Due to the upcoming screening of the film Ballroom Dancer, organized by www.dancelatin.gr, we asked the film's directors, Christian Bonke and Andreas Koefoed, to answer some questions regarding the film and its protagonists. Read what they say about Slavik and Anna and get ready for what we are going to watch on 26th and 27th of May.

Dear Christian and Andreas tell us a few things about you. How did you decide to become directors? Had you studied anything else firstly or you knew form the start that we wanted to do this job?

Christian: "I had a hard time deciding what to do while growing up. As a kid, I was sure I would become an actor like my uncle. I participated in plays as a youngster, but I suddenly turned shy as a teenager and began playing music instead. At the age of 20, I was educated as a graphic designer. A few years later, I established a record company with two friends, where I made the artwork and began shooting music videos and got attracted to film. I was admitted on The National Danish Film School in 2001 and finished in 2005."

Andreas: "I started making films when I was 20. Since I was a kid I have been into music, singing in a boys choir and playing piano. After high school I started studying political science but I dropped out soon after I realized I wasn’t going to be a good diplomat. I went to Paris to play music and when I got back I was offered an unpaid job on a youth TV program while I was studying sociology. I started making portraits of my friends and got really hooked on all the disciplines involved in film making. I loved to shoot, to edit, to find the right music and to create particular atmospheres."

Ηow did come out the idea of this movie/documentary? Did you know who Slavik was before the film?

Our producer’s (Jakob) wife is Viktoria Franova who is a former world class dancer. When Jakob saw her last dance, he was very touched. He later got the idea to make a documentary about a latin dancer. We didn't know Slavik beforehand but after some research in the dance world we met him. He was just about to make his comeback with Anna. It was obvious to us that he was a great character and that his comeback would create a good frame for a documentary film.

This is your first work as directors. Are you satisfied with the result?

It is our first feature length documentary but both of us have made shorter films for a long time. We have both been curious to work with the long format but luckily we found that our story with Slavik and Anna suited the format perfectly. Overall we are very happy with the result.

How was your relationship with Slavik during the filming of the documentary? Was it easy working with him?

We had a very good relation with Slavik during the shooting. In the beginning he was very focused on his dance, but he let us into his intimate space during rehearsals and competitions. When the relationship with Anna started to break he opened up even more and shared his thoughts with us.΅

In the film the protagonists are being themselves. Is there any scene that they had to follow your directions in order to have a more “dramatic” result?

We never staged anything in the film. The scenes and the characters were dramatic enough by themselves so we didn't need to intervene.

You spent too many hours with Slavik & Anna. Could you describe their characters, how are they as personalities? 

They are both artists and very focused on their dance. They were very generous and willing to share their lives with us. Outside the camera they were good company too and we became quite close.

Do you believe that ambition can be more powerful than love?

For some people yes. For many dancers in general and for Slavik in particular ambition and love go hand in hand. When we met him he was very focused on his ambitions but along the way he realized that he needed the mutual love with Anna in order to feel as a complete human being.

In this movie the audience will watch Slavik’s and Anna’s efforts to reach the top. Apart from this, what is the moral message in the movie?

We don't try to give any clear message through the film but we would like the viewers to make their own conclusions. But the film poses a question of how much you are ready to sacrifice to reach your goal and in the end if all the work really makes you happy.

9. Which are your future plans? Are you working on a movie right now?

We are both working on new films.
Christian: I am currently working on a portrait of the minister of Culture in Denmark. He is a new breed of politician and has a remarkable take on politics. Very communicative about his doings, openly homosexual and maybe too innovative in a quite conventional polished political machine. I am also working on a film about a Cuban boxer´s encounter with the international business of boxing."

Andreas: I am working on a film about a Danish activist who back in 1995 dropped 4 tons of weapons over India in order to help some people in the West Bengal towards a repressive communist regime. Moreover I am working on a film about three boys from Senegal who aspire to become professional football players in Europe.

We would like to thank you very much for this interview and we wish you the best in your personal lives as well as in your professional careers.

Thank you very much, we wish you good luck to your website and we hope you enjoy the movie in Athens.