Charged by the Sun

Some meetings stay with you. My visit to Slobodan Radulovic's garden in Budva, Montenegro, was one of them. I was out walking and was naturally attracted to his unusual looking garden.

Slobodan doesn't speak English too well, so we communicated through four different languages, English, German, Russian and Montenegrin which were an incredible experience. Also the interview were later translated in post-production where I understood his philosophy and stories.

Live simply, think high, believe in miracles and so forth were part of Slobodan's philosophy. He gave up smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. He overcame illnesses his doctors couldn't explain, and honestly the man looks healthy, speaks with warmth and seems genuinely at peace — which tells more than words.

One of the most memorable moments in the documentary is when Slobodan put several forks on his body that sticks without falling.

Filming in this kind of environment — intimate, unscripted, deeply personal is a reminder of why documentary work is so rewarding. My job was simply to follow, listen and let the stories reveal itself.