Una Gunjak: Directing Children and Non-Actors

In this masterclass with Una Gunjak, we will explore various artistic choices and processes by discussing two of her key films — The Chicken (2014) and Excursion (2023). The session will open with the question of why creating art is a political act, and why an artist’s view of the world is inherently political — through the very choice of what they do or do not choose to address. The filmmaker will talk about her cinematic poetics and the metamorphosis that the initial idea and screenplay undergo throughout the filmmaking process. She will pay special attention to working with child actors and non-professionals, and to how certain aspects of a film — such as cinematography — are shaped in advance by the choice of subject and characters, as well as the decision to work with children, non-professionals, and young people. The masterclass will be accompanied by the screening of the short film The Chicken.

language: Croatian | open to the public

Una Gunjak

Una Gunjak is a Sarajevo-born, Paris-based director, screenwriter, and editor. She graduated in Editing from the NFTS in London. Her short film The Chicken screened at Cannes Critics’ Week and Sundance, and won the European Film Award for Best Short Film. Her first feature, Excursion (ZFF 2023), premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, where it received a Special Mention. Una works as an editing consultant with First Cut Lab and Dok Incubator, and as a tutor for the Ji.hlava Academy educational platform.

Moderator

Ana Marija Marinov

Ana Marija Marinov (Šibenik, 1992) holds degrees in Journalism and Political Science from Zagreb and in Experimental Film from the MET Film School in Berlin (2018). She works internationally in photography and film production, writes about documentaries, and leads film workshops for children and youth. Since 2023, she has collaborated with Kids Meet Art, and since 2025, she has coordinated KinoKino, ZFF’s children’s program.