Jacques Houdek & Katja Restović: Visual storytelling for “Mr. Voice”, one of Croatia’s most remarkable vocalists
From earlier music videos to the Eurovision stage, Restović has accompanied Jacques’s transformation into a powerful live performer.
Jacques Houdek is an artist whose vocal range demands a specific visual approach. In their collaborations, Restović always placed the dramaturgy of the voice at the center — camera, movement and light follow his dynamics, never the other way around.
The videos often combined emotional depth with technical precision, something that became especially visible in the works connected to Eurovision. Jacques was always highly professional on set, yet open to creative experimentation, which made the collaboration incredibly rewarding.
“I’ve worked with Jacques on a large number of videos, and one that truly swept me off my feet was ‘Miris jedne žene’. The song itself — a beautiful piece written by my dear friend Sandra Sagena — already carries strong emotion, but Jacques’s vocal and interpretation lifted it to a level you can only bow to.
Jacques is exceptionally intelligent, sharp and deeply emotional. I’m extremely glad I met him, because he never stops fascinating me with his ideas, creativity, hobbies and everything that makes him so unique. I often say that a person who has one talent usually has three, four, even seven hidden ones — and with Jacques, that’s not far from the truth. Someone with such a God-given voice is almost always creative in many other fields as well.
On every shoot, we would discuss the concepts in great detail. We were lucky to recognize each other very quickly, to build mutual trust — and he also has excellent ideas worth listening to. In a good collaboration, that’s crucial: to listen to each other. Two people are smarter than one, three are smarter than two — but only if they’re the right people. It’s not about the number, it’s about the synergy of creative minds. When that happens, miracles are possible.
I always enjoy working in a team, and with Jacques the process was always pleasant — thanks to him and his wonderful crew: Miha, Brigita, his wife… such lovely people and such a good atmosphere.
I especially remember our last, extremely demanding Eurovision video ‘My Friend’, filmed in Zagreb. The idea that Jacques would embody two personas — one operatic and one pop vocalist — immediately intrigued me, although at first I didn’t quite understand how we would achieve it technically. He explained everything patiently, and I then enriched the narrative with a story about diversity. I rooted for him with all my heart. The song came to life, the video worked, and I felt especially proud watching Jacques give interviews in perfect English — charming and radiant,” says Katja Restović.
