Festival awards for "White, White World"

Oleg Novkovic’s film “White White World” has won the award for best actress, and the prize for best art film at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. Jasna Djuricic won the Golden Leopard for Best Actress and the film received International Art & Essay Cinema Confederation (CICAE) prize for the best film. Festival awards for "White, White World" Director Oleg Novkovic and screenwriter Milena Markovic talked to B92 about the impact of the accolades, and and the film on their careers. According to the director, the film’s success will not only allow for to be screened in as many countries as possible, but it will also provide an additional affirmation of Serbia's cinematography. “The award is just another step toward the achievement of the goal to have it in as many festivals as possible, for it is sold to as many countries that buy films of such profile, and therefore give our cinematography legitimacy, which it, in my opinion, already has, and this it is only one further step,” Novkovic told our reporter. Markovic says that she knew from the very beginning that “White White World” (Serbian: Beli, beli svet), would be special. “It’s important to say that it is a tragedy, in the sense of something that’s actually reflecting a universal suffering of the mankind at the moment, and the beauty in that suffering,” she pointed out. The film is set in the eastern Serbian mining town of Bor, which has already been an inspiration for the work of the two filmmakers. “Milena and I had Bor as an inspiration for this documentary film of ours five years ago, and in a way we have leaned from that experience and created something new. Bor means a lot to me in my entire art career,” Novkovic explained. “It’s one of my towns, that are dying, because the world has completely changed and became an evil machine in which a few people have everything, and lots of others have nothing. But I think that people are always the same and that they will always be the same – they will have the same desires, same passions, anguishes,” the film’s screenwriter stressed. The Belgrade premiere of the film is scheduled for late fall, after it has finished its international tour. “It’s neither a comedy nor a film that adapts to the audience. The audience has to adapt to the film, and in that sense it is unusual and different, and in my opinion, special,” the director pointed said. Jasna Djuricic accepts her award in Locarno on Sunday (Beta/AP)

Festival awards for "White, White World"

Director Oleg Novković and screenwriter Milena Marković talked to B92 about the impact of the accolades, and and the film on their careers.

According to the director, the film’s success will not only allow for to be screened in as many countries as possible, but it will also provide an additional affirmation of Serbia's cinematography.

“The award is just another step toward the achievement of the goal to have it in as many festivals as possible, for it is sold to as many countries that buy films of such profile, and therefore give our cinematography legitimacy, which it, in my opinion, already has, and this it is only one further step,” Novković told our reporter.

Marković says that she knew from the very beginning that “White White World” (Serbian: Beli, beli svet), would be special.

“It’s important to say that it is a tragedy, in the sense of something that’s actually reflecting a universal suffering of the mankind at the moment, and the beauty in that suffering,” she pointed out.

The film is set in the eastern Serbian mining town of Bor, which has already been an inspiration for the work of the two filmmakers.

“Milena and I had Bor as an inspiration for this documentary film of ours five years ago, and in a way we have leaned from that experience and created something new. Bor means a lot to me in my entire art career,” Novković explained.

“It’s one of my towns, that are dying, because the world has completely changed and became an evil machine in which a few people have everything, and lots of others have nothing. But I think that people are always the same and that they will always be the same – they will have the same desires, same passions, anguishes,” the film’s screenwriter stressed.

The Belgrade premiere of the film is scheduled for late fall, after it has finished its international tour.

“It’s neither a comedy nor a film that adapts to the audience. The audience has to adapt to the film, and in that sense it is unusual and different, and in my opinion, special,” the director pointed said.