A Sitdown with Director Srđan Spasojević of 'A Serbian Film'

I’m sure all of you have heard the controversy surrounding Netflix’s Cuties by now, but what if I were to tell you that there’s a movie that even they won’t allow on their platform? That’s right, the company that pushes a movie that’s allegedly a treatise against the sexualization of young girls that… sexualizes young girls, clutched their pearls and proceeded to act like a histrionic Southern belle when a Serbian director by the name of Srđan Spasojević released his horror opus, A Serbian Film, to much controversy.

To be fair to Netflix, they weren’t the only ones who were critical of A Serbian Film at release, even some horror critics lambasted the film. It is the writer of this piece’s humble opinion that these alleged “critics” are bourgeois hacks who have no clue about the historical context behind the film they’re critiquing. If they had any idea, they’d realize that what’s depicted in A Serbian Film might as well be Disney World compared to the real-life happenings in Serbia and greater Eastern Europe. The bottom line is that if Cuties can get an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, A Serbian Film deserved far more, it’s a far more substantive film with a message that goes a bit beyond “sexualizing young girls is bad… now watch these girls twerk.”

To be perfectly clear, nobody at M3 is suggesting that Cuties be banned (let’s just go ahead and knock that straw man down right now), we would just like for all art and artists to be treated with the same respect, regardless of whether or not the public at large finds their art to be uncouth. Multi-national corporations should not get to dictate the type of art you get to view based on their morals. The mere phrase “corporate morals” should be considered an oxymoron by anybody with a functioning frontal lobe.

That being said, it is with great pleasure that Jason Edwards and Monsters, Madness and Magic bring you a short, but sweet interview with Srđan Spasojević himself. It is our hope that this interview brings more light to this underrated, underappreciated and unfairly-maligned work of art. Enjoy.

JE: In the years since A Serbian Film’s release, have you seen people’s reaction to the film change at all?

SS: Not that I’m analyzing it, but I feel it didn’t change much. Similar reactions now as back then. It deeply polarized the audience. For some it will be forever taboo, for others something meaningful. Maybe in the future, in a few decades, when A Serbian Film would be considered a film about some other time, some other society, some other bad people but not us, things could change... But at the same time some, other artwork will be declared unfit and banned. Those things will always repeat. We move in circles not forward.

JE: Were/Are there any plans for a sequel?

SS: Haha… plans no, but fun talks always… If someone would like to invest, I’m ready.

JE: Do you think modern film making is lacking in truly transgressive art?

SS: Tough question. Yes and no. The mainstream looks like its artistic part has been kidnapped, corrupted and ruined by bureaucracy, box-office, fame, rules, funds, primitivism… You can’t expect to find anything there that will make any waves or disturb my grandma. There are certain popular daily news subjects that they will deal with. The mainstream feels like watching TV news.

Let me remind you what happens to free thinking in today’s world: Arri Lab Munich in Germany destroyed the film and materials after making 35mm print (sounds familiar?). Many other Labs throughout the “Free World” canceled the deal and destroyed materials in different stages of post-production, even if they had seen the film before the deal was made. Festival directors and programmers prosecuted for screening the film. Ordinary people prosecuted for possessing the film… Tons and tons of statements, pictures from the set, videos proving we didn’t kill or rape anyone on the set. It was a Witch Hunt! Dark ages! Film banned and cut in almost every territory in the World.

When they were cutting the film, they didn’t cut sexual or violent content, but content and shots connected/next to it! Can you understand that? I can’t. Maybe they liked it too much.

If you look like them, you’re in the system.

On the other hand you can find some truly worthy pieces, but you have to dig deep away from spotlights and red carpets.

JE: Was it hard to get cast/crew involved once they read the script?

SS: Surprisingly no, we were pretty lucky with the crew, almost every member of the crew was our first choice. They shared the same emotions, they understood in full what the idea was about. They wanted to be a part of this adventure and to scream together with us. It was catharsis overdue. The cast consisted of A-class Serbian actors, you might think it would be hard for them to accept the role in a film like this one, but they didn’t twitch.

JE: You've stated that "[A Serbian Film]’ is a diary of our own molestation by the Serbian government ... It's about the monolithic power of leaders who hypnotize you to do things you don't want to do. You have to feel the violence to know what it's about." Do you think the blunt nature of A Serbian Film has made talking about these things easier in Serbia?

SS: No. Things don’t change easily, especially in conservative parts of the World. It’s always easier to turn your head away from a problem than to face it. As Snake Plissken said, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” It goes for the whole world of course. A Serbian Film ended up as a lonely voice, but you can still hear it.

M3 would like to thank Srđan Spasojević for taking the time to conduct this interview with us. If you liked this interview, check out the one we did with Simon Templeman on our podcast.