- Can you tell about the background of the project? Was it based on a original idea?
The main element of this work is water. I wanted it to be a strange character and to show it as I have never seen it before. The concept is a world where liquids don't follow physical laws, where air and water are unstable. I wanted to place characters in this world - man and fish; and imagine them reacting to this modified state of being.
My film is not about one message, it is more about atmosphere and sensations, I want the audience to discover a new world: on the edge between dream and hallucination. Though there is a very metaphorical interpretation of the environmental changes in our world - the water crisis, global warming, etc. - ,these topics are secondary. I would like people to concentrate on the dreamlike dimension of each shot…The starting point of this work was a dream I had, where I was running away from a flood in a Romanian town. This dream made me want to make a film about a different kind of flood, like a non-destructive flood; a world where we don't drown and water is like air; a world where water is breathing…
- Why was it important for you to make this film ?
This film was a new experience for me firstly because of the complexity of the technical issues I was dealing with, as I had to do the whole image post-production by myself. Then there is an attempt to make 3D elements and distorted images look as natural as possible and also to make them symbolically powerful.
- Is the way you worked on this film similar to your earlier works ?
It's a bit similar to the way I worked on my previous project, “UNLITh” except that I spent much more time on post-producing it. But these two works are different from the works I've done before, meaning that they are done in a more ‘cinematographical’ way. My earlier works are much more spontaneous and fragmented.
- In what way do other filmmakers inspire you?
I don't think my inspiration comes from watching other films. It comes mostly from my subconscious. Of course, I love watching films and video art and I think there's a link between the films I watch and my work, but this link is invisible to me.
Among my favourite filmmakers I could quote Roy Andersson, Bela Tarr, David Lynch, Peter Greenaway...
-Can you say something about the techniques you used, such as the relation between image and sound?
All the shots are a mix of real shot footage and 3D, there are a lot 3D fluid simulations in this film. For me, the Computer Generated Image is like painting, a technical way of expressing mental images. The same goes for digital video. I also think these techniques fit the XXIst century better than lots of others.
The sound is based on low frequencies and there are various water sounds. Generally the image drives the sound, but there are some exceptions, like the eel shot, where it introduces new symbolical directions.
- Is it important for you that you film will be screened in a competition programme?
It’s a great honour for me that my film was selected for the competition because that means my work is appreciated. And the Rotterdam Festival is well known for its interest in experimental works. I hope I will meet professionals and that there will be a lot of interesting discussions and exchange of ideas.
- Could you tell us something about the next project you will be working on?
In my next video project I want to show a sinking city. But it will sink in an unusual way... Hopefully I'll finish it this year.