1. 5. 2022, 12:00
MFF Praha - Febiofest
MFF Praha - Febiofest
A sensitive film about an intense relationship of two young people, Dark Heart of the Forest, was accompanied to Prague IFF – Febiofest by its director, Serge Mirzabekiantz, from Belgium.
He told the audience that he originally wanted to make a documentary about young people without parents. When he decided to make a feature film, he spent a lot of time choosing the right people to play the central couple. “It was important that the chemistry between them worked. We spent a long time looking for actors and, in the end, we chose four boys and four girls and tried to see which combination worked best,” explained the director, adding that his goal was to capture his protagonists at an age “when they are still children, but you can already see what kind of adults they will become”.
Serge Mirzabekiantz, who originally worked as a pharmacist, likes Tarkovsky’s and Zvyagintsev’s films, but was more inspired by paintings by Rembrandt and Bruegel for his feature debut. And also the forest. “The forest is a place full of mystery, and I wanted to leave the impression in the film that you can encounter anything in it – fairy tales and reality. The forest is a separate character in my film,” said the director. At the end of the debate, he told the audience what he is planning next. “A dark police film called Take a Drink of Darkness. There should be more action.”