I met the modish looking Drazen Stader at the recent New York Independent Film Festival New York promoting and explaining his documentary called “Honeymoon”.  Honeymoon won the award for best adult themed documentary, a new category that was invented evidently, just to give his film project an award.  Drazen and I hit off and we have stayed in touch and below is a recent conversation we had via Skype.

Kai Eric says: Drazen please tell me about your self, where are you from and where you are currently living.

Drazen Stader says: I am originally from Bosnia, but I moved to Ljubljana Slovenia almost 15 years ago, where I still live nowadays. I finished Economics and Film studies, got a degree in film and television directing. Lately I am more and more hooked on visuals, I consider myself a visual addict. I love documentaries, love fiction, love music videos and love commercials and that's why I'm doing all of this stuff. At the moment of speaking I am in the middle of a midnight Photoshop ob-session, polishing some photos I took yesterday in a moody Ljubljana day.

Kai Eric says: how is the life in Ljubljana?

Drazen Stader says: Ljubljana is basically a great city to live...it's a good mixture of Balkan culture and Western Europe influence...basically a mix of being wild and occasionally being polite. nowadays same as everywhere else we are overblown with western influence...tonight deep dish is playing...but also around a corner we have a great free entrance local music gathering...what I like most about the city...it is clean...has fresh air...beautiful parks...and of course the Slovenian ladies are an eye grabber...

Kai Eric says: We met at the film festival in NY recently, where you were premiering your film Honeymoon which I enjoyed very much.  I found it very interesting window into Japanese culture. Please tell me a bit about Honeymoon, how it came about and what inspired it.

Drazen Stader says: Well Honeymoon is a first part of trilogy that deals with modern Japanese society through a prism of sexploitation...It focuses on a live TV sex station, named Paradise TV, that on a daily basis  pushes the boundaries of reality television, as we know it. The first part of the upcoming trilogy is focusing on interactive television live sex show named Honeymoon, where we follow a teenage wannabe director directing a teenage wannabe porno star, on night before Xmas. The film is basically a documentary Boogie Nights in Tokyo or as I like to call it a tragicomedy of human proportions.

Kai Eric says: How did you become aware of Paradise TV?

Drazen Stader says: It was inspired by a short internet clip, that hit my inbox unexpectedly...It showed a TV studio, filled with hysterically screaming Japanese women being enchanted by four well muscled Japanese Chippendales, that left their hats at home...Basically the girls were getting in a line for a blow job...and that was the TV show...Once I saw that I said to myself this is my next documentary project...

Kai Eric says: Who produced this project?

Drazen Stader says: The project was very successfully pitched at an international documentary forum, where all important European TV commissioners were present...However because of the nature of the project that deals with a touchy subject - sexploitation no one dared investing money. So at the end the project was co produced by two crazy guys, one producer - Super16 and one director co producer- Staderzen - meaning myself.

Kai Eric says: Aha so how did you like Tokyo?

Drazen Stader says: To tell you the truth...Out of 45 days that we spent in Tokyo we had 44 shooting days...Basically I was discovering the city, its parks and crazy locations through location scouting, which I thought was the best way...Nevertheless I spent the most of my time in the Paradise TV building located in the very heart of the Shinjiku district (a hype place) and I have to say that I had an amazing and unforgettable time...These guys are crazy and for the most of the time I couldn't believe my eyes, the shows they were putting together...And of course for a sushi addict like me...Tokyo is definitely a good place to be...

Kai Eric says: Was it difficult to work in Tokyo?  Did you have any problems?

Drazen Stader says: Well if it wasn't for my right hand, assistant director and sound operator Akira Ando, who is very well aware of the politeness necessary to achieve things, I could end up in serious trouble. Japan is a whole another state of mind. Thanks to him it all went as smooth as smooth can be...of course we had one minor encounter with a yakuza member in a red light district...but we kind of worked things out...

Kai Eric says: Who is the miaow miaow girl?  Did she just walk in off the street?

Drazen Stader says: Miaow miaow girl's name is Makoto...She is typecast...one out of million Tokyo girls dreaming about being famous, about being on a cover of teenage magazines, and about getting rich with sucking dicks...on the other hand...she's very unique...irresistibly honest...pure...sympathetic...and still a kid...this is was her first show in life before that she only appeared once on that television in a minor role in a naked weather forecast show (which is considered the pioneering show of Paradise TV station and the mildest one)....Basically we were lucky because Makoto, if you ask me, was just the perfect cast for that show...

Kai Eric says: What was the minor encounter with the Yakuza?

Drazen Stader says: Nothing major...we were getting some cover shots of the city's night life atmosphere and of course cruising the really strict yakuza territory...I had a tiny camera with me....trying to get by unnoticed....no  chance...a "drunken" master step up to me...addressing me in Japanese...my angel was on the other side of the street lighting up a cigarette...but a dumb...not well informed foreigner turned out to be the right move... one important thing....Paradise TV station is completely legit...has nothing to do with yakuza...sexploitation is a huge business in Japan and it is not run by yakuza guys....health delivery a form of prostitution and is the thing owned by yakuza...but health deliver is not entertainment...specially not TV entertainment

Drazen Stader says: I was trying to say but playing a dumb not well informed foreigner...

Kai Eric says: How did you like NYC?  I heard that you were having trouble with your poster.  What festival was it?

Drazen Stader says: Well the festival that we picked was certainly not the rite move...It was called New York Independent film and video festival...and the only thing worth mentioning about that festival were the parties...everything else was a pure rip off...anyway...it seemed that my poster that shows Makoto, main actress, licking a chocolate tasting dildo...was too much for America’s audience...I was in constant conflict with employees of the festival...big mommas were chasing me around the theatre...saying me that my film was an insult without even seeing it...and my posters were being torn down every couple of hours...one hottie girl even screamed when I handled her the flyer...she began yelling that I want her to appear in my porn film...and me trying to explain her that this is just a documentary film didn't help...but on the other hand all the guys of the festival remembered my movie...I got a couple invitations to other festival...and a couple of guys mailed if afterwards asking me where they can see the movie... because they missed the screening...so I guess there was a positive side to it...

Kai Eric says: Are Japanese standards on politeness really much different than your educated western standards?  Is there something that kept surprising you about their societal code?

Drazen Stader says: Hmmm...Japanese politeness...there are 15 levels...of it...for example one simple example...could you pass me a glass of water can be said in 15 different ways depending on what your position is toward to one you addressed...

Drazen Stader says: I am sending you a couple of Ljubljana shots I took yesterday. We have quite unpredictable weather for the last couple of days

Kai Eric says: Yes the weather has been really severe over here as well!  OK to wrap up this session.  A few more questions and then we can call it a night. What are you working on now?

Drazen Stader says: Now I am animating my storyboard for a feature film that I am preparing...and working on a trailer for the Paradise TV Japan...it's going to be wild and supposed to be finished in a week’s time...

Kai Eric says: Who is Melodrom? {NOTE: Brink users can find the Melodrom video in the FLIX section of Brink.].

Drazen Stader says: Melodrom is a band of five...they just released their new single called Counting days...soon there's an album to follow...and they asked me if I could do a video for them.

Drazen Stader says: ok man....I'm ducking....tomorrow going to the seaside...and doing some locations scouting for a new music video...going to be back on Monday...Wish you a nice weekend... enjoyed talking to ya..