Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dino Mujic. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Dino, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Ever since I was a kid, I loved telling stories. Creative writing assignments in school were always my favorite because I could just let my full imagination and creativity loose. But it wasn’t really until I watched ´Raiders of the Lost Ark´ for the first time, that I really understood what it is I wanted to do. That film made me fall in love with cinema and after that, movies weren’t just movies anymore. They were so much more and I became curious how they were made. But it wasn’t until my late teens that I realized, I want to do more than just tell stories. I want to inspire people. But growing up in a small town in Germany, I didn’t really have a lot of opportunity. At least not with film. So I thought about what else I could do. But this calling to pursue my dream just kept getting louder and louder until I simply couldn’t ignore it. I had do try. Because I’d rather know I tried and failed, than ask myself for the rest of my life what could have happened have I not been scared. There’s this great quote by Norman Vincent Peale that I really like, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll still be among the stars.” I try to live by that.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
In 2020, I decided to create a little Instagram account called ´Every Shot a Painting´ to collect my favorite movie shots and share my love for cinema with others. Through that, I was able to connect with filmmakers and other film fans from every corner of the world. But what I value most from it is that I got to make lifelong friends. One of those friends is Tristan Chandra, the founder of Mandalay Film Club. Tristan and I started a film podcast called the `Literally Me Podcast`. There we hang out and discuss movies on a weekly basis. One day, while we were just casually talking, I told Tristan I wrote a short film that I really want to make one day. I gave him a basic rundown of the story and he immediately wanted to help me with this project. I’m still so grateful to have him as my producer on this.
The short film is called ´The May Bench` and it’s a very personal project. It’s dedicated to my great-aunt, who died due to a tumor 3 years ago. Cancer is a big thing in our family and I grew up without a grandma. But my great-aunt was essentially like a grandma to me. She was the reason why my dad came to Germany in the first place, why he met my mom, why I was born. I’d visit her after school a lot and sleep over at her apartment. She taught me how to cook and she was always on her feet making sure everyone was fed and happy. She was the nicest person I´ve ever known and extremely important to me. When she died, I wrote this film to help me with my grief. My goal is to create something beautiful in her name and hopefully help others who have lost someone.
We’re currently raising money to make this film.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Creativity – Kindness – Willpower
Be creative, try out new things and be open to everything. Don’t lose that childlike wonder.
Be kind to others, not just when it benefits you.
Don’t give up chasing your dreams. Even if all the odds are against you, never forget how much you want this!
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I’ve actually had quite a few panic attacks due to that overwhelming feeling. My advice is to step away from everything for a bit. Stop what you´re doing. Stop the overthinking. Turn off your phone and go for a walk in the park. Allow your brain to calm down and life to slow down for a bit. Afterwards you go back and plan out everything you need to do step by step. Don’t panic, everything is going to be alright. It has so far, right? So take a deep breath.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everyshotapainting/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVUXMPw_lwi_vS_3dHEuRqQ
- Other: ´The May Bench` crowdfunding page: https://givebutter.com/tPhMEP
