Night cap with Sram (Shame)

An interview with Petar Krumov, director of Sram (Shame)

 Sram translates as shame. Where does the shame come from in this film? What does it imply?
It is a simple story about a boy who is ashamed of his mother because she works as a janitor in his school. Shame is a unique phenomenon because it strikes us with the force of an instinct, but it is more or less a socially constructed feeling or we might say – a deep understanding rooted into our minds and cells by religion, ethics and various dominant powers. And we cannot definitely say if its influence is more elevating or restricting to humans.

 What inspired you to develop the character of Macho?
The script is inspired by a real story. During the long period of casting, the kids I met, the places and schools I visited, and especially the boy who plays Macho, made me realise that I needed to adapt the script to them, not vice versa. So the distinctive character of Macho emerged from Zdravko Moskov himself.

 Why did you choose to shoot in black and white?
I felt only black and white can bring both severity and elegance at the same time.

 Can you tell us about your background as a filmmaker? What are you interested in exploring in terms of subjects and genres? 
I have a certain taste for the absurd, and I am trying to bind it with reality. My previous film was about a boy who is tempted to become Chinese. Escapism so far has also been a constant theme in my works.

 What sort of freedom would you say the short format allows? 
I struggle with that form every time. For me the short format is more about restrictions that can eventually create freedom. Eventually.

Sram (Shame) is being shown in International Competition I11.