Cinema for me is…
Maja in 23 frames
- Describe yourself in ten words.
A friendly cinema-lover girl who loves to laugh loudly. - Your best quality? Your worst habit?
Best quality: I am a good listener.
Worst habit: Probably procrastinating. - Your dream job?
My dream job is to be working on films (editing is my thing, but maybe someday I will write something of my own. - What do you like most about your country?
My favourite things in Croatia are people, sea & summer. - Your favorite dish in your country?
My favourite dish in Croatia would be Sarma – rolled up meatballs we eat around Christmas time. - Which word or phrase in your native language do you like the most and what does it mean?
Laganini – a word for “take it easy”. - What European capital have you visited lately?
Prague is the last European capital I visited, it was just before the pandemic started. I love Prague! - Other than your own, which European country would you love to live in?
I would like to live in Spain. I fell in love with Barcelona when I visited two years ago! Also maybe somewhere I would speak French – France or Belgium. - What does Europe mean to you? 3 values.
Culture, film, diversity. - What film made you fall in love with cinema?
There are a few films that made me fall in love with cinema, but one I would point out is Hrùtar by Grímur Hákonarson (2005, IS). - Your favorite film theatre? What do you like about it?
Kino Europa in Zagreb was probably my favourite movie theatre. It is such a beautiful place with good movies and I went there a lot as I began to take more interest in film. It was unfortunately closed two years ago but we’re all still hoping it will reopen. - Who is your movie hero?
The movie hero I would pick is Leeloo from Le cinquième élément (Luc Besson, 1997, FR). I remember I loved her so much when I first saw the movie as a kid! To this day she remains such a loveable movie hero. - Which movie director would you like to be?
I would love to be Andrea Arnold. I love the way she is showing life in its misery and yet there is something incredibly poetic about her films. - Briefly describe your favorite scene.
One of my favourite movie scenes would be the ending scene from Chiamami col tuo nome Name (Luca Guadagnino, 2017, IT). We follow Elio in a simple long-shot while he is walking up to the fireplace and then cut to his close-up which makes the scene emotional as it is. We are with our main character in his soft cries as he watches the fire and a song by Sufjans Stevens is covering the shot. The emotion on his face is taking over the scene where he is facing a final end to his love story with Oliver. - What are the 3 best European films you have seen in the last year?
Tereza37 (Danilo Šerbedžija, 2020, HR)
Boże Ciało (Jan Komasa, 2019, PL)
Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (Céline Sciamma, 2020, FR) - Which film character do you most identify with?
I remember identifying with Nina Sayers from Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky, 2010, US) when I first watched it. I believe we all have some kind of madness and unrealistic goal set for ourselves at some point of our lives. - Your favorite soundtrack or song?
I love soundtracks from Wong Kar Wai movies. The one from In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-Wai, 2000, HK) is one of my favourites! - If you had to live in a movie, which one would you like it to be?
I would live in American honey by Andrea Arnold – you can really feel the freedom in that beautiful movie! - Your life becomes a bio-pic. Who plays the role of you?
Adèle Haenel from Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (Céline Sciamma, 2020, FR)! I really admire her as an actress and I would be very flattered if she would play me. - Which talent would you most like to have?
I would really love to dance ballet like a professional ballerina. - What is your most treasured possession?
If I am considering only material things, my most treasured possession would definitely be my AirPods headset – they bring me music every day and I can’t go without it! - What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement is every new film project I am working on while studying in the Academy in Zagreb. I am so grateful for that! - What is your motto
Never lose your hope.