Since its premiere, the Croatian director Juraj Lerotić's film Safe Place gained attention from viewers due to its powerful emotional content as well as the director's skillful camerawork, which is currently well-known throughout Europe.

In addition to the film itself, the creator also received public attention since, as the lead actor, Lerotić shared the narrative of his family tragedy in this production. Any viewer who has seen what many consider to be one of the best regional films of the past few years will likely be interested in learning more about Safe Place, whether it was made by the director or by a brother who lost a brother and whether it seeks to find a middle ground between therapeutic methods and exceptional achievement.

Taking a break from all the work that came with Safe Place's triumph at several European film festivals, Lerotić talked with us about the movie and the significant social themes that it dealt.

Your award for best director at the last Novi Sad Film Festival is only one of several honors Safe Place has lately received. How much of this movie is a professionally made film, and how much of it is a very personal project?

We often talk about grief and related emotions while discussing trauma or losses. Psychotherapists who treat trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also discuss how all losses are in some way degrading and embarrassing, and how those emotions are less conscious and are the ones that separate the traumatized. This impact can be triggered by less spectacular occurrences than a family suicide or a war.

One man told me that he and his spouse had recently split up, but he didn't have the courage to inform his friends because he saw it as a failure and something that embarrassed him. He was inspired by the fact that I vehemently resisted the "loser's shame" while playing my loss. Thus, this movie is an artistic as well as a personal project. It wouldn't exist without one of those two elements.

You once mentioned that sentimentality and emotional baggage don't really fit in when 40 people show up for the recording with all the necessary equipment. In this sense, how much did the topic's sensitivity impact the actual realization process, and did some emotional baggage still need to be cleared out at certain points?

I get the impression that people romanticize recording process in the hopes that it would be therapeutic. Filming is a struggle against time and circumstances. You frequently feel annoyed by the lack of time and fear that nothing you record will be useful. It takes three years on average to make a film, and it's difficult to accept that you don't like the outcome in the end. It's even worse if you don't like something based on your intimacy.

I believe that fear motivated me to do my best to get ready for the shoot. My coworkers understood why I was so obsessed, presumably because they knew I was working on a screenplay inspired by my brother's death. Regarding the emotional baggage, I couldn't act without it; in order to portray certain parts, I had to be in contact with it. However, that baggage was not the subject of conversation on the set, nor did I deal with it, but on the set it was only served the purpose.

Which task—that is, the one that had nothing to do with personal trauma—was the most difficult one for you as a filmmaker during the production of Safe Place?

I am acting in a movie for the first time in my life, and it is also my first feature film. However, there's also that intense interest in the movie's central theme. The most difficult thing for me, I think, was to believe that under those conditions, I could remain objective and take a position that would make sense to myself, my colleagues, and the audience.

Filming lasts about 45 days and is filmed for an average of 12 hours a day. Frequently, the shooting schedule has be rescheduled for the next day due to weather conditions, illness, or other unforeseen circumstances. It is challenging to continue being lucid, imaginative, and open under these circumstances—all of which are fundamental prerequisites for creative work.

In both Serbia and Croatia, talking about mental health continues to be taboo. We witness in the movie the apathy of some institutions' representatives, which ought to be the primary source of support. In your opinion, there is a lot of space for improvement in this situation. Where should we start?

I didn't approach that subject in a systematic way. I can only speak from my personal experience, in which I was frequently surprised by the doctor's actions. This is astounding—a lack of communication skills, disrespect for the patient as a person, arrogance, and even carelessness. You kind of hope that these are the exceptions. . My biggest concern is that I feel like I'm not the only one going through this. And I don't know to what extent such behavior can be amnestied by routine, incapacity, or low pay.

People with mental disorders can hardly stand up for themselves, and families are often ashamed of the mental problems of their members and do not talk about their experiences, so the inappropriate behavior of doctors is even less visible and therefore less susceptible to public criticism. Many pregnant women in Croatia once spoke in the media about their unpleasant hospital experiences. No one can write such articles about experiences in psychiatry.

I believe the system should work internally to address those problems rather than leaving it up to us citizens to advocate for improvements and report irregularities, which is always risky. How to report someone who you are at the mercy of. Would I be saying this if my brother was still in a psychiatric hospital?

How do you feel about regional film festivals? How much of an impact do these kinds of events have on professionals compared to the general public? What benefits did the film festivals where you were featured offer to you personally?

Although it may appear to an outsider that there are too many festivals, in reality, they serve as a replacement for the movie theaters that have largely closed as a result of multiplex domination. As a result, viewers at the festivals get to see movies that are probably not going to be released, meaning they won't be part of the standard film library.

Festivals are important to me because they in some way publicize the movie and bring it to the attention of audiences. We probably wouldn't be discussing it right now if it weren't for the festival and awards. Furthermore, I can only speak with the audience directly following the screening at festivals, where I can experience firsthand how our long-term project is affecting other people. 

And lastly, if you had to choose one movie for all time, which movie would it be?

On another occasion, I would probably answer differently, but since I now have to take my son to his friend's house, I will say, "Where is my friend's house?" by Abbas Kiarostami from 1987. 

Photo: Promo