<Bz28>Film-maker Aneta Lesnikovska talks about her first feature film 'Does it Hurt?'
Macedonian film-maker Aneta Lesnikovska’s first feature film ‘Does it Hurt? — The First Balkan Dogma’ is competing for honours at BIFF this year. The film will be screened Wednesday at 3.45 p.m. at Little Theatre and Friday at 6.30 p.m. at Liberty Theatre.
Is your film a documentary or a feature film?
It is a mockument.
What is the film about?
The film deals with two things. Manipulation and how far is one prepared to go to get what he/she wants. I manipulated my friends into believing I had found money for a film if they helped me find a good story. Once they agreed to be filmed, I mixed their lives with the fictional story I had written, and filmed the whole process.
Why do you think this is an important story to l?<$>
Because I wanted to see how far we were (me and my friends) prepared to go, to make this film. I think that filmmaking is about honesty and betrayal in the same time, and it did make sense to me to explore that in a mockumentary context. I tried to stay loyal to the concept and was very aware that it is a thin line we were all walking on.
And because I thought it is time to show a story about the young people on the Balkans through Balkan eyes.
How did you finance your film? What was your budget and how did you work with it?My film is a no-budget production. I had in kind co-producers who helped with equipment and stuff and everybody worked on the film without beingid.
How has the film been received so far?<$>
Beyond my expectations. We got a Tiger nomination in Rotterdam, are in competition in Sofia, Bermuda, Buenos Aires, Taipei. It has also gotten great feedback from journalists and fellow filmmakers.
