Laureate
NICOLAS GASTER

NICOLAS GASTER acceptance speech for lifetime achievement award
Hello АФПМ AFP na Makedonija,
You do me a great honour in awarding me a life time’s achievement award for editing.
Thank you so much.
I have very much appreciated the time I have been able to spend in Makedonija, working alongside and making friends with all the talented technicians and artists of the Makedonijan film industry.
I am very grateful for the warmth and hospitality which has greeted me when I have been working in the republic, indeed all the republics of ex Jugoslavia. Film people are a race apart: we speak the same special language of collaborative artistic creativity which makes life truly exciting!
I am very sorry I cannot be with you today in person. I am still active so in the process of cutting a film about Catherine the Great of Russia which means I can’t fit a trip to Skopje into the schedule. (I will be available to cut films later though!)
As you can see from my photograph I am dressed for an award ceremony. I have included my wife Susan in the photo as well. She also thanks you. She says now she finally won’t have to listen to me complaining about my lack of recognition, for which she is deeply grateful.
Once again I am so thankful I have had for the wonderful privilege of visiting Makedonija so many times. It is a place very close to my heart.