THE SHUTKA BOOK OF RECORDS
Czech Republic/Serbia/Finland, 2005, 78 Min, Video, Macedonian, English & Hebrew Subtitles
The actor Severdan Bajram, takes the role of moderator in our encounter with the residents of the Macedonian town of Shuto Orizary, or Shutka for short. The inhabitants of Shutka, the capital of the Gypsies, hold world records in the most bizarre and surreal areas possible. From a collection of pirate tapes of Turkish music, a singer who owns the most elegant suit in town and the number one vampire fighter. Everyone is trying to break the other ones record. Manic, combines documentary moments with reconstructions of personal stories (overacted by the participants), and through using black and white footage, color and visual effects, he creates a vividly rich and amusing portrait of this absolutely lunatic town. Even the familiar music of Nino Rota blends into it naturally. It was not surprising therefore, that after seeing the film, Gypsy politicians claimed that it ridicules the Gypsy community and demanded that it be banned.
Director: Aleksandar Manic Producer: Aleksandar Manic, Judita Krizova, Marjan Vojovic Cinematography: Dominik Miskovsk Editor: Ivana Davidova Trailer: http://www.docmovies.com/He/docaviv25.html