Cinema for me is…
Slovenia – Luka Benedičič from Europa Cinemas on Vimeo.
Luka in 23 Frames
1. Describe yourself in ten words.
I, 20 years old, born and living. Passionate. Thankful. Blessed.
2. Your best quality? Your worst habit?
My desire and struggling to be a good person & not always succeeding at it.
3. Your dream job?
Likely something that would make it possible to actively merge the Humanities with Spirituality, as well as working with people.
4. What do you like most about your country?
The language – slovenščina. Also, a limestone plateau region – Kras.
5. Your favorite dish in your country?
If anything – pražen krompir. It’s potatoes.
6. Which word or phrase in your native language do you like the most and what does it mean?
Bližina. A sense of being emotionally (spiritually?) fulfilled through the feeling that you are understood & not alone.
7. What European capital have you visited lately?
Madrid and Rome.
8. Other than your own, which European country would you love to live in?
I am very fond of the Mediterranean.
9. What does Europe mean to you? 3 values.
Community. Opportunity. (In)security.
10. What film made you fall in love with cinema?
For me, cinema-going has always been a slowly developing process. I don’t remember noticing a major shift at any point. Perhaps now – after Venice?
11. Your favorite film theatre? What do you like about it?
Kinodvor, Ljubljana. I go there to watch most recent films.
12. Who is your movie hero?
One of my first used to be Socrates from Peaceful Warrior (Victor Salva, 2006, US).
13. Which movie director would you like to be?
Honestly, no one – they are all taken.
14. Briefly describe your favorite scene.
A scene from The Sea Inside (Alejandro Amenábar, 2004, ES), where Rámon Sampedro (who is tetraplegic) fictionally gets out of his bed, runs towards an open window, jumps out, and flies above the Basque seaside. With Pavarotti singing Nessum dorma in the background, the scene is the best-ever film illustration on how our lives’ biggest struggles are linked to trials regarding one’s (limited) freedom & free will.
15. What are the 3 best European films you have seen in the last year?
On Body and Soul (Ildikó Enyedi, 2017, HU)
Julietta (Pedro Almodovar, 2016, ES)
Lucky (Sergio Castellitto, 2017, IT).
16. Which film character do you most identify with?
This might sound far-fetched, but here goes: St. Francis of Assisi from Brother Sun, Sister Moon (Franco Zeffirelli, IT, 1972).
17. Your favorite soundtrack or song?
The first that comes to mind is from Blood Diamond (Edward Zwick, 2006, US).
18. If you had to live in a movie, which one would you like it to be?
I enjoy movies that resemble the world as it is. Where Life can be generous as well as a pain. Where suffering and miracles co-exist. Therefore, Conversations with God (Stephen Deutsch, 2006, US) would make a fine choice.
19. Your life becomes a bio-pic. Who plays the role of you?
Hm. It would be nice to see Jim Carrey. Or, perhaps, Daniel Radcliffe.
20. Which talent would you most like to have?
The capacity to understand deeply another person & his/her art.
21. What is your most treasured possession?
My home collection of books, albums, and films. Especially a certain few.
22. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Living through twenty years of my life – rather joyfully.
23. What is your motto?
“I have come to the room to heal the room. I have come to the space to heal the space. There is no other reason for me to be here.”