Maribor - Capsule Stories #6
20/12/2018
How to make your dream come true
Author: Natalie Cvikl Postružnik, M. A.
Franc Kopič, author of the video on Maribor, prepared for the project NewPilgrimAge, is an amateur filmmaker, holder of Guiness’ Record for the largest number of international awards in Slovenia, award holder of the festival The Hollywood Renegade for his 3D animation cartoon No signal, a parody on the usage of mobile telephony, and author of the first Slovenian video spots, representing as such a bright role model for youth, how persistence and dedication can enable one’s life to live his/hers own dreams.
Kopič’ film collection contains a lot of Maribor and people from Maribor. Huge success achieved Kopič’ film on The Old Vine, created together with Smiljan Pušenjak. “In the film you can watch all about the oldest vine in the world, The Old Vine. Together with Smiljan we filmed it the whole year – from the first green leaves in the spring up until the harvesting; we included history, even old times, when the Slovenian Venezia on the river Drau had still been standing, and on the Lent (part of Maribor next to the river) had still been occupied by gipsies. In Israeli’ Nazareth this film won first prize out of 1000 films from 70 countries.” The Old Vine is part of the Via Sancti Martini; and it only makes sense, that Franc Kopič’ films are shown and discussed during workshops and presentations of the project NewPilgrimAge.
All these activities have led to the invitation to co-create the videos within the project NewPilgrimAge. “This is a truly amazing project; before participating in it I didn’t know much about the Via Sancti Martini; but now I am motivated to film something about that, too,” says Kopič. “This project is interesting for me, as it underlines our cultural heritage; I like the values being promoted by the project: hospitality, solidarity and cooperation. I am inspired by the project’s stakeholders sociability, spreading the feeling of homeliness; encouraging the visibility of local attractions. I like it, how the project manages to connect different nations in a very pleasant way. I was surprised, how many cultural heritage is still in my hometown, that I hadn’t been aware of,” admits Kopič.
Franc Kopič is the author of many old handicrafts of Maribor, for example of the couple, who had manufactured whips and exported them even to Hungary; or on neighbouring craftsman, leather tanner, and on a blacksmith; or on art teacher Mr Kralj, who Kopič had accompanied for 35 years; or a documentary on celiac disease, which he had been preparing for 4 years for the Municipality of Maribor’ project. And, of course, the documentary on hearing impaired children in Maribor – from the cradle to the employee. “For that film I received the award of then Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Hans Dietrich Genscher. Afterwards, the invitations for participation started flowing in from all over the world,” explains Kopič.
And how did it all start? Over a half of century ago, his parents bought the first camera; it was a Russian model. He took his first shooting at the age of 18. He claims to have fallen in love with animated cartoons, after he first saw Disney’s cartoon movie, and decided to work in that way, too. Animation techniques and film making – all that he has learnt by himself. Being an extremely good observer, he has filmed and with that preserved dozens of extinguishing crafts and special, original people. Until now this technology engineer has received over 640 awards in different international festivals. His commitment is a true inspiration for dream-come-true for all young people – and being as he is, Kopič turns into an Ambassador of the project NewPilgrimAge; the values solidarity and hospitality are namely embedded into his movies. “I wish a lot of success to the project, as it is wonderful – may it connect and join people in the future, too,” wished Kopič to the members of project NewPilgrimAge at the end of our talk.
Kako uresničiti svoje sanje
Avtorica: mag. Natalie Cvikl Postružnik
Franc Kopič, avtor video posnetka o Mariboru, pripravljenega za projekt NewPilgrimAge, je amaterski filmar, Guinnessov rekorder z največ mednarodnimi nagradami pri nas, nagrajenec festivala The Hollywood Renegade za 3D-animacijo No signal, parodijo na mobilno telefonijo, in avtor prvih slovenskih videospotov ter kot tak izjemen vzor mladim, kako vztrajanje in predanost omogočita, da živiš svoje sanje.
V Kopičevi zbirki filmov je veliko Maribora in Mariborčanov. Velik uspeh je imel Kopičev film o mariborski Stari trti, ki sta ga ustvarila skupaj s Smiljanom Pušenjakom. "Vse o Stari trti je na filmu, spremljala sva jo celo leto, od rasti do trgatve, pa zgodovino sva vpletla, nekdanje čase, ko so še stale mariborske Benetke in so na Lentu živeli Cigani. V izraelskem Nazaretu je zmagal v konkurenci tisoč profesionalnih filmov iz 70 držav.'' Stara trta je del poti Via Sancti Martini; filme Franca Kopiča pa predvajajo in se o njih pogovarjajo tudi v okviru delavnic in predstavitev projekta NewPilgrimAge.
Vse te njegove aktivnosti so mu prinesle vabilo k ustvarjanju posnetkov v okviru projekta NewPilgrimAge. »Zelo zanimiv projekt, prej o tej vsebini nisem vedel veliko, sedaj pa sem motiviran, da tudi o tem kaj novega posnamem,« pravi Kopič. »Projekt mi je zanimiv, ker poudarja našo domačo kulturno dediščino; všeč mi je to, katere vrednote pomovira – gostoljubnost, solidarnost in sodelovanje. V okviru projekta me navdušuje družabnost udeležencev, da se širi domačnost, da se spodbuja poznanost lokalnih znamenitosti. Všeč mi je, kako projekt združuje narode na zelo prijeten način. Presenetilo me je, koliko stvari, povezanih s kulturno dediščino, še imamo v našem okolju, pa jih še nisem poznal,« dodaja Kopič.
Franc Kopič je avtor mnogih filmov o starih obrteh iz mesta Maribor, npr. o paru, ki je izdeloval biče in jih izvažal celo na Madžarsko; ali o sosednjem obrtniku, ki je strojil kože, pa o kovaču; ali o likovnem pedagogu Kralju, ki ga je spremljal in snemal 35 let; ali pa dokumentarec o celiakiji, ki ga je pripravljal štiri leta v okviru projekta za Mestno občino Maribor. In seveda dokumentarec o slušno motenih otrocih v Mariboru – od dojenčka do zaposlenega. »Za ta film sem prejel nagrado tedanjega nemškega zunanjega ministra Hansa Dietricha Genscherja. Potem sem začel dobivati vabila z vsega sveta,« pravi Kopič.
In kako se je začelo? Pred več kot pol stoletja sta njegova oče in mama kupila prvo kamero; bila je ruska. Svoje prve posnetke je naredil pri osemnajstih. Pravi, da ko je videl prve Disneyjeve filme, si je tudi sam zaželel delati na ta način. Tehnike animacije, snemanja se je naučil sam. Ker je izjemen opazovalec, je posnel in s tem ohranil na desetine izumirajočih obrti in izvirnih ljudi. Doslej je ta inženir tekstilne tehnologije prejel čez 640 nagrad na mednarodnih festivalih. Njegova predanost je pravi srčni navdih za udejanjanje sanj za vse mlade – in kot tak postaja Kopič ambasador projekta NewPilgrimAge; vrednote solidarnosti in gostoljubja so namreč vtkane v njegove filme. »Projektu želim veliko uspeha, saj je čudovit – naj združuje ljudi tudi v prihodnje,« je za popotnico projektu NewPilgrimAge dodal Kopič.
