Jack, the Balkans and I
In 1972, Congolese-Belgian pop star Jack Roskam moves to Yugoslavia, where he meets and marries his Croatian wife. He becomes the guitarist of one of the most popular local rock bands, Galija. Tall, black and adorned with dreadlocks, Jack stands out on stage, amongst his mostly Serbian colleagues. Being a convinced pacifist, Jack had escaped service in the Belgium army, but at the time of the outbreak of the Yugoslavian war his convictions are sorely tested. As Galija’s songs become more Serb orientated, Jack decides to leave the band. While Yugoslavian people are forced to choose sides, Jack faces the dilemma to either return to Belgium or to stay but to share the fate of his new country and family and friends. The war will force him to change his Fender Stratocaster for a Kalashnikov and to fight in the Croatian army.
In this road movie Jack and the Bosnian moviemaker travel through former Yugoslavia, reflecting on the choices they both made in the war.
IDFA 2008, Amsterdam
Bergamo Film Meeting 2009
BELDOCS 2009, Belgrado
LOW Kult Festival 2009, Budapest
Gdansk DocFilm Festival 2009 (Special Jury Distinction)
Netherlands Film Festival 2009
DOKMA film Festival, Maribor
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