02/02/2006

Iva Krajnc had her acting debut at the age of 14 when she became a member of Theater III in Ptuj, Slovenia. She was awarded the Veljko Marcic Award, Best Young Actress, for her portrayal of Olga in the play "Fireface". Her film credits include major roles in the feature films Liubljana the beloved, Plastic Nomads and Guardian of the Frontier, in which she played Simona. For this role, she received the Magazine Stop Award for Promising Actress of the Year 2002, as well as the Vesna Award, Best Actress, at the 2002 Slovenian Film Festival in Portorož.

Cineuropa: You have a lot of experience working in the theatre, which surely helped you in film. What are the differences between theatre and film? Did you have to reinvent your style of acting, or your approach to it?
Iva Kraknc: I think that the biggest difference is the perception and feeling of time. I have a feeling that, on film, every event, experience, movement, or word is carried out in a precise, exact time and with a controlled intention. In theatre, everything is magnified and less subtle.
I didn’t have to reinvent anything new; I just truly realized the meaning of the word "minimalism". I also discovered how important the relationship between an actor and a camera is.

In 2002, you starred in Guardian of the Frontier by Maja Weiss. It won a number of awards for its innovativeness, but she had to wait four years to get the necessary financing. Is filmmaking more difficult for a woman?
I think that women are sometimes less appreciated, maybe because they are still treated as unreliable in some way! In general, directors in Slovenia have to wait quite a long time to make their film. We make few films per year and it is no surprise that Maja waited so long to make her first feature. But the situation is getting better, and some female Slovenian directors have already proved themselves as feature film directors.

Can you tell us something about Liubljana the beloved and your last role, in the German film Plastic Nomads?
Ljubljana the Beloved is a film based on memories of Ljubljana during the Italian occupation of WWII. It is an autobiographical film directed by one of Slovenia’s greatest directors, Matjaž Klopčič. My character is a kind of a memory, the idealization and realization of love during that time.
Plastic Nomads, is a completely different film, directed by Austrian director Philipp Stary. The film was shot in digital and is about a family of men called Hansi, who are searching for their identity. My character is a Slovenian Tupperware saleswoman In Austria. She brings a simple energy, joy and spontaneity to their lives.

What role would you like to play to truly satisfy your essence as an actress?
What I am interested in is not necessarily connected to a specific role, but to a text or screenplay. I am not overly selective, in that I am interested in all kind of roles or characters.

A large part of the merit for this productive moment of Slovenian cinema has gone to the country’s actors, those between 30 and 45. Are you positive about the future of Slovenian film or do you prefer looking abroad as far as your professional prospects are concerned?
I think this has happened because some of ours directors are of that same age, so they write about people they know: about the middle class, and being middle-aged.
I personally am positive about the future of Slovenian film but, on the other hand, we have to learn more, especially in the production field.
I have always been interested in European films and would like to work abroad. Slovenia produces three or four feature films per year. These numbers are not satisfying for a young actress, which is why I have started looking abroad. Maybe I will find my satisfaction elsewhere.