JIFF opening film: Despite system, father struggles to get children back

Serbian filmmaker Srdan Golubovic / Courtesy of Maja Medic

Is a poor father unqualified for parenting? Serbian filmmaker Srdan Golubovic sparks discussion about the material base of fatherhood

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Serbian filmmaker Srdan Golubovic, whose film, "Father," was the opening film of the 22th Jeonju International Film Festival, said his film is designed to provoke debate about social issues that are often overlooked in his country.

Inspired by a true event, the filmmaker tells the story of Nikola (Goran Bogdan), a penniless Serbian day worker who struggles to get back custody of his children after they were taken away by social services. He sets out on a 300-km walk to Belgrade, determined to present his case to the Ministry of Labor and reunite with his family.

Golubovic explained that the basic premise of the man making the cross-country journey is based on a real-life story, but the rest of the circumstances, such as where the main character lives and how he fights the bureaucracy, are fictional.

Although corruption, the weak social system and injustice are themes heavily dealt with in the film, Golubovic said he wanted to convey how Nikola opts to get back his dignity through his journey.

"Nikola starts to walk intuitively. His small act eventually becomes a symbol of resistance, but that wasn't his intention. Through his personal sacrifice, the man discovers his soul again," he told Korean reporters during an interview via Zoom, Friday.

When asked why Nikola remains fairly calm throughout the film, except for a few highly emotional scenes, Golubovic said that expressing emotion is a luxury for those who live in poverty.

Serbian film opens 22nd Jeonju International Film Festival

2021-05-02 12:01 | Films

"He doesn't have that luxury. He's only focused on survival. He is like an animal, so he doesn't express his feelings. It's important to note that he's not fighting for justice. He's just fighting for his own sake. So, what he does is an act of survival, not an act of resistance," he said.

Actor Goran Bogdan in a scene from "Father" / Courtesy of Maja Medic

The Serbian director explained that he spent three months contemplating how to portray tension in the character, who is just seen walking.

"It was the biggest challenge for me and Bogdan, the actor who played Nikola. That's why we worked three months talking about the script, the character and how to describe his inner world through silence. I asked him to lose 20 kilograms before shooting so that he could be in the character's shoes," he said.

Picking Lee Chang-dong as his favorite Korean filmmaker, Golubovic said that he tries to make films that are closely attached to reality.

"I'm trying to portray the real situation of social movements in Serbia. I'm trying to provoke thoughts about the reality in my country," he said.

The filmmaker added that he is interested in stories about "invisible people" or the marginalized.

"I wanted to make a film about people who are not on our radar. These people are very ashamed of poverty. They think it's their destiny to be poor. Serbia is not that poor, but on the outskirts of the city, there are very poor people like Nikola," he said.

"People are good. The system is bad. For instance, when Nikola comes back to his village, he realizes that his neighbors stole his things while he was away. I didn't want to make these people seem bad. They stole his things because of their weaknesses. They're really ashamed because they're just weak people," he said.

Golubovic also shared why he keeps making films about fatherhood. "I don't know exactly why…the reason may be because I lost my father when I was really young. That's why I want to explore it in depth and study what being a father means. It's something that comes from my inner mind," he said.

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