MAKEDONIUM: Dramaturgy of the Unfinished

I consider cinema an art form, and I have always practiced it as such. My hard stance on being uncompromising has only sometimes brought me easiness, but I have always stood by my core values of what my cinema should be. My mother once told me: If you have nothing to say, do not waste my time! As an artist, I respond to the times we live in, searching for the zeitgeist of the moment and, through story and content, pushing boundaries of thought and form. This simple direction has become my mantra, my guide.

In April 2022, I was invited by two contemporary artists, Yane Calovski and Hristina Ivanoska, to direct the film MAКEDONIUM: Dramaturgy of the Unfinished, which emerged from their research on the most significant memorial complex built in Macedonia during Tito's Yugoslavia. Based on a script by Ivanoska, the film articulates the political and philosophical struggle of the authors of the monument and spouses in real life, Iskra and Jordan Grabuloski; the memorial was built over five years (1970-1975) to commemorate the narrative of the political and human struggle of the Macedonian people and the nation-building concept of the state. Frankly, I'm profoundly intuitive but also well-researched. The narrative emerges from the authors' and stakeholders' minutes, draft plans, and official correspondence. It follows the struggle for artistic freedom and recognition, especially on the part of Iskra, the primary architect's co-author and partner.
The film explores the unrestricted, fluid, situational, and ultimately, the architecture of the space of experimentation. 

MAKEDONIUM was shoot in 2 days following a series of workshops and rehearsals. Adapting to available locations, time, and space opened doors to functional creativity and eventually trusting my instincts more. In that regard, the film is conceptual and collaborative, unlike any other I have worked on. We agreed that the preproduction and rehearsals would lead to a very intense 2-day shooting schedule on a particular location - the Hydrometeorological Institute in Skopje, one of the best examples of late modern and brutalist architecture. In my previous film shoot in Skopje, I have always experienced modern Macedonian architecture of the 60s and 70s and onward as a site for unfolding storylines. As a result, I plan to work again on exploring new interdisciplinary ways to address modern history via postmodern lance.