Emilija Kokić & Katja Restović: A long-standing collaboration shaped by friendship and visual softness
The videos Restović directed for Emilija emphasize emotion, simplicity and a voice that carries the story.
Emilija Kokić is known for the purity of her voice and the warmth of her interpretations, which demanded visuals that would not compete with the songs, but gently support them. In their collaborations, Restović chose the soft portrait style for which she is particularly known, gentle camera movements and simple staging that often feels almost cinematic.
The shoots frequently resembled intimate musical moments, without excessive theatricality, allowing audiences to connect directly with the authenticity of the songs. This collaboration is among the most tender in Restović’s music work.
Back in 1989, the Eurovision Song Contest took place on 6 May in Lausanne, Switzerland, where Yugoslavia was represented by the band Riva, fronted by Emilija Kokić. Her rise began in 1988, at a different competition:
“They sent me as a young hope to Moj prvi pljesak, within the show Demo X, where I represented young talents from Zadar. I won the first time, then the second, then the third… Word spread that some girl kept winning. Somehow that reached Rajko Dujmić. We met, my knees were shaking with excitement, but he didn’t notice. I told him I sang in a band, Rajko came to see and hear us, and offered us the song Rock me. I thought: ‘My God, what is this?’ — but Rajko knows what he’s doing,” says Emilija.
The most recent music video they made together — and there have been eight of them (Ljepota, Santa Ledena and others) — is for her song “Druga”, directed by Katja Restović and filmed in Poreč, Pula and Rijeka. The music was written by Marko Tomasović, lyrics by Robert Pilepić, arrangement by Boris Đurđević, and the single was released by Dancing Bear.
The lead male role in the video is played by acclaimed Croatian actor Robert Kurbaša, and the demanding, action-driven video also features actors and extras Vesna Janko Finderle, Azeglio Picco, Dobrivoje Savatović and Davor Hačić.
“In this video, Emilija appears in a completely new way, and alongside the excellent Kurbaša, she plays her role like a true actress. She surprised us all by deciding to spend her birthday ‘working’, which made the atmosphere on set even warmer,” says Restović, whose production company handled the shoot. She adds that the script itself is particularly intriguing:
“Anyone expecting a classic love drama will be very surprised. We filmed in the elegant interiors of the Parentium Hotel in Poreč, as well as outdoor action scenes. We shot for two days, with an additional day planned for car sequences, which are quite demanding, so we left them to professional stunt drivers,” explains Katja.
Camera and post-production were entrusted to her long-term collaborator Josip Pino Ružić, with Marin Brkljača as first camera assistant. The crew also included Azeglio Picco and Žitomir Klaričić.
“I’ve known Emilija for a very, very long time, and together we’ve made an impressive eight music videos,” says Restović. “Among all those projects, one of my favourites is the video where Emilija is in the bathtub — A gdje da krenem. I remember that set as if it were yesterday: an empty flat above the theatre in Rijeka, found thanks to friends who worked as real estate agents. Inside — just one small white bathtub. We kept filling it with warm water so she would be comfortable. Emilija was unbelievably beautiful in that scene, and the whole atmosphere was magical.
Every shoot with her has been a wonderful experience, but the one I remember most vividly is our latest video — a small crime story in which Emilija plays an agent, together with Robert Kurbaša and our actors from Poreč and Novigrad. The plot is simple yet effective — you only need to watch the video and everything becomes clear.
Emilija loves to cook and is fantastic at it. She is extremely pleasant, funny, relaxed, and at the same time incredibly responsible, hardworking and patient. I don’t know whether that’s because she has great trust in me or simply because that’s who she is — but I know that I always enjoy spending time with her. Whenever I hear her voice, I’m instantly filled with joy and reminded of all the stages of our long creative journey,” says Katja Restović.
