Labina Mitevska: The Pride of European Cinema

An interview with the actor and producer on her dual career in film, her family's production company and what it means to be making films in Europe these days.

Labina in Loners (Samotári) as the 'spaced-out' Vesna

It was a pleasure to meet and interview Labina Mitevska at the 18th Panorama of European Cinema last year. She was in Athens to promote her new film How I Killed a Saint (Kako ubiv svetec), a film in which she both starred and produced, and which was also in the FIPRESCI competition.

In this interview she talks candidly about her life as an actor and her new passion for producing her own projects with her director sister Teona and art director brother Vuk.

You made a short with your sister before this film. How long had you been preparing this feature film, How I Killed a Saint?

We first did the short film Veta which was premiered in Berlin in 2001. It was a very good start for us and in that period we were thinking of establishing a film company because Teona and I were thinking of making a feature film and Teona started writing the script. We were thinking that if you have your own film company you can have more control of the film you are doing. So that was how we started, we established a company and we had the script and we started Veta which was very well received in Berlin. We got French and Slovenian co-production and then Macedonia jumped in with money. This film was really low-budget, it’s half a million Euros (€500,000) which is £300,000. The budget was extremely low and because of that it was very hard for us to do it, comprising a few things which I wish we never did, but when you don’t have money you always have to sacrifice.

Did that mean the film was originally going to be longer?

No, it was only a little bit longer. We cut a few scenes on the suggestion of a very good editor we got, a good friend of mine Nicolas Gaster who I worked with on Before the Rain. We were stuck with this film in the editing room so I called him and he came to Slovenia and helped us to finish the film. So, it was not an easy experience for us to do this film, especially for two women to do a film on the Balkans is not so easy but I guess in the end it was fine. You forget all the difficult stuff and the difficulties which you go through in the film.

As you were one of the lead actors in the film you were constantly on set so did you find it hard to be a producer as well as being in front of the camera?

It was very difficult for me. I was never aware before how much because as an actor you are treated differently on set and suddenly as producer you act and once you say ‘Cut!’ the driver will come and ask you where to park the car, for example. So, it was extremely difficult but I somehow learn it, to act and when I have done that to solve the other problems.

How I Killed a Saint: Labina as the troubled Viola back 'home' in Macedonia

Do you think next time you will just be producer and not actor?

Actually, the new film which we are preparing, I am from Tito Veles (Jas sum od Titov Veles) again I’m the producer and actor but it’s a Macedonia-French-German Slovenian co-production and I have a very difficult role there too but I think I will do it a different way. I will not sacrifice myself so much. I guess it’s experience, you know, when you don’t have the experience you make mistakes.

How I Killed a Saint is set in 2001 and it portrays Macedonia, like the former Yugoslavia, as a very dangerous place. Your character is coming back from America and looks shocked at what’s happening. How authentic was this and was Macedonia such a dangerous place in 2001?

Yes of course. In this film we really tried not to take sides, just to be objective and to show how people were thinking and what was happening there. I think it’s very difficult because when you have conflict, when you have a war, and when you are an artist your responsibility is to show this society. I think it is very hard to show it objectively because as persons we always choose sides.

And when it’s your home as well you feel emotional?

Of course, but we try to take ourselves out of this situation and to be more objective. I think it was like that, you know. My sister Teona lived in New York for a long time and I visited her a lot. Every time I came back to Macedonia, I saw it getting worse and worse, and you are noticing that, you watch that so you know exactly the situation and what is happening. Maybe as somebody who lives outside your eyes are more objective than people who are inside.

Are the characters in the film in any way based on people you knew?

The character I play, particularly at the beginning, was based on my sister and her experiences because for a long time was in the United States. The atmosphere she feels as an outsider she wanted to present when back inside too. Regards the other characters no.

So not even the partisan brother?

That’s the worse thing, not only in Macedonia but everywhere in the world when you have a conflict. Suddenly people are becoming very nationalistic, so that’s what happened in Macedonia with a lot of people. When the conflict started suddenly Macedonia people started to be a very nationalistic and this is the same with the Albanian side. The brother is not based on a particular character but a collection of people.

How I Killed a Saint: Viola's patriotic and alienated brother Kokan

How is Skopje now compared to 2001. Is it more relaxed now?

Yes, it is a lot better but it is difficult to live, and it is difficult for average people to survive, but I think things are slowly changing. We hope that one day we will get in Europe so things will be easier. I think in that entire region it is difficult because there were so many wars in the last 14 years. It was very difficult as there was always a war in the region which somehow reflected Macedonia, as in the Bosnian war or the Kosovan war. So I think the last 14 years was very difficult for Macedonia as there was always some war in the region and it was connected with us but now it is better and I think there is a much brighter future than before.

Back to your production company, your family has got an artistic background and you’ve been in the theatre from an early age and also through your film career. Has this given you the confidence to start your own production company thinking that you could make films yourselves?

My family come from an artistic background but they are not connected with film themselves but I think we are very connected. My brother is a sculptor (Labina studied art too) and we were always connected and we always worked together so we established a company just to make it easier for us to do things and it is hard because you don’t have one pair of eyes, you have three pair of eyes and each film we do we look at all the aspects, but is very beautiful and very creative. We are very much involved what is happening in the world today so we cannot ignore it. I think as an artist you always have a responsibility, especially working in the film medium). It’s very powerful, you can tell something to people much easier than through some other art.

What is your next film (I am from Tito Veles) about?

It’s a social story about three sisters living in a very small town in Macedonia called Tito Veles. It’s about a very difficult life for the three of them so it’s a very strong story, very emotional, very beautiful, but very sad, very sad story.

A panoramic POV shot from the forthcoming I am from Tito Veles (Jas sum od Titov Veles)

And that will be released next year?

Actually, we will do it in April next year, so it will probably be released in 2007.

Was How I Killed a Saint shot on Digital Video and how much did it cost?

No it was shot on Super-16 and after that we blew it up to 35mm. It cost between €500-600,000. We were lucky because we got the Belgian guy Alain Marcoen who shot the films for the Dardenne Brothers. We called him because Teona really wanted him.

Did she know him before then?

No, but she knew his films and she really wanted him and I told Teona it was not possible because we have a really low budget. She said, “Let’s try” so we looked up his name in a yellow book and saw two people in Belgium of that name, one who was a cinematographer so we knew it must be him. So we called him, suspicious that he would not accept it, but he did.

So, how difficult is it to make a film in Macedonia, presuming, for instance, that your sister didn’t have you as producer?

It is difficult, it has always been. Not only in Macedonia, I think these days it is difficult everywhere. I mean look at Great Britain.

A lot of it is reliant on American money, taking English stars like Hugh Grant and making films that will appeal to the American market, like Working Title do. However, we are lucky to still have directors like Mike Leigh, Ken Loach and Michael Winterbottom who have established themselves now.

Yes, but I think these days in Europe it is really hard for everyone to make a film. I think it’s easier to make co-productions because Macedonia is so small but we have interesting stories to tell and I believe that good cinema is based on interesting stories so I think you can get countries to get involved in co-production and it is better for everyone.

Does your involvement in the European Film Academy give you more of a voice as well?

Yes.

Does this mean you spend time in Berlin?

No, but I have done a few films that were made in Germany. I did one four years ago and did two there recently.

I Want You: Labina stars as the mysterious Smokey

The films I have seen of yours are Before the Rain, Welcome to Sarajevo, I Want You, How I killed a Saint, and Loners.

I enjoyed making Loners very much. Petr Zelenka (who co-wrote the Loners script) is a friend of mine so it is always a pleasure to work with him and I think David Ondricek (Loners director) is a very talented guy.

Jan Nemec and the Czech crowd I know and Nemec works in digital now.

A lot of people are working in the digital format now because it is cheap.

Now that you are moving into producing, will this affect your acting career or will they work side by side?

I think it will work side by side because I only want to produce our own films. I would love to do others but I don’t have time. It’s a balance; last year I only worked as an actress and did four films which was difficult. I took three months off and now I have started working as a producer for our new film. It’s unique to make compromises as a producer but I think that the films we do together, with my sister and brother, at the moment are my priority as we have already spent a year and a half looking for the money and putting the budget together and writing the script. So of course because it is a small production company you get attached to your film. It’s like you have a baby. I guess it’s easier if it’s a big company because more people are involved, but otherwise it’s difficult.

Does that mean just lately that you’ve had to turn down offers of acting work?

Yes, some films I couldn’t do because I was so tired after making many films but I will never turn down an offer if I think it is really good and think this is it. I’m a big believer in cinema and I will do everything for films that I would like to be made but these days you read so many bad scripts.

Have you ever been offered a commercial film?

Yes but I don’t do it because I’m not interested. I’m at a very good agency in London called ICM and with them you always get good offers.

But has a major producer come up and offered you good money to do a film?

No (laughs), I was never in that position. I think you have actors who establish that they want or don’t want to work in these kinds of films and I have always fought for European cinema.

Because you get actors like Juliette Binoche who do both, do very interesting films, like with Michael Haneke, and then she’ll do something commercial.

Yes she’s somehow managed this vision. I hope that when I’m her age I’m somehow clever enough to make it (laughs), but it’s hard.

Finally, what do you think of the state of European Cinema now. You’ve been to a few film festivals with this film for over a year now. Have you had a chance to see many other films?

I think there are some very interesting films being made. Before this festival, I was on the Jury in another festival and I’ve seen a lot of good films. It’s so satisfying when you see a lot of good films coming from Europe. It’s amazing.

You were on the Jury in Edinburgh one year (1999).

It was the best year. British Cinema was producing so many good films like War Zone and East is East. I think that was one of the best years for British Cinema in recent years, it was very good. This year I’ve been to Cottbus and Karlovy Vary because this year was my year of Juries because I needed to rest a little bit so I decided I would accept Juries, so I was in a few festivals too. Cottbus is a very nice festival and the competition always has very good films.