434. The Other Side Of Everything ( Druga strana svega); movie review

THE OTHER SIDE OF EVERYTHING (DRUGA STRANA SVEGA)
Cert TBA

100 mins
BBFC advice: TBA

During the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s, the thoughts of Mrs W and myself would often cast back to our honeymoon in 1988.
We had a brilliant time in Porec, unaware that the seeds had already been sown for a civil war which would break Yugoslavia apart and see an estimated 140,000 killed.
Porec is on the coast of what is now Croatia and, during our stay, we visited the beautiful Lake Bled in  modern-day Slovenia.
I recall that our Yugotours representative was a young man from Belgrade. He was in his 20s and would have probably been called up when fighting began in 1991.
Most of what we have watched and read about the Yugoslav wars have been from outside of Serbia which has been painted as the villain of the time.

Mila Turajlic's documentary comes from the heart of its capital, Belgrade, and contextualises the desire for separation and the various reactions to the regime of Slobodan Milošević.
It centres on her mother, Srbijanka Turajlic, whose home which was forcibly divided by the communists and is seen in this documentary as a symbol for a country in turmoil.
Srbijanka was a university professor who became a political activist in dissent against the Milošević regime, despite the dangers.
She tells the story of Belgarde and Serbia's history since her parents' home, in which she still lives, was split 70 years ago.
She tells of her past-down knwoledge of the post-war period and her personal experiences of the communist regime of Tito.
She admits that she had not anticipated a worse government but that came to pass under Milošević's nationalists.
Past footage is combined with current commentary which is very relevant because, once again, Serbia is unstable and she has been on the political frontline.
The common problem with foreign documentaries is that they often presume knowledge.
This is true here during the a chronology of tumult in Serbia and especially during conversations between Turajlic's friends and family.
I knew a fair bit about the Yougoslavia situation but I admit that I had to do background reading to add context to both the past and current crises.
I can't blame Mila Turajlic for this. She made her film in Serbia with Serbians in mind but it is a pity that our own journalists are not delving as much into world affairs as they did in the past.
Either a narrative or outside perspective might have made a good film even better.

Reasons to watch: An intriguing insight into the tumultuous history of Serbia
Reasons to avoid: It comes from an academic premise

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7/10

Director quote - Mila Turajlic: "While the story unfolds inside the apartment, the view from the windows lets us enter a Serbia rarely ever seen in the media. I have been filming from the windows for the past 10 years, creating an archive of dramatic and intimate moments taking place on the streets below."

The big question - Why does power corrupt?

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