Andrijana Cvetkovikj is a woman of many accomplishments. Most notably, she was the first Macedonian ambassador to Japan from 2014 to 2018. She has a Ph.D. in cinema studies from Nihon University, an excellence award from the Japan Association of Audiovisual Producers and a role as adviser to the head of the country’s Agency for Cultural Affairs. Now, at 43, she is the senior programmer for the inaugural Women’s Empowerment section at this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF). The festival runs from Oct. 28 til Nov. 6.
1. What was the first Japanese film that left an impression on you? “Rashomon” was the first movie I saw when I was a kid. My mom was ironing and I sat in front of the TV, very close. She was saying I should sit back, but I could not take my eyes off the TV, especially as I was seeing people who looked different than us, probably the first time seeing a Japanese face.
2. This is as a child in Macedonia. Did that influence your decision to go into cinema and come to Japan? When I decided I was going to be a filmmaker, I started looking for that movie. Now it's so easy, you search on the internet, right? Back then was a different time, you’d have to go to libraries and check VHS tapes.
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