"Culture makes world go round, not politics"

BELGRADE American actor Armand Assante, who is currently shooting in Belgrade, talks about the movie he's working on, the city, and has advice for Serbian actors. Assante is among the cast of the sequel of the Serbian film "Montevideo Bog te video" ("Montevideo, Taste of a Dream") - a story set in 1930, focusing on the participation of the Yugoslav Kingdom's football squad in the first World Cup, played in Uruguay. "Culture makes world go round, not politics" In an interview for Tanjug, Assante said he had accepted the invitation of director Dragan Bjelogric and the production company Intermedia Network after he saw the film. "I saw the film was about the global culture in 1930s, about history in which a small country like Serbia played a major role on the world football scene. I did some research and found out this was also important in the U.S. There were entrepreneurs like my character at that time as well," he said. "What I found very pointed about the film is the theme of hope. Hope was so important at that time in the world. This is immediately post the great depression of all time, global," added the actor. "The idea of this small team leaping onto the international stage and the idea of social interchange, actually the birth of globalization, I thought was a beautiful idea for a film," Assante pointed out. The New York-born actor - who starred in movies such as The Mambo Kings, Gotti, Judge Dredd, and worked with directors Andrei Konchalovsky, Sidney Lumet and Ridley Scott, among others - was satisfied with the cooperation with the Serbian director and actors on the set of the movie, currently being shot in Belgrade. "This is an amazing group of actors. These actors are par excellence, no matter where you are in the world, on the global level. When I met Dragan and the company there was such a sense of ease, because they are total professionals, very schooled up, extraordinarily gifted in a theatrical sense of the word… I felt immediately like I was with extraordinary people." The American actor advised his Serbian colleagues to go to Hollywood. "English can come. I've seen it happen. When I worked with Antonio Banderas (in The Mambo Kings) he did not speak a word of English," he said, and added this depends on them, on whether they want it or not. Hollywood is more than ever a global phenomenon now. They all are experienced actors and they should go." His character in Bjelogrlic's film is an American businessman who goes to the World Football Championship in Montevideo, in 1930. "Firstly he is an entrepreneur, but he's also been through the depression, so he's probably lost everything, but he is going to hide that and he is going to be the image of success… He also is a true football believer and lover of football, so he has a vision of what football can be," he said, and added he approached the character very much as a man who sees football as a global phenomenon. "Sports, music, art, film, painting are forms of global interchange, which is the most significant thing we have in the world. I believe that culture makes the world go round, not politics," he stressed. Speaking about Belgrade, Assante - who was on Monday also received by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic - said it was "an incredible, cultured and romantic place", adding that he was aware that the city was also the place of "political turmoil" - but "had potential for something extraordinary, clearly in arts". Assante and Nikolic are seen in Belgrade on Monday (Tanjug) Casal to work on soundtrack Meanwhile, the Montevideo producers announced that Spanish pop singer and composer Luz Casal arrived in Belgrade to work on the soundtrack for the movie. The artist won world fame thanks to the music for Pedro Almodovar's High Heels. In cooperation with Slovenian musician Magnifico who made the music for the original film, Casal will record two main themes for the sequel. In her rich career, Casal worked on the soundtracks for two films. She released 13 albums in Spain and two albums in France, as well as two compilations. Tanjug

"Culture makes world go round, not politics"

In an interview for Tanjug, Assante said he had accepted the invitation of director Dragan Bjelogrić and the production company Intermedia Network after he saw the film.

"I saw the film was about the global culture in 1930s, about history in which a small country like Serbia played a major role on the world football scene. I did some research and found out this was also important in the U.S. There were entrepreneurs like my character at that time as well," he said.

"What I found very pointed about the film is the theme of hope. Hope was so important at that time in the world. This is immediately post the great depression of all time, global," added the actor.

"The idea of this small team leaping onto the international stage and the idea of social interchange, actually the birth of globalization, I thought was a beautiful idea for a film," Assante pointed out.

The New York-born actor - who starred in movies such as The Mambo Kings, Gotti, Judge Dredd, and worked with directors Andrei Konchalovsky, Sidney Lumet and Ridley Scott, among others - was satisfied with the cooperation with the Serbian director and actors on the set of the movie, currently being shot in Belgrade.

"This is an amazing group of actors. These actors are par excellence, no matter where you are in the world, on the global level. When I met Dragan and the company there was such a sense of ease, because they are total professionals, very schooled up, extraordinarily gifted in a theatrical sense of the word… I felt immediately like I was with extraordinary people."

The American actor advised his Serbian colleagues to go to Hollywood.

"English can come. I've seen it happen. When I worked with Antonio Banderas (in The Mambo Kings) he did not speak a word of English," he said, and added this depends on them, on whether they want it or not. Hollywood is more than ever a global phenomenon now. They all are experienced actors and they should go."

His character in Bjelogrlić's film is an American businessman who goes to the World Football Championship in Montevideo, in 1930.

"Firstly he is an entrepreneur, but he's also been through the depression, so he's probably lost everything, but he is going to hide that and he is going to be the image of success… He also is a true football believer and lover of football, so he has a vision of what football can be," he said, and added he approached the character very much as a man who sees football as a global phenomenon.

"Sports, music, art, film, painting are forms of global interchange, which is the most significant thing we have in the world. I believe that culture makes the world go round, not politics," he stressed.

Speaking about Belgrade, Assante - who was on Monday also received by Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić - said it was "an incredible, cultured and romantic place", adding that he was aware that the city was also the place of "political turmoil" - but "had potential for something extraordinary, clearly in arts".

Casal to work on soundtrack

Meanwhile, the Montevideo producers announced that Spanish pop singer and composer Luz Casal arrived in Belgrade to work on the soundtrack for the movie.

The artist won world fame thanks to the music for Pedro Almodovar's High Heels.

In cooperation with Slovenian musician Magnifico who made the music for the original film, Casal will record two main themes for the sequel.

In her rich career, Casal worked on the soundtracks for two films. She released 13 albums in Spain and two albums in France, as well as two compilations.