Hot Docs 2019 – How much do you love yourself?
Viktorija is a homeless girl who explores abandoned buildings and takes photos of them. She is constantly looking for a place to stay – with running water and a warm bed. Her husband is in prison. When he gets out, they have big plans: to find a place to stay, to get a job, to stop using, to start a new life. Will they make it? Through their story, the film talks about universal human desires: to be loved and to belong – someplace, with someone. But first, we have to love ourselves.
Interview with Writer/Director Nina Blažin
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
As a director, I was at first drawn to vast huge abandoned factories, buildings that the main protagonist Viktorija was exploring and documenting. After spending time with her I learned about her homelessness, her longing for acceptance, her wish to have a home, a place to sleep at night and mostly a wish to be loved and to belong. Our project evolved into the exploration of love on the streets and trying to find a place to call home, a safe spot to spend the night. Viktorija takes us into the world of longing, the world of fighting with demons, fighting for love, for creativity even when one has no place to call home.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I believe a good film has to shake us, has to evoke feelings, atmosphere while watching so when one goes home he/she still thinks about it. This was also the main objective while working on the documentary. How to evoke a certain feeling in the viewer? How to film sadness? Anger? How to film love on the street? What kind of film language to use to impact the viewer the most, all this with hand in hand with the subject of the documentary. To make the viewer feel how Viktorija feels - sometimes sad, alone. Sometimes full of beauty and love.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I believe to enter the universal theme one has to start small, from the personal and intimate world. Through that the story becomes universal. Through the intimate, personal world of a young girl on the streets with aspirations to be creative, to explore while she fights to stay afloat on the streets, we enter into the longing every person has: to be loved and to belong, somewhere and to someone.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
When Viktorija first saw the documentary she was very emotional, in some parts she wasn't very proud. But she believes the film has to be seen as it gives us a glimpse into the world which we usually don't want to see, most of us look away.
After the screening the public was very intense in their feedback – some say the film made them sick, some wanted to go to Viktorija and shake her, wake her. Some felt a lot of emotions – sadness, but also felt beauty in the scenes where one would not expect it to be…. the beauty of abandoned places, the love on the streets,…
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It was very challenging to find the right border, the limit where is the real Truth in shots, frames, situations, in her emotions - to portrait the main protagonists with respect, but still explore the world of darkness, abandonment, the life of being homeless and sometimes forgotten by the general public. The feedback made me think how we don't really know the world of the documentary, but if the comments were so intense, this is good as the viewer was forced to think about it, something one doesn't usually do.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
The documentary opens the intimate world of a young girl living on the streets and her everyday struggle. I hope the film gets the additional support through this platform in terms of possibilities to be seen by the public, the viewer as this is something every documentary needs: to get into the world! We should talk about homelessness, about the darkness as this is everywhere in Europe, never mind the language, the city we live in.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We are looking for other film festival directors so the film comes to the public. Also for sales agents, distributors as it is very difficult to get into the festival world, especially as this is my first feature documentary.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
If the film makes you go home with a feeling, a frame, an emotion, if it makes you think about the world we usually don't want to see – then the documentary made an impact. If it shakes us up, makes you a bit queasy in the stomach, makes you think – this is great. So the next time you see a homeless person, a person in need, you don't look away!
Would you like to add anything else?
I was looking for situations when Viktorija and Damjan were as if the filming crew wasn't there. How are they like when no one is watching? When they are alone when they are themselves? I wanted to see, to capture pure situations, pure emotions, real Truth, real life.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm working on the research for a documentary, but at this time I'm not ready to talk about it...this is the time I cherish very much: when I start to research, I feel I can do anything, the whole world is in front of me. Everything is new, is fascinating,...I read poetry, go to museums all in connection with the theme I'm working on - to explore as much as possible and then suddenly I get this feeling: THIS part of the research interests me most, talks to me the most. and BAM! I dive into the story, into the feeling. Sometimes it takes time, but one has to be open, ready for the story. I enjoy this almost as much as filming it. :)
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
How much do you love yourself?
Viktorija is a homeless girl who explores abandoned buildings and takes photos of them. She is constantly looking for a place to stay – with running water and a warm bed. Her husband is in prison. When he gets out, they have big plans: to find a place to stay, to get a job, to stop using, to start a new life. Will they make it? Through their story, the film talks about universal human desires: to be loved and to belong – someplace, with someone. But first, we have to love ourselves.
Length: 1:22:44
Director: Nina Blažin
Producer: Jani Sever
Writer: Nina Blažin
About the writer, director and producer:
After graduating from AGRFT as a director and scriptwriter, NINA BLAŽIN participated in many international film workshops including Mobile Academy 2005, Berlinale Talent Campus 2006, IDFAcademy 2011, Documentary in Europe 2011, NISI MASA: ESP2012, ESODOC 2013, Aristoteles Workshop Association 2014 and SOURCES 2 2017, script&pitch 2017 Interfilm,...Her documentary How much do you love yourself? is her debut documentary and was awarded Best documentary 2018 at 21. Slovene film festival and received an award for editing. She is constantly looking for the Truth.
JANI SEVER has founded Sever& Sever production company where documentaries, web series, short films and commercials are being made. Previously he was a journalist and for ten years (1996 - 2006) editor-in-chief of the leading Slovene political weekly Mladina. In 2006 he founded the first Slovene independent internet multimedia project Vest.
Key cast: Viktorija bitenc Rozman (Viktorija), Damjan Bitenc (Damjan)
Looking for: film festival directors, distributors, sales agents
Facebook: Nina Blažin
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? HotDocs