I was born in Osijek, Croatia. I grew up living in many cities across former Yugoslavia including Zagreb, Ljubljana, Pančevo, Belgrade and Split. Through my whole life, I have enjoyed questioning and expressing ideas using visual language. I’ve studied painting at Art Academy in Split, and during those studies enrolled course in film-making held within the historical Cine Club Split (Kino klub Split). KKS is an association of people who love cinema, either to learn about it, create or watch all type of movies. It has existed for 65 years now. At the time of my arrival in 2003, the Club went through a long crisis due to the consequences of war, loss of space, change in technology, lack of members from younger generations and financing. Driven mainly by curiosity and the need to (re)establish a place where we can all freely think and reflect, explore and create in good conditions, regardless of social background, I’ve became more and more involved in the organisation and the development of it.  

After graduation in 2006, I started working as an assistant at the department of Film and Video of the Art Academy in Split and began to formally run Cine club few years after. That was the time when I also reconnected with older generations of film-makers and became more interested in their unique approach, did in-depth research on archive materials; and at the same time tried to improve educational opportunities for members, introducing new programmes – workshops, lectures, seminars, screenings, etc., as well as building audio-visual production capacity, adding some new equipment, including the furnishing of a small 8mm and 16mm lab – all that together with huge help of colleagues.

In 2011 I lost my job at the Art Academy due to deep disagreements on educational methods. That same year I was admitted to an international workshop held by Bela Tarr and became his closest co-operator on the film.factory project, which took place in Sarajevo from the beginning of 2013 until the beginning of 2017. It was a programme established as doctoral degree studies in film-making. The main aim of the project was to protect and develop talent and individual approaches and sensibility of upcoming generations, not by educating them, but by liberating their phantasies and encouraging their authentic visions. In that sense, the idea of film.factory was closer to an experimental laboratory than to traditional educational systems. In the four years of its existence we had a great opportunity to meet and discuss cinema with many authors from world cinema.

I think of amateur film-making as a production category, but I’m certain that being an author doesn’t connect to any production category. I think money, if involved in process of film-making, should only be an instrument. An author should not submit to the rules of any industry, but always insist on finding a way to be free in choice and way s/he works. If you can do it with love, care and dedication as an amateur, you should keep the same approach as a professional too, regardless of the conditions. It is our responsibility and I strongly believe, that freedom to express ideas in a way we choose shouldn't be compromised.

- Sunčica Fradelić