Scriptwriter
Born:
12.11.1991, Belgrade, Serbia
Education:
MA in Film and TV directing, Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Belgrade, Serbia
BA in Multimedia directing, Academy of Arts, Novi Sad, Serbia
Place of Residence:
Belgrade (Serbia)
Biography
During her BA studies Lana took part in various of acting and directing workshops such as Scott Fielding’s Michael Chekhov Method (Actors Studio, Boston); Katharina Seyfhert’s Grotowski Lab; British Film Institute Project Development Lab, Zagreb Dox pitching forum, etc. Lana graduated with a play Dear Elena Sergeevna in Novi Sad, at Youth Theatre. The play was banned only after a couple of months due to provocative subject of the play itself.
In 2016 she engaged assisting professors at Faculty of Technical Sciences on Stage Design department for a project called Scen_Lab Archive. The same year she started voluntary work for international movie database MUBI. In 2019 she engaged Goethe Institute’s new art project called “Lie and Theft as practice” under the mentorship of Darko Dragičević.
Sample of previous work
Projects in development
MLADA / YOUNG
short fiction
first draft of the script
While preparing for her funeral, Alisa finds a purpose in life.
Attached to the project: co-writer, director, producer
Looking for: co-producer
Keywords: Magical realism, absurd
Filmography and Awards
2019 ŠAFARIKOVA 19 / 19 SCHAFFARIK STREET, short, writer/director
2016 PRVAK SVETA / WORLD CHAMPION, short documentary, director – Japanese Serbian Film Festival: Best Film
My five favourite films
- The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989)
by Peter Greenaway - Openning night (1977)
by John Cassavetes -
Funny Games (1997)by Michael Haneke
-
Borhman (2013)by Alex van Warmerdam
- Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
by Yorgos Lanthimos
Favourite scene I wrote
1. EXT. GARDEN – MORNING
On a beautiful spring day, mother VILMA (60), her daughter ALISA (60) and Alisa’s grandmother VANYA (85) are having a breakfast. They are sitting in the backyard of their huge, old house. Vanya sits in an old wooden wheelchair. The most beautiful food is served at the table. They are eating slowly. Alisa is carefully cutting food in her plate. Everything is nicely cut, prepared, but she hasn’t taken a bite. Alisa looks at Vilma, then at Vanya. The two of them are eating, and not paying any attention. Their backyard is surrounded by old buildings. On each building there is an old lady sitting at the balcony, looking at them. These old ladies look identical.
Alice is stabbing food in her plate, slowly bringing it to her mouth. She puts the food in her mouth, but the food immediately falls out of her mouth. Vilma and Vanya look at the fallen food. Alisa tries eating it again. The food falls out.
VANYA
Once there was a redheaded man
without eyes and without ears. He
had no hair either, so that he was
a redhead was just something they
said. He could not speak, for he
had no mouth. He had no nose
either. He didn’t even have arms or
legs. He had no stomach either, and
he had no back, and he had no
spine, and no intestines of any
kind. He didn’t have anything at
all. So it is hard to understand
whom we are really talking about.
VILMA
So it is probably best not to talk
about him any more.
Vilma continues to eat. Alice is trying, but all the food keeps falling out of her mouth. She turns on side, and this time drops the food on the ground, instead in her plate. Vilma looks at her.
ALICE
All the food I’ve put in my mouth
fall out of it.
VILMA
What?
ALISA
What?
VANYA
What?
ALICE
All the food I’ve put in my mouth
fall out of it.
VANYA
The cat will now come to eat it.
The cat approaches and sniffs the food on the ground, and then calmly rolls on her back. Vilma, Vanya and Alisa look at the cat, then look at each other.
ALICE
But I am only 24 years old.
VANYA
My sister died when she was 22.
ALICE
When was that?
VANYA
When I was 15.
ALICE
It’s 2019.
VANYA
I am 85.
ALICE
85 minus 19 is 66. 2000 minus 66 is
1940 and minus 6 is 1934. 1934 plus
15 is 1949.
VANYA
Correct.
ALICE
At that time people were dying from
tuberculosis, not from youth.
(beat)
That means I have to die today.
VILMA
Funerals are expensive.
VANYA
And we have cancelled her burial
spot.
VILMA
How could we have known?
(beat)
Certainly, the cemetery is far and
the transport is unsafe.
VANYA
All her pets are lying under this
tree. Why wouldn’t she?
VILMA
That way we will always be able to
visit her, even when it rains.
VANYA
You can no longer find a quality
umbrella anyway.
VILMA
True. Nothing is being manufactured
as it was before.
Vilma and Vanya continue eaitng with relief. Alice nervously looks at them for a couple of seconds.
ALICE
All the food I’ve put in my mouth
didn’t fall out of it.
Alice puts food in her mouth again, and tries chewing it with great effort, but the food falls out of it.
VILMA
2 plus 7, plus 8 there, plus 1 plus
two more plus my old friends that’s
3 plus 4… That is terrifying. We
don’t have that many chairs.
VANYA
You didn’t count my old friends.
Alice puts food in her mouth again, but the food falls out.
VILMA
2 plus 7, plus 8 there, plus 1 plus
two of my old friends, that’s 3,
plus 4 and plus your old friends
thats 1 plus 1, that is 29.
ALICE
All the food I’ve put in my mouth
didn’t fall out of it.
Alice puts food in her mouth again, but the food falls out.
VANYA
2 plus 7, plus 8 there, plus 1 plus
two of your friends, that’s 3, plus
4 and plus my old friends thats 1
plus 0, that is 28.
VILMA
What about Peter?
VANYA
He said he won’t come anymore.
VILMA
I went to his daughter’s funerals
for 4 years in a row, and what
turned out of her?
Alice puts food in her mouth once again, but the food falls out.
ALICE
But today is my birthday.
VANYA
Oh, happy birthday darling.
VILMA
Happy birthday Alice. We’ll invite
guests.
VANYA
Who are we inviting for funeral and
who for birthday?
VILMA
We invite one half for funeral, and
the other for birthday.
Alice lies down on her plate. Vilma and Vanya continue to eat.
My favourite film quote
“It’s not easy being human.”
–
Songs of The Second Floor (2000)
