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ČOVEK OD DIMA / MAN OF SMOKE © Marko Mijatovic

ČOVEK OD DIMA / MAN OF SMOKE

Documentary by Luka Papić and Marko Mijatović, 32 min., Serbia, Germany 2017

Petrovac, a small town on the Mlava River in eastern Serbia, is a nexus of Serbian, Vlax Romani and, apparently above all, migrant worker cultures.
Slobodan, a 75-year-old retired policeman, and his son Bojan, a solicitor, live here in a large house at the edge of town. In a small dark chamber just off the entrance area, next to a sprawling fig tree and a patio swing, is Bojan's law practice. The everyday life of the two men is dictated by habit: In the morning, they take turns exercising in the attic turned gym. While Bojan works in his office, Slobodan does the shopping and prepares their shared daily meals. For their regular evening stroll, they each go their separate ways. And although each has his own suggestions and philosophies, both are in agreement about one thing: Slobodan is one of the most important poets of all time.
A few years ago, Bojan discovered YouTube and decided to set up a channel for his father so that Slobodan could bring his poetry to the world. Now, almost every day they sit in the chamber and Bojan records his father with a webcam as he recites his poetry. The poems are idiosyncratic observations on Petrovac, and are populated with prostitutes, drug addicts, homosexuals, homeless people, and the spiritual, as well as numerous animals that maneuver within rituals and religious stories and thoughts.
Script / Director / Photography/ Editing
            Luka Papić and Marko Mijatović
Production:
Luka Papić and Marko Mijatović
Co-production:
weltfilm Berlin

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