Iva Radivojevic
"Something happens when I am behind a camera. I am transported into a different world where I can communicate in a better way. I'm curious about the people I meet and I tend to approach them with a genuine interest. Every person has such an intriguing story to tell."
"When I meet a person, by simply communicating with them, my perception is altered in someway, and then I gain a better understanding of their reality. If my films can help the viewer feel a familiarity with that person, then maybe my film will bridge some gap in their understanding too! Maybe it will provoke the viewer to engage with a person who reminds them of that character. What I am seeking, is for my work to have a transformative aspect to it."
Iva is a prolific documentary filmmaker who’s restlessly documenting the lives of the people she meets - and she meets some of the most interesting people you can imagine! Some of her documentaries include Nelson, the story of the Korean born American Vietnam Veteran; Grandpa Elliot, the iconic New Orleans street musician and Mary Loudin, the chicken lady from upstate New Jersey.
Iva's journey from painter to photographer, and then to filmmaker, came as a response to life around her. Iva's filmmaking is on a very personal level, just like her art. She captures unique moments in peoples lives and tries to preserves them forever.
"I realized that I can express myself best through film. Maybe because it allows me to create in some kind of a space that's alive. And yes, it’s still a series of still images, but I can almost breathe in each image I shoot. It's not my eye anymore its the world through the camera's 'eye' - a specific framing of the world where I am forced to slow down and become curious about what’s actually in that frame. I have to pay attention to every single detail, so I really understand what is going on. That becomes the communicative process for me.”
Iva describes her transition from single image artworks to motion as being relatively easy, thanks to DSLRs. The big thing in filmmaking for her, is having interchangeable lenses and being able to control what she sees with great detail. “Being able to choose the right lens to frame the shot has opened up a new world of imagery for me. If you come from still photography, the transition is easy. The simple video camera was so limited in terms of visual storytelling for me. I am not talking about the story, I am talking about capturing the light, the colour and everything else. For me, the DSLR is a new paint brush to use.”
Filmmaking is an evolution full of constant experimentation in Iva's works. Her films use split screens, foreign language voice over and subtitles as creative devices - all designed to make the audience think harder about the story.
“I tend to use split screens to portray my own personal reflections. I also translate my writing into different languages and then the foreign voiceover becomes a disguise; a sort of distancing protection. Language is melodic and creates a type of sound that interacts with the visuals in a different way than music.”
Filmmaking has become a way of life for Iva. It has emerged as her main visual canvas where every creative impulse can be expressed in film. "I shoot, edit, produce; I teach editing; I give workshops; and if I am traveling for work, I try to incorporate a film. If I travel on vacation, I try to incorporate a film! Nothing makes me happier than filmmaking. Whether it makes money for me or not, I always find ways of supporting my filmmaking."