PRESS CONFERENCE
OPEN SECRET/ O GRINGO
A Press Conference in the framework of the 14th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival was held on Sunday, March 11, 2012, with the directors Darko Bajic (O Gringo) and Steve Lickteig (Open Secret), whose films participate at the Festival’s International Program.
The documentary O Gringo tracks down the footballer Dejan Petkovic’s journey from Serbia’s province to the top of the Brazilian championship. Speaking about the film, Darko Bajic explained how he met Petkovic in 2001 in Sao Paulo and how impressed he was by his popularity and people’s love towards Petkovic. “About 38 to 40 million Flamenco fans look up to him as their idol. It was then that I asked myself how it could be possible that this man was a hero in Brazil and almost unknown in his own country; I thought a wonderful film could come out of his story”, said Mr. Bajic, adding that he considered it to be his mission to introduce this football legend to Europe. Moreover, the creator underlined that Petkovic’s success in Brazil is very significant as he is an ‘imported’ football player in a country known for ‘exporting’ players. “I think he is so popular because he sets the connection between Serbia and Brazil. A Greek player could be equally popular, thanks to the same mentality Greece and Brazil share”, noticed Mr. Bajic. Finally, the director pointed out that there could be no better time for the film to take place as it coincided with Petkovic’s career take-off. “At that time, his achievements were huge: he won a title, left his mark at the Hall of Fame and was awarded with a medal by Brazil’s President himself. The circumstances for the film to be created couldn’t be more favorable”, said Mr. Bajic.
Steve Lickteig spoke next, who through his documentary Open Secret shares his personal story with the public. For 20 years the creator searched for his biological parents and that is what the film records. “I grew up in a farm in Kansas along with 6 sisters and 2 brothers. When I was 5 years old, they told me I was adopted and -as adoption was a common practice where I come from- I took it for granted and went on with my life. However, at the age of 18, just before graduating High School, two friends of mine explained to me that the people who brought me up where actually my grandparents and that my older sister was my real mother. And that was a secret known to everyone else but me. What I wanted was to learn the truth”, narrated the director. Lickteig underlined that the film doesn’t focus on the secret, which doesn’t take long to reveal, but on the reason why his family felt they should keep the truth from him. The director added that while the documentary was made, he got to learn a lot on his heritage, his ancestors and the America of a time when an out-of-wedlock pregnancy bore a social stigma.
Mr. Lickteig noticed that incidents like those are indicative of the bonds and unwritten rules dominant in small, deeply religious societies. “They didn’t mean to hurt me. I hope that the people who will watch my film will see beyond my own family and discover something about their family too”, he said and added: “After the first screening of the film, there were many Greek viewers that approached me and shared similar stories with me, as secrets like that exist all around the world”. In the end, he mentioned other examples of very well known persons, like Jack Nicholson and Eric Clapton who experienced similar situations, but didn’t have to face the truth at such an early age. “It is traumatic. I learnt the truth at 18, a very difficult age, when you just start knowing yourself”, said Mr. Lickteig.
The films of the 14th TDF are co-financed, among other actions of the 14th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, by the European Union-European Regional Development Fund, in the frame of Regional Operational Program of Central Macedonia 2007-2013.
