Miroslav Lekic, director of Russian Consul, is no stranger to the Oscar game, having experienced it once before: in 2002, his thriller Labyrinth was Serbia’s submission for the category then known as Best Foreign Language Film. As such, he is familiar with the stress and hard work that come with campaigning, as he explains in one of the answers he sent TFV by email (his current schedule made an in-person interview complicated to set up).
“As always, when you do something and receive confirmation for that work, you feel good,” he prefaces, before adding: “I’ll be honest, I wasn’t excited about the fact that the film was competing for the most prestigious award in the art of cinema. I was once a Serbian candidate for the Oscar and I know what it takes for a film to have any chance of being among the first 15 films, not to mention the chances of getting a nomination or winning an award.”
He adds: “But regardless of everything, the fact that the film will be seen again by some people who have not had the opportunity to see it so far is very pleasant. I am also pleased by the fact that this film, which talks about the need for communication between people, as the best way to overcome problems, will have an additional possibility of communication with people outside of Serbia.”
That last factor is very important, since Russian Consul, unlike other entries in the International Feature Film race, hasn’t had the global festival run that could have boosted its profile prior to selection. Lekic addresses this: “We wanted to go into domestic distribution as soon as possible, and therefore we lost the possibility of applying for a number of A category festivals, because everyone wanted the film to have its world premiere at the festival.” Another element was tied to how the project was put together: “After the premiere, it was much more important for us to devote ourselves to the completion of the television series, which was made in addition to the filming of the film and which is now almost completely finished.”
One of the highlights of the film is the performance by Zarko Lausevic, who plays the titular consul. A giant of Serbian (and formerly Yugoslav) acting, he passed away before the premiere. What does the director remember about working with him? “We had been friends for more than 40 years and worked together a lot. We prepared this film together for four years. It was difficult to work because Zarko was already seriously ill, but regardless of his illness, he did his best on the set. It was simply two people: Zarko Lausevic, the actor on the set, who radiates strength and energy that is hard to imagine, and Zarko Lausevic, sick in his motor home, exhausted by the illness and the therapies he went to. The film is dedicated to him, his courage, persistence and great acting talent.”
What drew Lekic to the project in the first place? “This is the second book by Vuk Draskovic that I made into a film. The reason for this lies in the fact that the novel talks about some important events from our recent history in an excellent way through personal destinies. What is also important is that this novel contains a strong anti- war message and that the ultimate message of his novel is that despite the differences that exist in these areas (religious, cultural), coexistence is possible.”
That message is still very important today, which is part of why the film exists at the time it was made. The director explains: “So that we ourselves could better understand some events from our own past, and so that some other people could understand them better, I think that films dealing with topics from the past are needed. I am talking about films that deal with these topics in an artistic way and do not deal with these topics for the purpose of making a political pamphlet. I have no illusions that films dealing with such topics will be able to change the world, but they can build some bridges that will help better understanding between people.”
We end on a slightly frivolous note, with a question about a scene where characters are discussing the importance of being funny in times of crisis. Is it a happy coincidence that the protagonist, who is a doctor, shares a bit of a resemblance with Alan Alda in M*A*S*H*, which also dealt with that topic? “Yes, it is a coincidence. It was not intended to be some kind of quote or tribute. In any case, any comparison with that classic is pleasing.”
