Stefan Đorđević is a Serbian cinematographer with considerable experience in documentaries, music videos and short films, as well as being the filmmaker behind several shorts himself, including the award-festooned The Last Image of Father (2019). Now, his feature-length debut, Wind, Talk to Me, has been selected to compete in the 54th IFFR’s Tiger Competition (see the news).

The hybrid movie revolves around filmmaker Stefan, who hits a dog with his car and, guilt-ridden, decides to bring it to the lake in his hometown, where he is heading to finish a documentary about his mother, who has passed away recently. It was inspired by the filmmaker’s own experience of his mother dying and the family coming together after her demise. “I began reflecting on how to approach the material I had filmed with my mother,” Đorđević said, adding: “I knew it was powerful, as her spirit radiated so strongly through every frame. But I also realised I did not want to create a conventional documentary about her, nor did I want to make a film about the past and present.” He concluded: “My goal was to create a sense of timelessness.”

Đorđević also leads the cast, which should come as no surprise, since his first exposure to cinema was the role he played in Nikola Ležaić’s Tilva Roš [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film] (2010). He is accompanied by Igor Benčina, with whom he collaborated on The Last Image of Father, and by largely non-professional cast members, some of whom hail from the ranks of his family, friends and collaborators on other projects.

Wind, Talk to Me was shot by Slovenian cinematographer Marko Brdar, and was edited by Tomislav Stojanović and Dragan von Petrović. Ivan Judaš served as the original music composer, while Julij Zornik handled the sound design. Dragana Baćović worked as the production designer, while Biljana Grgur designed the costumes. Sandrino Požežanec handled the visual effects.

Wind, Talk to Me is a co-production between Serbia, Slovenia and Croatia. It was produced by Dragana Jovović, Ognjen Glavonić and Stefan Ivančić, of Non-Aligned Films, as well as the filmmaker himself via his company, Katunga. Vanja Jambrović, of Croatian company Restart; Jožko Rutar, of Spok Film; and Miha Černec, of Staragara, served as the co-producers. The film was financially supported by Film Center Serbia, the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, the Slovenian Film Centre, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Swiss film fund Visions Sud Est and Creative Europe – MEDIA, while Viba Film provided technical support. Greek company Heretic handles its worldwide sales.