A MOUNTAINOUS TASK

Eva Kraljević recalls her seven-year-long journey on powerful Sundance Film Festival documentary To Hold a Mountain.

At what point in the process did the film truly “find itself” in the edit and how different did it look from the version you imagined on set?  

I can’t say that I “imagined a version of the film on set” – it doesn’t really work like that for me. We were blessed with characters with incredible warmth and charisma, and so it is my job to listen and observe them in a way that is natural and makes them feel at ease. It is always about capturing the best possible material, leaning into what is unique and surprising, and providing visual options that will work to tell the story.

Was there a specific scene or sequence where the cinematography became the storytelling engine rather than the script or performances?

As this a documentary, not a fiction film, none of the scenes in our film were scripted. What I film is in the moment and spontaneous. When I film I’m always thinking about the storytelling, I am always thinking in scenes. Because of the intimacy we achieved between the protagonists and the trust we had in each other, cinematography is intertwined with their lives, and therefore they’re one of the storytelling engines. 

The two directors and I worked closely together to define the filming approach. They wanted to patiently work around the family taboo, to turn the mountain into a character, and to allow absent characters to become present. They were also inspired by the Old Masters of painting when observing changes of light in the landscape, and we used certain paintings as references to find those moments of Greek drama, using light and fog in a dramaturgical way. 

Many scenes come to mind, but one in particular was the scene where Gara and Nada are searching for the missing cow in the fog. I’m very proud of it! It was a physically very demanding task — running up and down, climbing the steep rocky terrain with the camera, not knowing exactly what will happen, while focusing on maintaining a connection with the two of them. Through this scene, the cow Flora becomes a true character in the film, and we clearly sense that she understands what is happening, whom she trusts, and whom she does not. I don’t want to give away spoilers, but so much happens in that scene — it’s a deeply emotional moment. This scene plays a pivotal role in the story and could stand as a short film on its own. I’m pleased I had the endurance to pursue it from the beginning to end, three hours of continuous filming which allowed me to capture this very powerful scene about motherhood.  

When you are filming you are in the moment. It is real life, so you are guided by that.

How did you manage rhythm and pacing when balancing emotional intimacy with narrative momentum in the cinematography?

When you are filming you are in the moment. It is real life, so you are guided by that. However, it is also my job to ensure I have filmed adequate cover so that it can be paced and shaped once it’s in the edit. This comes back to “thinking in scenes” – I will always be thinking of visual options of how we might get into a scene or leave a scene, for instance, intimate details that will elevate the storytelling and allow the editor possibilities to play with rhythm and pace.  

This film is narratively and emotionally multi-layered. There is a real intimacy and connection in the footage and I feel that this is one of the film’s biggest strengths. There is the intimacy between the protagonists and their animals and the mountain, but also there was a great deal of intimacy between the core crew (Biljana Tutorov, Petar Glomazic and me) and with the protagonists. Being able to witness and translate the intimacy through films is one of the reasons I am a filmmaker and why I love what I do. I have capacity for emotional digestion and I see my camera as an extension of it. 

Also, I was very lucky with my team! We really connected like a family which allowed me to work with ease. As a cameraperson, if that chemistry is not right it’s very hard to do a good job.  

How early were cinematography decisions influencing other post-production elements like sound design, music, or visual effects? 

I wasn’t involved in the post-production, apart from the grade. We worked with a wonderful colour grader, Emil Svetlik, and this really elevated it all. When I watched it in the cinema at our Sundance world premiere, I was struck at the sound design, it just worked and felt totally natural and in keeping with the film and the atmosphere of the mountain. I also love the music as it’s epic yet intimate. It was a wonderful experience seeing it all come together, and watching it with an audience.  

I make documentaries because I am interested in people, in their inner worlds and their outer worlds

Did the cinematography reveal anything unexpected about the characters or themes that wasn’t apparent during production? 

I make documentaries because I am interested in people, in their inner worlds and their outer worlds. As a cinematographer I always have an open mind and a curiosity as to what I might find, and yes, you will always find things that surprise you and it is a privilege to be allowed into people’s lives in such a personal way. Every day I am surprised and also enchanted. My job is to also find a visual language to try and capture these intimate layers.

How did collaboration between cinematographer and director evolve over the course of post-production, particularly when difficult decisions had to be made?

Decisions in the post-production weren’t difficult, they naturally followed the decisions the directors and I made in the production. We began by studying the space, navigating between the vast plateau and the narrow cottage. This reflected the directors’ vision of the intersection between the intimate and the political, the very close and the very wide. They wanted to turn the mountain into a character, and to allow absent characters to become present.  

As the three of us were staying in the small cottage while filming on Sinjajevina, when we weren’t filming we were constantly either discussing or analysing the filmed scenes and situations we want to capture, it was 24/7! I never before worked in that intense way and I loved it! It kept us focused and allowed us to anticipate any potential difficult decisions. Not having internet access definitely helped in maintaining that focus! 

What were the biggest technical or creative challenges you faced and how did your camera tools help you work through them efficiently? 

This is by far the most demanding shoot in my career, physically and creatively, for many reasons – it lasted for a long time (seven years), a lot of it was shot handheld on the bumpy rocky mountain ground, there was a lot of running after animals and people as we were observing them in their everyday chores and couldn’t ask for the repetitions – if the moment was lost we had to wait for the new opportunity. It was hard to film some of the scenes with the animals because they would easily get scared of me with a camera or Petar, the director, with the boom pole, because they didn’t know us and trust us. In order for them not to run away from us we needed to move around them gently yet quickly. For example, if I wanted to get the shot of the sheep in the pen I needed to slowly get inside, crouch down and wait for them to stop being afraid.  

As I am also making my own documentaries I have my documentary kit which I shoot on or research (when shooting fiction I chose cameras according to the script requirements). So I had my own Canon C300 mk II kit and the second year of filming we got C70 because it was lighter, great in low light, with great auto focus and easy to combine with the C300. I used it for the more dynamic handheld scenes as well as a gimbal. I was never using both cameras at the same time, but it was important to have two sets of gear because we were in a very remote place and couldn’t afford for something to break as there was nowhere to fix it. 

With such a minimal crew and no electricity or internet access, I knew I would want to simplify the gear handling to be able to focus on maintaining the intimacy with our amazing protagonists

The decision to work with zoom lenses came from the need be able to think (and act) on my feet and intuitively move around the protagonists and animals, to be able to catch them wherever they were. I had 24-70mm f2.8, 70-200mm f2.0 and 200mm f2.0. I’m quite sure we would never have this film had I used the primes. 

Also, for 70% of our time spent on Sinjajevina mountain, our crew consisted only of the directors, Biljana and Peter, and me. With such a minimal crew and no electricity or internet access, I knew I would want to simplify the gear handling to be able to focus on maintaining the intimacy with our amazing protagonists.  

For films dealing with memory, trauma, or complex social realities, how did you approach ethical responsibility in the cinematography?

Ethical responsibility in documentary is the most important part of filmmaking. I am always considering consent; are the contributors comfortable with both what they are sharing and how are they being visually portrayed? This is a story about trauma, loss, and painful memories. Our contributors are making themselves very vulnerable and I would switch off my camera if ever they felt uncomfortable. We as a team were always super sensitive to this. We also have to consider that we don’t expose them in any way to compromise them.

Looking back, what’s one cinematography decision you now see as pivotal to the film’s final emotional impact?

I don’t think there was one cognitive decision. But there were a few situations when I felt the scenes will be more honest and that the protagonists would feel more relaxed and less watched if I wasn’t standing there and filming. So I made sure the framing was right, and the lighting was going to work, I pressed the recording button and left the room. Although they knew I was filming and the camera was fairly close to them, I knew they will more easily immerse in each other and the conversation if I wasn’t there. Perhaps we got the material we wouldn’t have got otherwise – two very important revelations for the story happened when I was filming in that way.