My Dad’s Lessons
Dalija Dozet
Hulahop d.o.o (Croatia) December (Slovenia)
A daughter director trying to re-establish relationship with her late father cinematographer through thousands of hours of found footage and video postcards.
Throughout his life my dad, DANKO, considered the camera as an extension of his hands, tirelessly documenting the world around him. And though he would turn any family gathering into a chaotic mise-en-scène in front of the camera and endlessly tested our nerves, now that he and his camera are gone, we are not able to communicate at all. This metacinematic portrait of a family, growing up, and the relationship between the cameraman father and the director daughter tries to express everything that we weren’t brave and wise enough to do while we were still together.
Director’s biography: Dalija Dozet / IMDb
DALIJA DOZET (Osijek, 1987) is a director and screenwriter based in Zagreb, Croatia who has been playing with various film forms since she was a child. During her studies at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb, she wrote and directed several short films which were screened at national and international film festivals. She explores film language in different forms and fields of filmmaking as a director, editor and screenwriter, collaborating within fiction, documentary and experimental forms and narratives. MY DAD’S LESSONS is her first feature documentary film.
Director’s statement
My dad DANKO introduced me to the magic of film. As a young man he made experimental films, and later worked as a cinematographer and marketing agency CEO in Osijek. Throughout his life, the camera was like an extension of his hand. He used it tirelessly and obsessively. Oftentimes he would capture his own shadow or reflection, as though he really needed a proof that he was among us. Since his death I’ve watched thousands of hours of his video archive documenting the daily life of a family not sensing its dissolution. These materials go back over 30 years and their content portrays not only the closest family, city, growing up and the current times, but also my own coming of age. Now I see on the footage that he too was coming of life. At 55 he already looked tired and much older than he actually was. But I didn't see it then.
Producer’s biography: Dana Budisavljević
/ IMDb
DANA BUDISAVLJEVIĆ (1975) graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. She worked as an editor, production assistant, and organizer of film festivals. Her directorial debut was documentary STRAIGHT A’S (2004), and has gained popularity with FAMILY MEALS (2012), a documentary about her own coming out. Her first feature THE DIARY OF DIANA B. was awarded Golden Arena at the Pula Film Festival making her the first female director to receive main festival award since 1957. DANA is a co-founder of HULAHOP where she works as Head of production.
Where are we at?
Total budget: 130.000, 00 EUR
Financing in place: 82.400, 00 EUR
Sales agent: /
Territories available: World except for Ex-Yugoslavia
Looking for at CineLink?
French co-producer, Post production co-producer, Sales, Festivals
Production company info
HULAHOP was founded in 2006 by two friends, OLINKA VIŠTICA and DANA who wanted creative control and full responsibility for the projects they believe in. HULAHOP is best known for the feature length docu-fiction DIARZ OF DIANA B. (2019), tv docu series SLUMBERING CONCRETE", and doc FAMILZ MEALS (2012). HULAHOP films were funded by national funds, MEDIA and EURIMAGES, multiply awarded, TV broadcasted, and cinema released. HULAHOP co-produced with Stefilm (IT), Pink Productions (CZ), This and That (SRB), December (SLO) and Agitprop (BG).