Zsolt Pozsgai | Interview
TIFF : Who are your biggest filmmaking influences?
Zsolt : Here in Europe, my teenage years were the golden age of Italian and French films. The cinemas showed the best films, precious, artistic works. I learned a lot from them. And later I went to many Indian film festivals, where I also saw films by great masters. I learn from all those who are more than me and who can speak to the audience the way I want to
TIFF : How do you develop your characters?
Zsolt : The characters develop me, rather than me developing my characters. Usually I know during the writing process what actor I want to direct in a particular character, and it's that actor's personality that develops the character in the film. Of course, this is only possible with talented actors with real personalities. There is a saying here in Hungary that you can really write a script if you fall in love with a talented actress first.
TIFF : How has the film industry changed since you started?
Zsolt : Back then, value was the most important thing, today it's money. Then, it was about unleashing acting and creative talent; today, it's about giving mediocrity a chance. But don't be sad, there is always value to be created, in every age. There are just times when it's harder, and times when it's easier.
TIFF : How important is the script to you in the filmmaking process?
Zsolt : My all film I direct, I also write the script. For me, the two are inseparable. I can also shape the script during the directing process. And I can already imagine what the direction will be like when I write it. I don't know what it's like to direct someone else's script, I've never done that in my life and I never will. In that sense, it is a creative film for me. Of course, since the subject and the script come first in the realisation, that's the most important thing. But a good script can also make a bad film. The chances of that are small if I am also the director.
TIFF : How do you see the role of film in society?
Zsolt : In a society, a filmmaker either likes to face society's problems or makes a film to forget them. I think it always depends on the time period. Today, there are such horrendous social situations, such terrible wars, and such sordid stories in the field of migration and human trafficking, that perhaps today the audience is more in need of a film that takes them away from these problems.
TIFF : What is your style of directing?
Zsolt : I select the film crew so that everyone is an artist. I consider the cinematographer, the editor, the lighting designer, the sound engineer, the actor, the visual designer, and everyone else to be artists. Many talented people combine their art, it's my job to bring them all together. One badly chosen filmmaker can put the whole film in jeopardy. I strive to work only with talented people. Their talent complements mine. That's my approach as a director.
TIFF : How do you handle conflicts or disagreements within the team?
Zsolt : In my fifteen films so far, there have been few conflicts within the crew. When there have been, I have handled the situations with nothing but understanding and love. And whoever does not accept this and the conflict persists, I replace that person with another. For me, filming is a shared breath, a shared, joyful work. I don't let anyone spoil that.
TIFF : How do you approach filmmaking on a limited budget?
Zsolt : At times I really like it, because the lack of money increases creativity. That's when my friends who I work with at other times come with me, and they realise that I don't have the money I need. Such situations have turned into very good solutions. I have a film that was made with very little money, but because of an idea, it became a full-fledged film and went to festivals all over the world. I like challenges like that.
TIFF : What kind of impact do you hope to make with your films? How do you measure success?
Zsolt : There are two ways to feel success. Partly from the cross at festivals. My recent films have won awards at hundreds of festivals, so that's really good feedback. I'm there in person at a lot of festivals and I feel the professional love. One of my first films, THE LOVER OF THE SOIL, made it to the international film festival in Goa because the festival director really liked the film, invited me, paid for my flight, accommodation, full pass. I felt at the time that there was a point to what I was doing, and the response from the Indian audience was that maybe there was a point to what I was doing. The other thing is the feedback from the audience, for example, if a film has hundreds of thousands of views on Youtub, that's also a great happiness.
TIFF : Independent filmmaking often involves taking risks. How do you balance risk and reward?
Zsolt : It may be risky, but it gives you the most important thing an artist can wish for: independence. Not having to conform to the demands of a producer, a money man. There is no greater treasure in filmmaking than independence, it must be cherished. At the very most, you don't become a millionaire. "Just" happy.
