The Paradise (1994), a short film directed by Nedeljko Ubovic for Bikic Studio.

Living Under Sanctions
HK: The sanctions are now lifted. Do you have a fine supply of materials or is it still a problem?

MZ: Very much so. We have to go abroad for each and every item we need. Since the country is in such an economical state, its very, very hard and expensive for us to get any materials. So what we are trying to do is to make partnerships, collaborations, providing services for Western European countries, and through those deals, to get some materials for our own productions. Yugoslavia never even actually produced, even before the war, most of the materials which are needed for the production of animated films. Normally, we have been able to buy but now because of lack of money, it is impossible. During the sanctions, we smuggled it in or friends brought it in suitcases, and things like that. Even pencils and paper, cels. Not to mention sophisticated stuff like software for computers. We constantly lack film stock to shoot the films. Our laboratory is closed, so we have to go either to Bulgaria or to Budapest or somewhere else for post production services.

HK: During the sanctions you couldn't produce a thing?

MZ: Well, we survived. First of all, this company in particular, managed to survive by making commercials for Yugoslav companies. And we developed other lines of product, like design, like making documentaries and industrial films, things like that. Whoever would pay something, we would go for it. We managed to survive, thanks primarily to some good friends from abroad, who helped us, who knew us from before.

HK: They gave you work?

MZ: Right, unofficially. We can talk about this now, since it's over, but then they were at a big risk. There is a very interesting story about a Swiss ambassador, who was an art collector and who loved animation very much. He, on his own risk, through diplomatic channels, brought some technical materials into Yugoslavia. He was called back by the Swiss government, and was charged. I think that he is not in the diplomatic service anymore, because of the sanctions. He was not doing it for his own interest, but to help us out. But because of that he suffered a professional loss. There are a few other people who were lucky and were not caught in doing this, and that's how we survived.

HK: It's amazing that in the midst of a war, you were still being asked to do commercials for products. These commercials were commissioned from inside and outside of the country? In secrecy?

Artists at work in the studio.

MZ: Yeah. We did quite a few commercials ... primarily due to the name of Mr. Bikic, who is a very well-established animator and designer. Everybody knew him. Thanks to that, people didn't care about the sanctions or anything, they just went for the right product and the right person. It always went through a middle man. Now officially the sanctions are off, and nobody can touch them for what they've been doing. I think they are actually proud to help us out in this situation, and we appreciate that very much.

Talent Flight
HK: Is it hard to find trained people?

MZ: Very hard. We have a pool but we also have a training ground for young people who are finishing up schools, or designers who like animation. We bring them into the studio, and one or two of our animators work with them and introduce them to the art of animation. So we have constantly a flow of young people coming in. Unfortunately, not many of them stay in animation, because there is not enough work for all of them, so they have to find something else to do. On the other hand, the salaries we can offer are not big enough to be so appealing to them, so they move to something else.