremely serious and responsible. We will try to award the films that are the best in all aspects. It is a shame that Croatia does not support such a serious film event. I have attended many serious film festivals in my career, and this is one of the best. The films are of very high quality and interesting, and I am sure it was not easy for the selection committee to make this choice," said Aćimović.

Aćimović has acted in a large number of theater plays, films, and TV series. He has directed three feature films and three documentaries so far. In 2008, the European Film Academy

selected "Moram spavat anđele" among the 40 best European films, and in 2012, he was the Croatian representative for the Oscar with the feature-length documentary film "Kralj".

"I would be immodest and lie if I said that it doesn't mean anything to me, because every recognition you receive from your profession means something. It is recognition for something you have done. As for film festivals in the region, I think they have lost the basic purpose of their existence. Other things not related to art have become their priorities, not the film for which they should exist. The Pula Film Festival has "missed the whole ball game", as the Serbs would say figuratively, in Sarajevo the most important thing is which world star came and walked the red carpet and Baščaršija, and you are happy if you took a selfie, not if you watched a good film. Motovun has changed its concept and no longer has that youth camping at the foot of the city and devouring films.

Festivals exist for some artificial sensation, not for the film, and the audience feels that and is no longer present in the same numbers as before," explains Aćimović.

He does not read film critics' reviews, because, as he says, they do not interest him at all – given that film is made for the audience, not for people who criticize something to satisfy their ego. In a brief conversation at the end, he also touched upon the interesting role of the policeman Ante, which was written specifically for him in the film "The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia".

"This film is very necessary for young people to see today because it is educational and important in its meaning, as it talks about things we do not want to accept and understand and from which we run away. It talks about differences, and today everyone runs away from differences. In our regions, it is a big problem when someone is homosexual, in Croatia it is a problem when someone is Serbian, in Slovenia when someone is Bosnian, on the eastern bank of the Neretva whether you are Croatian, on the western bank whether you are Muslim. In fact, the problem for us is everything that is different, and if we concentrate a little and think about our surroundings, we will realize that the people we are surrounded by and everything that happens to them is quite normal," concludes this versatile actor.