Interview with Director Čejen Černić Čanak, Actors Lav Novosel and Andrija Žunac (Sandbag Dam)

Sandbag Dam tells the story of Marko (Lav Novosel), a young Croatian man hiding his bisexuality while struggling to meet the expectations of his family and community. When his first love, Slaven (Andrija Žunac), returns to the village – having been ‘exiled’ to Berlin for being gay – the two reconnect and share intimate moments. But as a flood draws nearer, so does an emotional reckoning. Marko can’t keep living a lie – not to his girlfriend, not to his parents, and not to himself.

Sandbag Dam is one of the first Croatian LGBTQ+ coming-of-age films. There aren’t many coming-of-age queer films set in rural communities as well. Do you believe movies like yours can help the LGBTQ+ community, both globally and in Croatia?

Čejen: Absolutely.  It’s a major step forward for queer people in Croatia. We wish films like this had been made 15 years ago. We worked so passionately on this project because we know how important the topic is. We kept talking about how helpful it could be for both young and older members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Lav, Andrija, your characters both carry emotional weight. How did you prepare to play such vulnerable roles?

Lav: Throughout the movie, Marko goes through a lot, and hopefully that journey is visible on screen. It was a challenging role for me, because he’s torn between who he truly is and who he’s supposed to be in this very close-minded community. I’m straight, so I had to find ways to connect with this character. But I think we all, in one way or another, have experienced forbidden love, true friendship, and deep, authentic connections. I drew from all of that to step into Marko’s shoes.

Čejen: We rehearsed for seven months. We had a long preparation period and talked openly about everything. For Lav, it was especially tough because he had to explore unfamiliar emotional territory. I kept pushing him beyond his limits – out of his comfort zone. It was an intense process for all of us.

Andrija: We all felt safe because of those long rehearsals. We really got to know each other by talking and working things out together, and that gave us the freedom to explore those emotional spaces. I think we all came out of the process that changed us.

Nature plays an important role in the film – rabbits, the river, the looming flood. Do these elements symbolise Markos’ oppression?

Čejen: Yes, definitely. Nature, the river itself, and the preparation for the flood all reflect Marko’s emotional state. While the whole village is busy building sandbag dams around their homes to hold back the water, Marko is doing the same emotionally – trying to hold back his emotions, to stop them from breaking through. Nature runs in parallel with what the characters are feeling.

And if you catch a wild rabbit and put it in a cage, it’ll keep trying to escape, throwing itself at the bars again and again, until it breaks its own spine. In a way, it commits suicide. For a wild rabbit, being caged means death. Without freedom, it’s over. I think that’s very similar for us, as human beings. Without freedom, we’re not truly alive.

Why does the movie’s original, Croatian title, Zečji nasip, have a slightly different meaning than its English translation?

Čejen: It’s different because we couldn’t find an exact translation. In Croatian, ‘Zečji nasip’ literally means ‘rabbits’ sandbag dam.’ The presence of rabbits in the original title refers to the fact that these dams are measured in a way that allows rabbits to jump over them.

Without giving too much away, the ending leaves a lot open. I was wondering: is there hope for Marko – or is he stuck in his village for good?

Čejen: What do you think? It’s an open ending. I wanted it to be ambiguous.

Lav: But you know in the end he finds compassion in his father, and so I think – and hope – there is a way out for Marko.

Čejen: It was funny when I was in the production process with my collaborators all had very strong opinions about what would happen next. Some were convinced he gets on the bus; others were sure that this is the end for Marko and Slaven. Everyone was really passionate about their visions.