On October 1st, 2009, Banská Bystrica saw the new premiere of the prize-winning documentary film about the Rusyn village of Osadné and its inhabitants, as well as the Rusyn activist Fedor Vico from Prešov. Before this event, the film OSADNÉ was premiered throughout September, on 3rd in Bratislava, on 5th in Prešov, on 6th in Osadné, on 7th in Humenné, on 8th in Snina, on 9th in Košice and on 30th in Snina again. The film was directed by an ambitious young film artist, who, through the lens of a film camera, uncovers different ways of perceiving reality of the present day. We are talking about the film director and script writer, Marko ŠKOP, whose film was awarded the Prize for the best documentary film over 30 minutes, and gained a Crystal Globe as well as a financial award at the International Film Festival in Karlsbad 2009. After the film’s Prešov premiere, we asked him several questions.

• What message does the film Osadné want to convey to the viewer?
– The film presents the story of the mayor Ladislav Mikuláško and the Orthodox priest Peter Soroka. It depicts their journey from Osadné to Brussels and back again. It is a film about plans that people make, a story of the battles that we decide to fight. At the same time, it presents reality that we cannot change and everydayness which sometimes oppresses us, but at other times helps us forget. There are times, though, when we at least make an attempt... Osadné is a small big story.

• Osadné is a documentary also about Rusyns. What is your relationship to this nationality?
– I like the aphorism by the third protagonist of the film, the Rusyn activist from Prešov, Fedor Vico: “Rusyns are like the Yeti, everyone has heard of them, but no one has ever seen one.“ It is a shame that Rusyns as a nation do not try to win more recognition and they fuse way too easily with the majority Slovak population. Fedor is really active in this way and I do admire him. I believe that our film will help to present Rusyns.

• If you should compare your previous film, Other Worlds, and Osadné, how are they different and what do they have in common?
– Both films were made by the same team, camera by Ján Meliš and editing by František Krähenbiel. Otherwise, the films are dissimilar; the viewers should not expect a sequel to Other Worlds. As a director, I do not want to make the same work; I wish to look for something new, to try a different approach. Although experimenting is risky, without it, I would stagnate in the same place. The film Osadné is rather embedded in the story and is based around the events of the two main protagonists. After the detailed mosaic of the film essay Other Worlds, the new film focuses on a more straightforward plotline and it should provide a deeper co-experience with the protagonists.

• After all this success, a question arises. What will motivate the director Marko Škop to new productions? An Oscar?
– Should I think about an Oscar, that would mean I am ready, as they say back home, to see Doctor Karkoška at the Mental hospital. We make documentary films that are creative and not commercial works for mass audience; nevertheless, I hope that our film will be liked by people in Slovakia.