Protagonistke (The Protagonists)

Cast: Špela Rozin, Teja Glažar, Jožica Avbelj, Olga Kacjan, Marinka Štern, Marijana Brecelj
Co-actor: Suzana Krevh
Written by: Iza Strehar
DOP: Fabris Šulin
Editing: Andrej Avanzo
Production design: Gregor Nartnik
Costume design: Tina Hribernik
Make up: Lea Bratušek
Producers: Ana Kovačič, Iza Strehar, Žiga Virc
Production: Lilit

The cast and crew will attend the screening. 

A unique documentary journey into the world of some of Slovenia's most iconic actresses, blending the past, the present and the attraction of the acting profession. The series interlaces the stories that usually remain untold with intimate glimpses at the filming process, going behind the scenes on a movie set. What did Špela Rozin tell the director of The Battle of Neretva? Who taught Jožica Avbelj how to put someone’s eye out? How did Teja Glažar's fellow actors end up in a police station? Where did Marijana Brecelj spend her teenage years? How did Olga Kacjan, as a child, enact the dying scene from La boheme for fun? Why did Marinka Štern want to be part of Pekarna?

In their episodes, each of the actresses plays the same scene alongside Suzana Krevh, but in her own unique way – providing a captivating insight into diverse personalities, techniques and passion for their work. The camera follows the process up close, taking us into each of the player’s very own world, a place of reminiscing, facing challenges, telling anecdotes, revealing feelings of jealousy and speaking about the beauty of their profession. The project allows the audience to feel part of a movie set, shedding light on the inner workings of the acting profession.
 

Episode synopses:

Špela Rozin, one of the few Slovenian actors who have dedicated their careers solely to film, started her career in Italy. She is bubbling with a playful, unresentful excitement at the thought of directors who "butchered" her roles and scenes in film editing. She thus plays her scene in the style of massacre movies.

As if we were enjoying a cup of coffee together, Teja Glažar recounts more or less politically correct anecdotes from her student days while bellowing with laughter, saying that she had never really wanted to become an actor. She enrolled in acting studies purely for the student status. Set in a medieval comedy, the scene is sprinkled with her strong sense of humour.

Jožica Avbelj’s temperament is as fiery as her ginger hair, striding purposefully into a room and inspiring awe. But in The Protagonists, Jožica reveals her positive and optimistic side, making us wish we could chat to her for hours. As she was also a stage acting teacher, her scene reenacts the genre of drama.

Olga Kacjan fell in love with performance art when she attended a circus performance as a little girl. One of her favourite memories is a production in which she played a clown, making kids laugh with her frolics. In The Protagonists, Olga plays her alter ego – Pepé the Clown. 

 
Marinka Štern has bittersweet memories of all the challenges she had to face at the Academy. Then she bursts out laughing and recalls her performances with live animals and other anecdotes. She suddenly gets serious, telling us that she has said too much, and it must not be used. Taking into account her wish to keep some details hidden, her scene has become a film noir.

Marijana Brecelj captured the attention of director Matjaž Klopčič when strolling around Ljubljana as a teenager. He cast her in his new film which made her feel like the world was her oyster. Her episode shows Marijana holding a huge present and entering a scene imbued with Christmas anticipation.