DIARY ABOUT PLANTS

written and directed by artterror (Milica Lapčević, Vladimir Šojat)
produced by FRAKCIJA – FILMSKA REVOLUCIONARNA AKCIJA
genre: feature film, documentary experiment
duration: 79’
status: work in progress

One day, generated by random date generator, girl with name Flora takes us to the forest. Her name stands for “all the plant species”, and her quest into the forest is the quest for identity. But what will happen when she discovers that someone is following her?

In Slavic, but also in other cultures, there is a belief that a person, who carries name of a certain plant, possesses also its traits. This is why many people gave their children, especially daughters, names that are derived from plant species. Parents wanted their daughters to be beautiful like flowers, while sons were supposed to be “tall as a poplar” as one folk song says. So we meet Ružica (Rose), Ljubica (Violet), Margareta, (Margaret), Ljiljana (Lilie), Nevena, Neven (Daisy), Đurđa, Đurđica (Lily of the Valley), Dunja (Quince), Jelica, Jela (Fir), Smiljana (Immortelle), Jablan (Poplar), Spomenka (Forget-me-not), Višnja (Cherry), Laura (Laura), Iva (Ivy), Jasmina (Jasmin), Iris (Iris), and ask them to show themselves to us.

“Rose would not smell so beautifully if it would have different name” – says Rose. “I wanted to change my name when I was 18” – says Violet – now the name is what I most like about me.” “My father was partisan fighter. He came from the forest when I was born in 1943, and all he said was that I should be called Spomenka (forget-me-not-flower). Than he returned to the war.”

But Flora doesn’t have a concrete image, material object or a phenomenon that she can identify with. Her name represents all of the plant species. How can she make a transfer, a switch from general to particular identity?