Goran Ajtič

Goran Ajtič was born in Slovenia, into an old family of architects and engineers (with its roots going even further back to European medieval nobility, including Habsburg dynasty itself); he was studying tourism, but switched all interests in visual art, especially film; in the period of working at local television headquarters called ETV, where he gained all of his knowledge of filmmaking.

In his own film works he usually offers portraits of very unusual and surrealistic characters and situations, sometimes also of artists or bohemians.

He could be considered as a typical 'auteur': always making films according to his own screenplays, produced by his own imagination.

During his childhood and youth, he was heavily influenced by various film movements, especially by Danish cinema and Czechoslovak New Wave, as well as by Australian New Wave.

He once stated that "these three cinematic movements 'got' me more than any other, due to their innovative visualistic and thematic depth".

He also favours Italian and Spanish cinema.

He could also be described as an indie film director as well as art house filmmaker.

The main subject of his films are taboo themes, such as paranormal, abstract life or life of crime and secret societies; also verbal plus physical violence, religion and sexuality, but always with many twists (usually shown in a surrealistic way).

Many films are made totally without dialogues (pure images and film music), but those with them are often accompanied by sharp conversations.

He was always open to more experimental approach to film projects, like many Japanese film directors of the 1980s.

His early film works - according to some audiences - were sometimes considered more like 'experimental videos' rather than 'films', due to their visual touch, made simply by mini DV.

In the period of, he won more than 120 movie awards around the globe, especially for his films "The Conspiracy" and "The Beloved Universe of Filmmaker", making him - in the field of independent film scene - one of the most awarded Slovenian film directors ever.