01/07/2008

Born in 1962, Vlado Fischer studied film and television direction at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava. Upon graduation he went to work for Slovenska Televizia, where he directed several films and, in 1997, the first Slovak sitcom, Duchovia. Half-Life is his feature debut.

Cineuropa: How did you become involved in Half-Life?
Vlado Fischer:I was asked to do this by Milan Stranava, who offered me two scripts from Viliam Klimacek, who is a well-known playwright. I was interested in Half-Life because it's about common, 40-year-old people. I am 45 so I was able to identify with the main character, who is very successful but his personal life is broken… He and his friends are in trouble because they are not able to stay close to anyone or anything.

The author of the script has a strange sense of humor, which he combines with tragedy. I find this contrast interesting.

How will international audiences respond to the film?
The problem of making strong personal relations is a universal problem. It happens everywhere, but might look different.

The idea of this film has proven popular with the public as well. It is very important for us to get Slovak spectators to the cinema after several years of silence in [terms of] Slovak filmmaking.

The Europe Now! sidebar is billed as “unconventional cinema”. In what way does that apply to Half-Life?
The film doesn't end logically. Rather, we provide several options how the film might end. Another strange thing about this film may be the way the four stories in the film are connected in surprising ways.

Half-Life is a black comedy about a man philandering his way through a mid-life crisis. Do you portray him sympathetically or as a boorish loser?
I show him as normal man. His problem is that he is just floating through his life. He is not thinking about his actions and the consequences. He is not confident, but he has no idea why.

You're currently shooting another project. What can you tell us about this film?
I'm shooting a film for children this summer. They are the main characters as well. The story is set in the countryside and is a lovely look at first love, so it is also a film about personal relations. It is my fourth film for children. I love working with child actors, and I love having children in the audience. It is a great responsibility for me, because I know they deserve the best.

How does it feel to have your first feature film at an international festival?
It is a great honour for me and I believe that it will help Slovak film, which has been through hard times lately, to recover.

Have you attended KVIFF in the past and imagined having a film in the selection?
When I was a student I attended the CILECT international festival of student films in Karlovy Vary. I was full of hopes about shooting the best films in the world. Today I'm coming back to Karlovy Vary as a man in mid-life who really appreciates the honour he has received.