Documentary about Belgrade’s music and arts scene

Published September, 2010
by Easterndaze

We met filmmaker Nikola Zecevic at the Belgrade Noise gig at Belgrade’s premier alternative arts venue Kulturni Centar Grad or KC Grad on a balmy Tuesday night. He was running around with his camera, eager to capture the spirit of the night and Belgrade’s sprawling creative scene. Inspired by the energy that he experienced upon his trips to Serbia – he is half Dutch, half Serbian living in The Hague, Netherlands – he embarked on an independent, self-funded filming project. What lead him to pick up a camera and start shooting?

“I’ve been coming to Serbia and former Yugoslavia all my life during the summer holidays but never any longer than 2 weeks. Last year I decided to come here for three months to learn the Serbian language. During my time here a lot of people both in The Netherlands and here in Belgrade asked me: `Why would you go there, there is nothing there but a bad economic situation and war`.
 
But when I lived here for a while I saw that, that was not the case. This city is full of energy. A lot of young people here did not experience the war and and its consequenses. So they want to make a change and are starting something for themselves without any help from the government or outside sponsoring. This is very difficult but at the same time very liberating. They are not bound to any rules of how anything should work. Who says a concert can only be one type of music or a clothing store can only sell clothing. In the last couple of years a network has formed of all these young creative people who are working together to elevate Belgrade, these are the people that make Belgrade `Belgrade`. I came here for three months to make a documentary about these people. These are: street artists, local bands, dj´s, producers, graphic designers, photographers, students, tourguides, gig bookers, entrepeneurs and much more.”

Check out a trailer from his cinematographic ode to the Serbian capital.