Panaji: Films cannot bring a change in society, but they are made to build a strong connect with the audience and communicate an important message at an emotional level, said Croatian filmmaker Rajko Grlic.
Grlic, who delivered a master-class lecture on film making on the sidelines of the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI), was addressing the media Wednesday.
Asked about the impact of films on the society, Grlic said he makes a film only when he wants to tell a story and if his work brings about a change in a few people around the world, then it is more than good for that film.
Interestingly, union I&B minister Venkaiah Naidu had, during the opening ceremony of the IFFI, said that films should be instrumental for a social change.
Commenting on the difference between art and commercial cinema, Grlic said he believes that there are no categorizations, because everyone is trying to tell his or her story. The way a story is told and the reason why it is told makes the difference, he said.
The director said that every film needs an audience and that it is the beauty of the story that attracts the audience. He added that Croatian language is spoken by a very small population, so it is very hard to commercialize Croatian films across the globe.
His film ‘The Constitution’, was screened at IFFI.
The Constitution, which is Grlic's 12th feature film, was opened two months back in Montreal and is currently screening in eight European countries with a great audience response. The film is a love story about hatred of four people who live in the same building, but never talk till certain conditions arise that compel them to communicate.
He is a recipient of numerous awards like Golden Arena for Best Director, Tokyo Grand Prix. His film Bravo Maestro has been nominated for Palme d’OR in the Cannes Film Festival.
