“WHEN I WAS A STUDENT” WITH ALEKSANDAR POPOVSKI, FILM DIRECTOR: I WAS REJECTED TWO TIMES FOR ACTING. I WAS SELLING “MLAD BOREC” AND I WAS MOUNTING POSTERS FOR THE YOUTH HOUSE.

Unkovski taught us that each of our colleagues must comment on one another for the work we had done. And we had the right to comment about him. I remember that once we “dismantled” him completely. It was about the performance “Dias Irae” by Zhanina Mircevska. We did not like it at all, and we attacked him. Then he told us: “From now on, I am abolishing this opportunity, because you are exaggerating!” – remembers the director Popovski in the section Fakulteti.mk has in cooperation with Pivara Skopje.

High school is one of the most beautiful periods in my life, a time that defined me for what I have become. Those are the years between 1984 and 1988, when the whole cultural scene was very strong. Cultic albums were published on the Yugoslavic stage, we watched films from Belgrade “Fest”, we rejoiced at the Young Open Theater. The cultural life was my main preoccupation – says the director Aleksandar Popovski, recalling his high school and student days.

In high school I was acting and singing

One of the leading directors in the Balkans in the last ten years, in fact, wanted to be an actor. He applied two times in a year  at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, but was rejected. Professor Vladimir Milchin told him that the directing was more appealing for him.

He started practicing theatrical amateurism while in High School. He studied at “Josip Broz” high school in Skopje. He rejoices that he had professors who were modern at this time, but also those who were  old school, and he calls this a “winning” combination.

Before acting, he used to sing in several bands.

– In the first year of high school I started with the band “Ultimatum” and I played on the first edition of the Rock Festival. I was singing and I was extremely unsuccessful in that, I feel bad for those who listened to me. I knew that I did not have the talent, but I had a great desire – laughs Popovski.

In that period, there were already two important drama groups that operated in the House of Youth (today’s Youth Cultural Center). It was “Chvor” and “Mat”. Soon, he received an offer to join a new group, led by Ivan Popovski, the leading director of the Russian theater scene today. Katerina Kolozova, Ivan Bartling and many other artists and successful people today were in this crew.

– One of the plays was called “Undefined personal pronouns”, I think it was directed by Katerina. Acting was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve ever had. Later, Ivan wrote a text, and I think that he directed – “Prove yourself with being” and I got the first prize for acting in Kocani – the director recalls.

Popovski explains that in high school, when he saw Goran Stefanovski going to the bookstore, he was riding his bicycle behind him, so he could see which book he would buy in order to buy it for himself too.

He created the theater group “Worm”

A moment came for him to create his own theatre group, called “The Worm”. Darko Mitrevski, Zorica Crnoshia, Keti Ilievska joined him.

– We were a very interesting group. We made the first text of Dejan Dukovski and we played it in the pocket cinema of the Youth House. Then, I was still an actor, I haven’t even thought about directing. I really wanted to act and I thought I was great. I directed two plays, but I did not  looked at it as directing, but as something that you have to do. I was more interested in acting. After a while, Mishel Pavlovski joined us and brought a fantastic text from the Russian symbolists ??  “Lady Lenin” and with that performance we won everywhere – says Popovski.

This performance was a turning point and decision making in his life. It was that time when he decided that he wanted to apply for directing. After two unsuccessful attempts to become a professional actor, he left for the army in Ljubljana. He applied  in the department there, but he was rejected with the justification that he was very young. At that time, the Slovenian Academy had a rule that every student who wanted to study directing, had to have attended at least two years at a faculty such as Philosophy, Literature.

He enrolled at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje. He always loved philosophy. But he did not last long on those studies, he said he wanted to be free so that he could interpret the philosophers’ thoughts, not just repeat them or quote them.

“Mrs. Lenin” – a twist in life

– I decided to try for direction in Skopje. Stole Popov was the director of the film department, and Slobodan Unkovski – theatrical director. During the same period, while the entry exams lasted I found out that “Mrs. Lenin” was accepted at the festival in Belgrade. I passed the first round, and before the second one, I told Unkovski: “You know what, I have to go to Belgrade”. And he replied: “What are you saying? You have a duty here! ” – these were moments of the decision making.

Popovski recalls like it was yesterday.

– I remember that night, at the Railway Station, everyone got on the train, singing, cheering. And I’m with a bicycle from my grandfather, I’m left alone, the train leaves and carries everything I have at the moment. At that moment, that was it for me! I remained in a total uncertainty, in the sense that it would happen and I remember that I cried like an idiot. In some kind of communication with the sky I said: “Okay, come on, what you want me to do to get in the Academy? How much do I love this job? “I’ve always considered it a sacrifice on the altar of Goddess Thalia – he says.

He passed the second part of the exam and realized his dream. He was happy that he had classes of acting with Unkovski.

Nenad Stojanovski was our idol

Popovski is very grateful that he had excellent professors. I had Unkovski, Stole Popovski, Goran Stefanovski, Rusomir Bogdanovski – people who in some way opened the doors to the professional world.

– I had one great friend, whom I loved very much as an actor – it was Nenad Stojanovski. Nenad was an idol for our generation. We looked at him from the side, and later we became friends. We started hanging out and it meant a lot to me. That’s how I imagine a citizen of Skopje should be. He was a role model for me – a man full of spirit, talented, well-read – says Popovski.

He says that they hung out a lot with the acting students, as well as other profiles of the FDA.

– My closeness with the actors I work with is since then. We used to meet  at Dejan Dukovski, and the discussions continued in front of “Van Gogh”. There was no politics in our time, we were discussing beautiful things. In the second year at the faculty, Ljupco Nikodinovski – Bish, who served as director of the MOT, approached us and told us that the young directors will work according to Macedonian authors. I was chosen to direct in the Veles Theater. It was my first professional performance from a text by  Dukovski – “The Giant and the Seven”. By the end of the studies we made a play with Darko Mitrevski, according to our text “Tuku-taka pod oblaka”, and Rusomir Bogdanovski helped us. With that play we performed in many countries – says our interlocutor.

About himself, he says that in the first year of studies he was maybe the lowest performing student.

– I put all the ideas I had in a one play, as if it was my last. And Unkovski told me he must save me from my ideas. He told me that I can make a separate play from each of them. Therefore, I think that when a man is young he cannot direct and enroll in such studies. In the second year I already got the first highest grade and a letter from the professor which I still keep  and in which he congratulates me. Unkovski was a magician, that’s how we met him – a man who knew the secret. And Goran had that theory-that talent could not be learned. “I can teach you a craft. How you think is your job, but how will you systematize the thought, that’s my job “- remembers Stefanovski of his lessons and adds that he always did what he was interested in. He emphasizes that it is especially important for a young person to know what he does not want.

With Nikola we will perform some day in a play

The friendship with Nikola Ristanovski is back from the student days. They agreed that one day they will act together in paly.

– It was a very talented generation. Most of them ended up as a group in the MNT, although at that time Dramski was stronger with the actors. But when “Bure barut” came, the energy in the MNT was moved. I am sorry that there was no strong penetration of young people, a flow of young people. I think our generation did not do what the generation from whom we learned, did. “he says.

He says that with his colleagues at the faculty they were very self-critical, and were taught about this by his professor.

– Unkovski taught us that everyone must comment each other. And we had the right to comment about him too. I remember that once we “dismantled” him completely, he made a play according to the text of Zhanina Mircevska, “Dias Irae” and we did not like it at all and attacked him. Then he told us: “From now on, I am abolishing this opportunity, because you are exaggerating!” – Popovski laughs.

He graduated with the play “Circus Attorney” from Harms. At the end of his studies, he started working and got stuck with passing the exams.

– At that time, the video appeared as a new medium and I got interested in it . I started working for A1 TV and I recorded the first show – it was a concert by Vlatko Stefanovski.

We started to make a show “Subway”, so I did a lot of videos, commercials and it was difficult for me to finish my college, but I did it, “said the director.

I was mounting posters and selling  magazine

He says it is important for young people to study and work, to find a way to earn money.

– In the first year together with Darko Mitrevski we mounted posters for events in the Youth House. They paid 1 dinar for a poster. We also sold the magazine “Young Fighters” on the city square. It was at the time when we were  becoming independent. An elderly director approached us and criticized us for doing so, that we have duped the profession. A few years later, here we are  minding our work, “Popovski said, adding that he also worked as a journalist.

We asked him what he thought about the first plays he made. He says that he is satisfied and that he was the result of an attitude.

– After “MME … who first started” they called me to work in Belgrade and gave me to work a piece of text that I did not like at all, it was something about the confrontation between Serbs and Croats. And I refused. They told me it was my chance, and nobody would called me for a second time. It’s very important to have anopinion, “he says.

Although he loves acting, he has never given himself a role in his own performance, but sometimes acts in some of the plays when he is visiting a foreign city.

– I once acted a whole play in Ljubljana. Such was the “Buffo Mystery”, a group of people traveling through stories. I was a new member in that group and I it was really interesting.

For all who want to deal with his profession, he says:

– It’s very important to try. You must also test yourself before enrolling in college. In an educational sense, targeted subjects must be introduced in  high school, for a younger person to discover his affinities. If I did not go to the Youth Home for four years, I might never have decided to direct. This is a very experienced art. It’s getting better with the experience and with miles traveled, and nobody can deny that to you.