Catalin Musat, director of “Ciobanul Zburator” (The Flying Shepherd)
While he didn’t get the chance to fly with a glider, he managed to capture on film the flights of some very interesting people. Catalin Musat, a recent graduate of the department of directing at the Film Academy in Bucharest, is now on the verge of becoming a recognized figure in Romanian cinema.
ToRo Arts Group sat down with Catalin to talk about contradiction, inspiration, and the making of his first acclaimed documentary, which garnered an honorable mention at the Locarno Film Festival in 2008.
ToRo: What was your inspiration that triggered the production of such a film?
C.M.: It was created during the “Aristotle” Workshop, which takes place annually near Sibiu. The concept is that, upon admission, one must find an idea and generate a film. The only two requirements are that this project be a documentary, and be filmed around the Sibiu area.
ToRo: Is this a new genre? Is it a fictional documentary? A docudrama?
Catalin Musat: I don’t know, honestly I have no idea! This was the end product – initially it was meant to be filmed differently, but at the end of post-production the team really liked the film as it was. I wouldn’t change any aspect of it for the sake of making it fit into a category.
ToRo: Have you seen other films that resemble yours? Did they inspire you to make this one the way you did?
CM: Yes, I have seen films that are similar to mine. They were some sort of inspiration, but neither one went as far as “The Flying Shepherd” did, in terms of documentary and fiction put together.
If I come to think of it, this isn’t docudrama, this documentary is 100% fiction, even though the terms contradict themselves.
ToRo: What do you like most and why: documentary or fiction?
CM: I really enjoy both of these categories, but so far my documentaries are the ones that really make my day, they’ve won awards and maybe this is why I try to take them as close to fiction as I can get. I really like fiction and I don’t consider myself a full-time documentary director; I am just trying to make good films.
ToRo: How about Romanian directors? You’ve mentioned that Cristi Puiu’s “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu” was a very influential film for you.
C.M: Yes, definitely, I really like his work, but I’m not sure that he influenced me when I made this film. I would rather go with Thomas Ciulei, who is one of the directors specializing in documentaries. In a way, he nears the fictional aspects I strive for as well, so that’s why I think he is an influential director for me. This is the reason for which I particularly enjoy this type of documentary: you can fill in the blanks, can take some drastic decisions that will make the film “more” fiction than documentary and vice versa.
ToRo: What was your experience in making this film, as a director: to walk around the film set without any worries about the cost of food, the cost of the equipment and so on?
CM: It was more than pleasurable; I guess it is the only way you can really “create” a film. I am not a producer and this is what some people don’t understand. Unfortunately, during your studies at the Film Academy, you are forced to take matters in our own hands – to produce the movie as well as create it. That, I believe, “kills” the film, the ideas. The great majority of student films fail for this reason. There is no production school in Romania. You learn by doing it, by looking at your colleagues and learning as you go along.
ToRo: You filmed “The Flying Shepherd” based more on discussions with your team than on your script. Is that right?
CM: This movie didn’t have a script at all. We simply started shooting and once we finished, the material was patched together at the editing table. This was possible because it was a workshop that was interested in innovative ideas which could break the boundaries. The finished product wasn’t meant to be distributed and projected in theatres across the country. It was a project for young directors.
ToRo: If you were asked to do the ToRo, what would your answer be?
CM: I have no idea… Do the woogie-boogie, or what? When it comes to the Festival and the ToRo Group, I think they are doing a great job, more than I could have expected, given the fact that I came here 3 days ago and I seem to have found the same “Balkan” spirit we have in Romania. So this is really great, not only for the guests, but also for the Romanians living here. As for me, I “did the ToRo” and I’m still doing it now, by coming to this festival, and by thanking them for all their efforts in order for me to be here today.
Raluca Zamfir for ToRo Arts Group
“The Unveiling of Contemporary Romanian Cinema”
