Interview
Bálint Balassa
Director of Moontrip
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the director Bálint for taking the time to answer our questions.
Whole team of Liverpool Indie Awards is wishing you the very best in all your future projects. We hope to see more of your exceptional work in the years to come. Thank you once again!
Can you tell us about your submitted project and what inspired you to create it?
The story takes place in an imagined future, after the "nuclear war", but at the same time it also reflects the social issues of our time. The different points of view affecting each other hit the viewer in waves, along which you can increasingly feel that everyone is right at the same time. Contradictions line up, complementing each other along conflicting arguments. Difficult topics are made easier to digest by songs, music and dance. The location is Hungary, but threads connected to Germany and Austria appear in several places. The pairs of contrasts presented may be valid in any European country "in the future". The world has reached the pinnacle of its development, and it's only going downhill from here. I symbolize this with the designation "after the nuclear war".
What was your creative vision for this project, and how did you work to bring that vision to life?
Most people experience the present as a slice of politics, even though the present is more than a view of politics. The present is a complex picture of social life. I try to depict several segments of this complex picture at the same time. Three planes appear in this movie. Dreamlike images that let you see into the unique world of each character; the plane that takes place in the future, which provides the core of the story; and the intermediate parts of the forest, which symbolize our present world, tie the story together.
How did you collaborate with the rest of your team, such as producers, writers, and cinematographers, to ensure the project's success?
I am a screenwriter, director and cinematographer at the same time. This is how I was able to bring this vision to the canvas entirely according to my own ideas. One step led to another.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during the production, and how did you overcome them?
This film was made on a budget plan, without support. Those who participated in its preparation did so voluntarily, not for payment, but because they felt the importance of the message.
Can you discuss any specific moments or scenes in the project that you are particularly proud of, and why?
During the filming, French-Hungarian citizen Benjamin, who plays the role of the Dinosaur in the film, said that the same story could take place in France. - "It has to be presented there as well. They will understand it there as well."
Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently, and what lessons did you learn from this experience?
Making a film of course brings a lot of experience that gets incorporated into later films, but I feel I would make this film in a similar way even if I were to start over.
Can you describe a project that you are particularly proud of and why it stands out to you?
This movie is an age drawing. But at the same time, it is also a life story, which selects from my poems published during the Balkan wars and draws parallels with my years spent in Germany.
What advice would you give to aspiring directors looking to break into the industry?
Movies today convey some kind of worldview, are subsidized for that, or are simply made for entertainment. They convey the value for which they are paid. There are few projects that are purely about the creator's feelings, that is, the creator can coordinate the costs with his own individuality. If the production is not shaped by genuine emotions and the desire to create, it can disappoint in a film.
How did you approach working with actors to bring out the performances you wanted for the project?
I tried to find actors whose natural character was similar to the character I wanted to portray.
How did you approach sound design and music for the project, and what was your collaboration like with your composer or sound designer?
For the main leading melody, I chose a folk song from Moldavia, which carries a distinct sense of Hungarian destiny. The film begins and ends with this melody. Fragments of the melody also appear between the forest scenes. By the end of the film, these sounds intertwine, helping the viewer connect the details. For the two dances, I chose classical Hungarian melodies, but there is also a unique, specially composed piece in the film.
How did you handle feedback or criticism from your team or audience, and what changes did you make as a result?
According to one of my critics, this film is like a Vasarely painting. It has a rigorously designed symmetrically abstract structure. Vivid contrasts emerge as the characters continue to unfold. With periodic intensity, he presents various viewpoints, and finally they form into a unified whole I received good feedback from the participants regarding the introduction of the characters, which helped in establishing the appropriate balance.
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