The documentary The Elderly Parasite is the work of Janez Burger, a director liked by the critics as well as viewers. He and the crew of TV Slovenija filmed Marko Brecelj during workdays towards the end of 2012, and it took the director and the clever Czech editor virtuoso Miloš Kalusek three months to assemble their work. The filmmakers had a vast quantity of archive shots made by the Association of the Friends of Moderate Progress at their disposal, and the statements by the prominent members of the Slovenian or post Yugoslav cultural and popular scene provided icing on the cake. The film takes the general public opinion and expectations into account rather than the self image and life choices of the person it portrays. However, it is undoubtedly a credible, witty and almost “humanised” presentation of a difficult man who has frequently managed to divide the public with his “soft terrorism” in the last decades, also outside the borders of our state self sufficiency. The film was completed with deficient funds, but it nevertheless received the awards of the expert juries in Paklenica (Croatia) and Portorož (Slovenija) in autumn 2013.
Producer: |
Jaka Hemler |
Director: |
Janez Burger |
Script: |
Janez Burger |
Editing: |
Miloš Kalusek |
Director of photography: |
Jure Černec |
Others: |
Glasba: Marko Brecelj
Oblikovanje zvoka: Marjan Drobnič
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Born in Kranj, Slovenia, Janez Burger grew up in Železniki and now lives and works in Ljubljana. In 1986 he started his studies on Faculty of Economics in Ljubljana, but in 1990 quit this studies and moved to study at Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU). In 1996 he graduated from film and TV direction at FAMU and moved back to Ljubljana. In Slovenia he established his theatre group Burgerteater. In 1997 he shot his first feature film Idle Running. The world premiere took place at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 1999 in the international competition programme. Idle Running had been presented at more than 60 festivals worldwide. In 2002, Burger shot his second film Ruins. The film had its world premiere on the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2005. Together with Jan Cvitkovič he established the production company Stara Gara in 2003 and was a producer of Cvitkovič’s award-winning film Gravehopping. In 2009 he shot his third feature film Silent Sonata, a film without dialogue. The film had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2011.