Čejen Černić Čanak’s Sandbag Dam is screening at BFI Flare on March 26, 28 and 30 at BFI Southbank. Book Tickets.
Communities are much like rivers; on the surface, they may look calm, peaceful and tranquil, but often wild currents run beneath- currents that can sweep people away. And sometimes, all it takes is a deluge of rain for those currents to flood everything in their path. As Zečji Nasip (Sandbag Dam) opens, everything seems calm in a small Croatian village on the banks of a mighty river, but a storm is coming, and for eighteen-year-old Marko (Lav Novosel), life is about to change as a river of suppressed feelings threatens to overflow. Directed by Čejen Černić Čanak from a screenplay co-written with Tomislav Zajec, Sandbag Dam holds much in common with last year’s underrated Three Kilometres to the End of the World as it focuses on the restrictive community norms, hidden rules and expectations that make up Marko’s small village: a village where many young people dream of escape, others are forced to leave, and some accept that to remain a part of community life they must adhere to the adult expectations placed upon them.
Following its premiere at Berlinale and ahead of its London premiere at this year’s BFI Flare, I caught up with Čejen Černić Čanak over Zoom to discuss community, progress, challenge, and the overwhelmingly positive response Sandbag Dam (Zečji Nasip) received during its world premiere in Berlin.
Q: I believe Zečji Nasip loosely translates into English as rabbit dam. Can you tell us the meaning behind the Croatian title and the choice of Sandbag Dam in English?
Yes, in Croatian, Zečji Nasip means rabbit dam, and I think it’s only in Croatian that the expression is connected with rabbits. It is because the dam’s height is measured by how far a rabbit can jump; I’m not sure how many centimetres it is, maybe 50 or something like that. So, yeah, that’s why it’s a rabbit in Croatian and changed to Sandbag in English; that’s also why the image of the rabbit is a recurring theme throughout the film.
Q: What drew you to Tomislav Zajec’s screenplay?
It is a story about forbidden love, but it’s not just about two young gay men; it’s a story about people and community. When my producer gave me the screenplay six years ago, she said I should read it as it might be the right script for me. I was like, okay, but I was writing my own screenplay at the time and was completely into that. I had refused some other projects due to my writing, but I agreed to read it, thinking I would say no. However, I felt the urge to do this film when I read it. You know, it was really an unplanned love.
Tomislav had started to write this story 12 years ago, so it was a really long process for him, and initially, it was written from Slaven’s perspective. It was a really beautiful script from a great writer. But, when I started rehearsals with young actors, I quickly realised that we needed to alter perspectives. You know, Slaven knows who he is, while Marco is still figuring that out. So, alongside Tomislav, we changed the perspective, and I think we achieved a better film as a result.
Q: The community sits at the heart of Sandbag Dam. It’s a community that builds sandbag dams around individuals, families and community traditions, even if they stifle individual freedoms. Can you tell us about the importance of reflecting on rural community life in the film?
It was really important. Croatia has changed a lot, and we are more open as people, but in some of the smaller communities, villages and towns away from cities, you realise that change has been slower, and those of us in cities live in a bubble. When I talk to young people, I hear that there are two different experiences. For some young people, life has changed for the better, while others inherit their parents’ point of view and the restrictive expectations that are placed upon them from a young age.
Q: Sandbag Dam is also a story about two mothers, one who was controlled by her husband and is now looking for healing, and another who wants to control her son’s destiny, whatever the consequences. Many films exploring the gay male experience focus on a son’s relationship with his father, not his mother; why did you feel it was important to focus on the role of the mum?
I know a lot of mothers like Alenka, and I also know a lot of mums like Vanca. Being a mum myself, I found it easier to connect with the emotions of both women in the screenplay. We tried to avoid stereotypes while being honest.
Q: Do you feel Slaven’s experience of being forced to leave his home and community is still common in Croatia?
Yes, definitely. That’s why Tomislav wrote about Slaven’s forced escape to Berlin in his screenplay. Many young people from Croatia left for Berlin and other cities because they felt there was no future for them in Croatia.
Q: Andrija Žunac and Lav Novosel are superb as Slaven and Marko, and their performances are so natural and unforced. How challenging was it to find the right actors during the casting process?
I put out an open call for auditions, and around 300 people applied. I then conducted Zoom meetings with individuals and groups, explaining the story and its key topics. Some young people left the process at this stage, and others emailed me saying, ‘I would like to be in this film, but please do not consider me for the main roles’.
Q: Was that due to a fear of the story and its themes?
Yeah, and it’s crazy because if this film had been about some violent men, I’m sure no one would have had any problem. But because we were talking about gay young people, there was a fear of being involved.
I found Andrija through auditions. However, a rule in Croatia can prevent students studying acting from progressing to feature films in their first three years of training. They can do minor acting roles in their free time but can not shoot a feature film, which leads to barriers. I quickly fell in love with Andrija’s performance following his audition and knew he would be my Slaven, even if we had to work around obstacles. Lav didn’t attend auditions, and initially, I cast another boy for the role of Marko. He was really talented, but after one week of work, he called me and said, ‘I’m so sorry, but I cannot do it. The pressure is too high. I live in a small town, and my family are against this role. I’m sorry’. It was really sad, and I was left without anyone to play Marko. I didn’t know where to look. I had heard Lav’s name mentioned, and people had told me how talented he was. Then, one night, I went to a theatre show and sat a few rows back from a group of young men. One immediately stood out and looked like he could be my Marko, and here’s the strange thing: that boy was Lav! So, I shared my details with him and from our first conversation, I knew he was my Marko. We then had seven months of rehearsals. Before filming, I needed to work with the actors to ensure they felt comfortable and secure.
Q: Financing a film can be the most challenging obstacle; how long did it take to progress from initial discussions to fundraising, casting and filming?
Six years! Initial discussions happened quickly, but then Covid arrived, and everything went into lockdown. We couldn’t find co-producers in some countries, but my producer, Ankica, eventually found some wonderful co-producers, and we were ready to go. But it was a long process bringing Sandbag Dam to the screen.
Q: Sandbag Dam is an urgent and important film for Croatian audiences, young and old; what do you hope audiences in Croatia will take away from it?
We will have the premiere in Croatia in less than two weeks, and I’m very curious to see how the audience reacts. Sandbag Dam is a really important film for young people in Croatia. The main goal is to ensure Sandbag Dam promotes understanding, empathy and conversation. I’m really hoping for that.
Q: You received a warm welcome at this year’s Berlinale. Can you tell me what the experience meant to you?
The Berlin experience was so precious. We were so overwhelmed, and it was beyond our expectations. I had planned to stay till the end of the festival, but I had to go early because there was so much to take in. I’m old enough to handle that emotion, but I wanted to protect my boys as they are still young. Sandbag Dam is their first big film, and I was worried about them, you know? But after the positivity of Berlin, they’re strong enough for whatever comes next.
Q: What do you hope the London audience will take away from Sandbag Dam at this year’s BFI Flare?
I hope it’ll be similar to Berlin, but we’ll see. I really hope the London audience will connect with our story and the performances of Lav and Andrija.
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