–Who is Svetlana Copic?

A Belgrade – based creative multihyphenate with the background in advertising, now, apparently, also a documentarist.

– What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

I never set out to become a filmmaker.

I was just a passionate documentary film lover, until I woke up one day with this irrational, but totally clear, strong idea to write letters to unknown old women and ask them: if I was their granddaughter, what life advice would they give me.

All it took for me was to say yes to this initial crazy idea, because from there I had a feeling it took a life of its own and started unravelling, opening doors and arranging serendipitous meetings until, suddenly, there I was, with the script and the film funding in place. And I was like – well, I guess I am going to make the film.

– Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

I’d love to reply yes, but that would be a tad unrealistic. But it can reflect society as a mirror and reveal things the society doesn’t like or doesn’t know how to see about itself. And that can change individuals and indirectly influence broader culture.

I definitely feel making my small, intimate film has changed me and my notions of old age.

– What would you change in the world?

I’d put women and minorities in all the main positions of power and watch all this macho weapon flaunting and prying into bodies and intimate lives of grown people fade away into dark history.

It’s not that women and minorities are necessarily better humans than rich white men, but there is something about the power acquired from the place of undisputed privilege that makes it especially rot – predisposed.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

I am sure it will move into directions that are incomprehensible to us from our mind frame.

However, we will always need stories and there will always be people with curious eyes that see wonderful in the ordinary and the desire to share those discoveries.