Death of a Man in the Balkans (Smrt coveka na Balkanu)

Year: 2012
Country: SERBIA
Run Time: 80 minutes

In the opening sequence of DEATH OF A MAN IN THE BALKANS, a man turns on the webcam of his computer, sits down in front of it, and shoots himself. From there this brilliantly original and (trust us) funny film simply lets the camera roll. In one continuous sequence, we watch as neighbors enter drawn by the gunshot and as the ensuing chaos and reactions to sudden death are mercilessly captured. We quickly discover those reactions to be very self-centered and opportunistic as neighbors hang about waiting for the authorities. They begin drinking toasts to the man's memory and speculating profoundly about the life of someone whom nobody actually seemed to know. Shrewdly observant, darkly satirical, and often outright hilarious, this film skews the formal rituals of death that we perform. When the authorities at last begin to wander in, the film escalates to delicious levels of absurdity echoing the Marx Brothers and Monty Python. With humor as dark as a funeral shroud, this is a completely unique cinematic treat you do not want to miss. (In Serbian with subtitles) – C.R.

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