The director, writer and producer of The White Fortress, a new feature length drama film, Igor Drljaca talks to Joseph Planta about the film and more, now playing at the Vancouver International Film Festival, streaming and in-person 01-11 October 2021.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

A film that’s playing at this year’s Vancouver International Film Festival, which incidentally begins today, Friday, 01 October 2021 (and runs until 11 October 2021), is The White Fortress (starring Pavle Čemerikić and Sumeja Dardagan). It’s written, directed and produced by Igor Drljaca, who joins me now. In the film, Faruk, an orphaned young man who lives with his grandmother, lives in a suburb of Sarajevo, foraging for scrap metal. He also dabbles in petty crime, trying to make some sort of life for himself. He meets Mona, a teen, from an affluent family. It’s a coming-of-age story, set amidst the changing Bosnia, a city that has sleek, paved highways and manicured show homes, yet has decrepit buildings covered in spray paint, remnants of the Cold War era. The class differences are stark and as these two fall in love and try to find escape, we’re given glimpses of life in a place that Igor grew up in but has returned to for the making of this film. I’ll ask him about what he wanted to show the viewer on the screen, as well this story, these actors, and more. The film is available through VIFF Connect between now and the 11^th, and there’ll be two screenings next Saturday, October 9^th at 9pm at the Vancity Theatre, and Monday, 11 October 2021 at 3.30pm at the Hollywood Theatre. Visit www.viff.org for tickets and information. With the filmmaker, Albert Shin, Igor Drljaca runs the production company Timelapse Pictures, and he’s an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Film at the University of British Columbia. The White Fortress had its world premiere at Berlinale, and got good notices. It is a co-production between Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Visit www.igordrljaca.com for more. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Igor Drljaca; Mr. Drljaca, good morning.

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