VIDEO: Inspirational documentary about Croatian Paralympic medalist Dino Sinovčić

Dino Sinovčić (Trailer/Stop me if you can)

Croatian film director Bruna Bajić has made another inspirational documentary, this time about Croatian Paralympic medalist Dino Sinovčić.

STOP ME IF YOU CAN is a documentary dedicated to a human soul, inspired by flaws and motivated by dreams. 

Sinovčić today won a bronze medal in the men’s 100m backstroke at the Paralympics in Tokyo and we caught up with Bruna ahead of the release of the documentary trailer. 

What motivated you to make such a documentary after ”The Blue Cage project’’?

As much as those two projects seem distant by topic, they are actually from a higher perspective on the path of my own professional and personal growth. The Blue Cage project was as emotional and personal as this story, in spite of the fact that I didn’t know Dino before I started creating the story inspired by his life.

STOP ME IF YOU CAN is also visualised as a community based project. It has a story to tell, but the project is also a good ”listener”. We want to gather people around the idea of self improvement, emotion sharing, empowering. As the film grows, we are planning to make our own audience and we’re offering not just a film, but an alternative pattern of thinking for the mind and pattern of feeling for the soul.

Dino Sinovčić was diagnosed with artrogriposis the day he was born. Now, we’re watching that same kid on national TV winning a medal at the Paralympics.

Director Bruna Bajić

Do you think his story and story of parents who raised such a kid would be useful to humanity?

His results are not what we’re chasing. 

It’s the capacity to dream, grow and inspire, and this story is basically as Michelangelo wisely said, already hidden in a stone, I just had to cut the obstacles to make it visible.

Tears and laughter…if I can’t get those two to fluctuate in a film, I don’t do a film

What would be a short description of the film?

I’ll put a quote from the trailer:

Immunity is not just the body. It is also the spirit. How far you can go without breaking.

How shaky you can be and yet be able to strengthen yourself. Once you grab that immunity by the waist, it’s a never-ending dance. You see beyond the problem. That is called the goal. A path to self or self-realisation. How long does it last? A lifetime.

Bruna

You’re writing a book also named ”Stop me if you can”, what is it about? Is it inspired by the film, or is it more personal?

I would say the film is inspired by the book, although the book is not yet written. As a film maker and a writer, I keep running from the fear of creativity collapse and that fear of failure was always my trainer.

It kept me from outgrown thoughts that don’t serve me, projections that make me limited, it made me jump higher after freezing. Dino’s story, or story of any other human that doesn’t want to drown in offered reality is always full of introspection. It is a personal battle with no other enemies but those buried in your mind. The mind is supposed to be cleaned. You can not inhale C02 for a long time and expect for your lungs to work and your body to breathe. It is an invisible aspect of existence and we’re a visual culture so people are thought how not to feel, but it is also applicable to the mind. I felt a need to grow my work in these challenging times in a direction in which I sense the humanity needs. 

The book is going to be inspired by my own obstacles, thoughts , stories, experience, motivation and conclusions. It is built gradually and I hope it will serve to many once she leaves my nest.

Bruna and son Leni

When can we expect the project release?

We are going to build the community through the social network with interesting written and visual content, so the connection with the audience will be created with lots of innovations and interesting stories. It will be a process not only: release, watch and forget trinity. I assume it should be summer 2022.

In 2020 you became a mother of a little boy called Leni. How is your experience of motherhood?

Leni and I share the same birthday. He came into my arms at 9 o’clock in the morning on 7th September 2020. It was the sweetest gift ever. I was always afraid of motherhood since I wasn’t sure can I be good enough. But my self esteem changed. I discovered some new levels of happiness and inner peace, no matter how tired sometimes I get like every Mum. He is a boy who fulfilled my heart in a very special way. My only wish is to be complete as a person and make a foundation for him in our little family to let him be a happy baby, happy boy and a complete human. So I promised myself I’ll keep growing and do my best. And God will do the rest. 

Stop me if you can is a documentary presented by Wolfgang&Dolly production and directed and screen-played by Bruna Bajić. Check out the trailer below.