Monument to Michael Jackson

Marko—music lover, poet, and professional barber—just had a brilliant idea. It’s the spring of 2009, and Marko hasn’t had much luck lately. His wife Ljubinka recently left him, and he lives in a small, economically depressed town in Serbia. But he is certain his luck is about to change. At a town meeting, Marko proposes to rebuild a nearby airport and then attract tourists by erecting a MONUMENT TO MICHAEL JACKSON in time for the King of Pop’s farewell tour. At first the townspeople scoff at Marko’s plan, but they eventually come around to the idea, as life can’t get much worse. Making a host of promises he likely can’t keep, Marko then enlists the help of a retired military pilot, a Gypsy welder, a local boy band, a couple of German documentarians, a wheelchair-bound superfan, and a priest. Can this cast of oddball characters save the town and help Marko win back his wife? This quirky dramedy satirizes contemporary Serbian social ails to endearing effect. (In Serbian with subtitles) – E.B.