Leo Amir Kazić & Katja Restović: A visual chronicle of a long-term musical collaboration and friendship
Restović has directed around ten videos for Leo Amir Kazić, creating a recognisable visual continuity that follows his musical evolution.
Leo Amir Kazić is a musician with a powerful voice and a distinct stage charisma, which from the very beginning influenced the visual direction of their work together. Over the years, Restović has directed a series of videos charting his transformation — from intimate ballads to energetic pop-rock performances.
On set, he consistently brings authenticity and professional calm, creating ideal conditions for precise, emotionally clear shots.
“I’ve known Leo for many years, and over the course of our long professional collaboration we’ve also become genuine friends,” says Katja Restović. “Whenever we are together, I feel at ease — and when we work, I feel especially good, precisely because Leo has complete trust in me and surrenders to the process.
He is responsible, modest, and has all those qualities I value most in people. His voice is truly special — one of the great voices in our region. There are very few artists who carry that kind of power and colour in their voice, and even fewer who remain equally polite, positive, warm and kind after so many years. Almost every one of our conversations ends with a reflection on how important it is to remain a good person and to treat others with respect, no matter what situations may throw you off balance.”
His positive energy is felt everywhere: at home, in the car, on set. There is never tension or hysteria — everything flows naturally. They’ll have a coffee, set the frame, and he will deliver everything needed in the first or second take.
“I always want singers to actually sing on set, because you can always feel playback,” says Restović. “That’s why I love to ‘tease’ them a little with wind, water and various elements to draw out the emotion to the fullest — and Leo always responds to that beautifully.”
“I believe our first video together was Prokleta ljubav — a song he wrote himself, as an excellent author. He has written many songs for others that people don’t even realise are his — but that’s his story, not mine,” Katja continues. “What I can say is that we’ve probably made ten or more videos together (I’d have to check), and each one was special. Prokleta ljubav remains particularly dear to me: an unusual title, a strong emotion, and he performed it so sincerely that the song stays deep in your chest. There are many more like that in his repertoire.”
Leo is also a true grill master by profession, and Katja jokes that she has eaten so much good food at their place that she could write a separate text about it. “Biba is a fantastic cook, Leo prepares superb meat, and both of them are incredibly warm, hospitable and capable in everything they do.”
She recalls one moment when she had written lyrics for a song that still needed music: “Leo took the paper, picked up a guitar and, in front of all of us, created a hit in literally a few minutes. He set the song to music in a single breath. That’s his gift — natural, powerful, unobtrusive. We’ve been close for years now, and Leo is truly a good friend. I love being in his company,” says Restović.
There are countless anecdotes. As Katja often says, she likes to “test” the performers she works with — Leo has been barefoot, soaking wet, freezing, exposed to wind and intense lighting more times than she can count… yet he always calmly asks: “Kate, is this okay?” She checks the frame, says “yes” — and lets him improvise.
That’s what makes him special: he has a strong sense for acting, a natural spontaneity and ease in front of the camera. All he needs is space — and he shines.
She remembers one of their more recent videos filmed in a car: “The car was being shaken from the outside, the lights were pulsing, there was constant movement, and he remained completely patient. Afterwards we just stepped out, went for a coffee, he ordered a glass of wine — he always has excellent taste and knows a lot about wine — and the atmosphere immediately relaxed. At one point a cat jumped into his lap, and he began to pet it as if it were his own.”
Another time, they did a split shoot — part filmed by a colleague in Zadar and part by Katja’s team in Poreč. A very beautiful young woman appeared in the frame, because, as Katja says, aesthetics always plays an important role in a video. “Leo behaved like a true gentleman: polite, attentive, measured — a real man of manners.”
They also shot a video in the Croatian Home in Pula, with a huge ventilator blowing him around. He had to run up and down the stairs repeatedly, while Katja watched his legs on the monitor, completely unaware of how exhausting it really was.
“The same thing happened with Tereza when we filmed Con te partirò in a meadow near Poreč — the shot was so beautiful that I simply couldn’t cut, even though the crew kept warning me to let her rest.”
A similar situation occurred with Severina during the shoot for Šafrane in a barracks in Rijeka: “The guys were doing push-ups and were already turning purple from the effort, and I was watching only the movement on the monitor, not their faces. They didn’t want to show weakness in front of her, so they kept going in silence. They were adorable.”
“And that’s how it is with Leo,” she concludes. “So many situations, so much laughter, so much warmth. Those memories make our collaboration not only a professional story, but a friendship I truly carry in my heart.”
