Novi Sad is a city in Serbia, famous for (among other things) a very diverse underground music scene and many bands/artists who have a good reputation even beyond the borders of their native country. So what we have before us is the first documentary of the young Serbian director Mihajlo Obrenov, who took a seemingly impossible task to document the very significant historical part of the aforementioned scene, and present it to the admirers of alternative cultures of his country, as well as all the others, who are interested.
The result? Nearly 3 hours documentary monolith containing 140 interviews, many presentations of concerts, venues, images and interesting trivia of the underground culture of Novi Sad, covering the vast aural spheres from rock, punk, alternative and industrial, to the most extreme forms of metal music. Even though the whole movie is told through the interviews of the artists and scene members, this is so much more than the collection of monologues and images. This is, first and foremost, a story. A story of interesting people in a strange place during strange times, trying their hardest to have a possibility to do what they like most: and interesting and original art. Whoever has the slightest knowledge of this small Eastern European country is aware that 90s weren't the friendliest of times for anything underground or alternative. Not that the things changed too much for better. Here we will see the struggles of older musicians, and fascinating tales of how even in the most difficult of times, they could still find sanctuary in their endeavors and enjoy themselves. Also we see the arrival of much younger, no-less talented musicians, who present their own point of view. Every person presented here has something interesting to say, and everyone brings an important element to this story.
Now for the technical side of this film. While this is Obrenov's first documentary, he shows impressive directorial skills, and Contact can, without a shadow of doubt, stand on the same level as some of the best known documentaries worldwide. The montage, camera work, imagery, and all other elements are done so masterfully, that it's easy to deceive oneself, thinking that this is the work of someone, who has been directing films for decades.
I could go on and on praising this film, but this review is already much longer than intended. All in all, I must say that Contact is a masterpiece in its own category, and even though it presents a scene of a small city of Eastern Europe (as rich as that scene is), the story behind it will be captivating to everyone worldwide, interested in learning something new. Pay attention to this film, and if you ever get a possibility to see it (on festivals, or maybe if it's released online), don't miss out.
The result? Nearly 3 hours documentary monolith containing 140 interviews, many presentations of concerts, venues, images and interesting trivia of the underground culture of Novi Sad, covering the vast aural spheres from rock, punk, alternative and industrial, to the most extreme forms of metal music. Even though the whole movie is told through the interviews of the artists and scene members, this is so much more than the collection of monologues and images. This is, first and foremost, a story. A story of interesting people in a strange place during strange times, trying their hardest to have a possibility to do what they like most: and interesting and original art. Whoever has the slightest knowledge of this small Eastern European country is aware that 90s weren't the friendliest of times for anything underground or alternative. Not that the things changed too much for better. Here we will see the struggles of older musicians, and fascinating tales of how even in the most difficult of times, they could still find sanctuary in their endeavors and enjoy themselves. Also we see the arrival of much younger, no-less talented musicians, who present their own point of view. Every person presented here has something interesting to say, and everyone brings an important element to this story.
Now for the technical side of this film. While this is Obrenov's first documentary, he shows impressive directorial skills, and Contact can, without a shadow of doubt, stand on the same level as some of the best known documentaries worldwide. The montage, camera work, imagery, and all other elements are done so masterfully, that it's easy to deceive oneself, thinking that this is the work of someone, who has been directing films for decades.
I could go on and on praising this film, but this review is already much longer than intended. All in all, I must say that Contact is a masterpiece in its own category, and even though it presents a scene of a small city of Eastern Europe (as rich as that scene is), the story behind it will be captivating to everyone worldwide, interested in learning something new. Pay attention to this film, and if you ever get a possibility to see it (on festivals, or maybe if it's released online), don't miss out.
