Well this is not always the same. Usually I find myself inspired by something, some kind of a visual inspiration or something that I feel that is really getting into my heart, and I try to capture the core of it with my camera or record with my sound recorder. Once I have that ‘heart’ this is a good start. If I feel that I managed to capture something that contains a visual inspiration or something that is touching my heart deeply then I know I can expand it to a full film. So also on ‘Summer Nights’ it was the same. I really wanted to capture something about Alva, the way he speaks, looks at the world? When he was around this age (between 5 or 6) he had a very unique way of looking at the world. Something about his naivety, something about his pureness point of view about the world, the way he expressed his own feelings and thoughts, it had something special and I wanted to capture it. To treasure it. 

Actually that idea came from Alva. As you see in the film we live in a very small house. My editing studio is also the living room of the house and also our bedroom. Everything is mixed. When I was editing my last film, Alva was always walking around and watching what I'm doing and he was always curious to see what it that I’m editing is. He didn't understand because it was a bit of an essay film. So one day Alva asked me what is this strange movie I am working on, how does this all connect? “Why don't you make simple films Dad? Films that people can understand easily.” I asked him “what are you recommending” and he said “let's do a film about us, just us speaking between each other”. I thought to myself maybe it's not such a bad idea. 

Me and Ava we have had those night conversations since he started to speak, since the age of 2-3. Every night before he goes to sleep, we turn off the light and we have these one-on-one conversations, very intimate conversations. Alva was sharing with me what was going through his head, his passions, his desires, his fears, about everything, and when we came closer to the age of 6, during the summer vacation before he started the first grade Elementary School I decided to record those conversations. They became very essential. The subject of life and death were the subjects he was dealing with at that time and they became the core of our conversations during that summer holiday.  

I didn't fear dealing with those subjects despite the complexity of them because these were the subjects that were relevant to Alva at that time. That was what was going on in his head. I remember myself at the same age having a really hard time falling asleep, because I, unlike Alva, had no one to share my feelings and fears with. Unlike Alva I was very ashamed and embarrassed to ask my father those difficult questions. I didn't feel I'm allowed to do so. I remember as a kid those moments after my father came to say goodnight, turning off the light and leaving me to fall asleep alone in my room, as very difficult moments. In a way ‘Summer Nights’ corrects and compensates for those difficult moments of mine as a kid.  

I didn't know that this would be a film about fatherhood, I just wanted to film Alva and his view of the world. But, during the editing process, I saw that there was a paternal line running through the whole material, so I decided to ask my father all those questions that Alva asked me. It was not my goal, but our relationship has changed. We became much closer, we started hugging each other, expressing our love for each other. The film even changed his relationship with his father, who is already dead. After framing his picture, he started having nightly conversations with him, in which he would tell him how he spent his day and the like. 

The movie started with that muted tone because Alva's sister was also present in the room, and we didn't want to wake her up. But later I liked that sound, it gave a certain amount of intimacy, and I think there is nothing more beautiful than when someone you like, or someone who is pleasant, whispers in your ear. It's a special feeling, I liked it and decided to continue the film in that tone. 

Yes, my new project is again a family theme. It's about love and how it changes over the years. I follow my parents' relationship and try to compare how they looked on their honeymoon and how they look today, 50 years later. Can that spark be kept? It is also a film about monogamy and how monogamy is even possible in this day and age. I'm fascinated and curious at the same time, looking forward to where everything will take me. 

Completely. I didn't think about it, and I didn't estimate that this movie would affect so many people. Considering that it is about the relationship between a father and a son, it turns out that it affects almost everyone, both those who don’t and those who have children. 

Alva is doing very well.  He loves going to school, not especially for studying but he has a lot of friends and he loves spending time with them. Alva, of course, is very proud of the film.  He is very proud to be part of it. And of course as much as he loves cinema and appreciates the artistic value of the film he much more appreciates the prizes :)