In a delightfully entertaining look at tradition verses modernity, debut feature filmmaker Georgi M. Unkovski’s DJ Ahmet uses the universal language of popular western music to compare seemingly rigid cultural norms of a rural North Macedonian village, with the youth’s desire to be present in the 21st century. It cleverly and unapologetically uses humour to challenge the dominant religious mindset that frames the patriarchal society, including that of arranged marriage. Ultimately, DJ Ahmet is a coming-of-age tale of budding young love, under threat before it is allowed to flourish.
15-year-old Ahmet (Arif Jakup) from a remote Yuruk village has recently lost his mother and has been pulled out of school by his father (Ansel Mehmet) to help shepherd the family’s flock of sheep and do chores around the home. He must also care for younger brother Naim (an adorable Agush Agushev) who has stopped speaking due to grief, much to his father’s annoyance and at great expense at a local speech therapist. There is a loving bond between the brothers who take refuge in listening to music when their father is not around. However, life is still tough and Ahmet is forced to navigate both his father’s expectations and those of the conservative community, while watching his dreams and youth slip away.
One day, teenager Aya (Dora Akan Zlatanova) arrives in the village from Germany. Having been exposed to western pop culture, she understands Ahmet’s desire to live his own life, while she reluctantly prepares to be married to an older man she does not know in an arranged ceremony by her family. Ahmet falls for Aya as they share their love of music and the freedom it brings from their grim realities, but at what cost to each family’s position in the community.
Alen Sinkauz and Nenad Sinkauz’s imposing score that mixes both local tracks with modern English-language ones is as crucial in setting the film’s mood and underpinning the story, as the vivid colouring of the rural scenery captured by Naum Doksevski’s often oversaturated cinematography – especially watch as the light illuminates Jakup’s intriguing features.
Newcomer Jakup’s remarkable turn as Ahmet in portraying the character’s quiet determination and selfless courage in standing up for others less fortunate is a joy to watch, as are his tender moments opposite Agushev, as Ahmet takes on the parental role while his father fights his own demons. Jakup’s character literally transforms on screen, from irresponsible, smirking teen that allows his sheep to gatecrash a musical festival, to finding solutions and challenging the patriarchy head on, including Aya’s hotheaded father.
The laugh-out-loud comedy has its fair share of standout moments too, including the sheep running amok at the festival that causes deep embarrassment for Ahmet, to Aya and friends performing their ‘alternative’ song and dance piece at a local fayre dressed in traditional attire, to the local mosque’s computer-operated announcement system having hilarious mishaps and being commandeered by tech-savvy Ahmet at a crucial moment in the story. Even the ending brings one last chuckle as the chatty women under a tree rush off to watch their latest TV series, as well as the return of the ‘pink’ sheep. Unkovski’s film just keeps delivering gems that light up the room, even after a second viewing.
