A woman escaping war decides to bring home a treat for her daughter.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer/Editor Vedrana Music

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Handout was a film school assignment. I was studying cinematography at the Australian Film Television and Radio School. My teacher asked us to write and shoot a five-minute documentary. I was out of ideas for documentary topics and decided to go for the low-hanging fruit. I would interview my mother about her experience escaping Sarajevo during the siege. It turned out to be fruitful!

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

The film is simple. It isn’t loaded with historical or political specifics. It’s about the journey of a human during a vulnerable time. Being allowed into someone’s private moment of desire and shame makes us lean in.

A shadow crosses Zeljka’s eye as passengers scramble to catch sweets handed out by UNPROFOR soldiers (re-enactment).

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

The story is personal in the sense that it’s impressionistic. The sunlight, the village woman and the passengers are experienced through my mother’s eyes. But it also explores a universal theme: the struggle to hold onto dignity when your circumstances strip you of it.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

The idea was to focus on this particular memory and the visual treatment was black and white from the start. When I was shooting my mother’s interview, direct sunlight beamed through the balcony doors. It created these sharp, geometric shadows on her face. I extracted some pots and pans from the kitchen and waved them like a crazy person to create the (very abstract) image of a moving bus through shadow.

Zeljka reflects on a moment that has stuck with her from her escape from Sarajevo during the siege in 1992.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

I was surprised when Handout won Best Australian Short at Antenna Documentary Film Festival in Sydney last year. The audience was particularly engaged during the Q&A.

Eileen Arandiga, the International Shorts Programmer at Hot Docs, described Handout as ‘a wistful portrait of Zeljka, lovingly crafted by her filmmaker daughter, which explores the manner in which Zeljka comes to terms with the new reality of being a refugee'.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Yes! I always thought it takes a certain level of production value and a big team for a film to be taken seriously. I filmed most of Handout on my DSLR camera. And recorded the interview using a dodgy wireless mic. But people respond to the story and the feel and the visuals - it’s wonderful to have that affirmed!

Zeljka’s hand reaches out to accept a sweet given out by an UNPROFOR soldier. (re-enactment).

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

Anyone who’s interested in knowing more about the film can peek into the process. Also, it’s good practice for me to put myself out there as I can be quite a private person.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

I’d love to meet like-minded people to collaborate with on the next project. It would be great to chat with a producer about the potential to expand the format of Handout into a short series about women in war. Also, the more festivals, the merrier!

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

My goal is to move the audience emotionally. We build empathy when we see and feel the world through another’s eyes. Anyone can find themselves in a situation where their world is flipped upside down. War is one of many circumstances where we find our identities compromised. My message is always about the ways in which we are similar.

A woman offers apples to the hungry passengers through the glassless bus window (re-enactment).

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

When does altruism hurt more than it helps?

Would you like to add anything else?

The re-enactments from the short doco are set in Sarajevo but were filmed in Sydney. I found some great Brutalist buildings in a nearby suburb that evoked the feel of the city. They were imposing, geometric and fit with the graphic feel of the film too.

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I’m exploring the development of a documentary web series about women in war. The concept would expand on the format of Handout: short, sharp, impressionistic stories about women’s lives during wartime. The focus isn't on fighting, brutality or violence. It’s the opposite - about war acting as the ‘mother of invention’. The tendency of humans to be creative during destructive times.

Interview: April 2019

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

Handout

A woman escaping war decides to bring home a treat for her daughter.

Length: 5:00

Director: Vedrana Music

Producer: Vedrana Music

Writer: Vedrana Music

About the writer, director and producer:

VEDRANA MUSIC is an award-winning director who was born in Sarajevo and raised in Sydney. In 2018, Vedrana directed the Storytellers Wanted ad for AFTRS under the mentorship of legendary Australian director Gillian Armstrong. Vedrana's notable works include short documentary Handout, which was selected to screen at Hot Docs and won Best Australian Short at Antenna Film Festival. Her short film A Boy Called Su screened at over twenty festivals worldwide and was awarded Best Coming of Age at Hollyshorts. Vedrana also lectures at universities, deepening her passion for film theory. She holds a Bachelor in International Studies, a Masters in Media Arts & Production and has completed graduate courses in Directing and Cinematography at the Australian Film Television and Radio School.

Looking for: journalists, film festival directors, distributors

Website: www.vedranamusic.com

Other: IMDb

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Hot Docs International Documentary Festival / TIFF Bell Lightbox 3 - Mon, April 29 - Hart House Theatre - Wed, May 1 - Scotiabank Theatre, Cinema 3 - Sat, May 4