Year: 2014

Director: Boris Malagurski

Writer: Boris Malagurski

Director of Photography: Anastasia Trofimova, Milan Lakic

Animation, CGI: Aleksandar Savic

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 123 min

Language: English, Serbian, Croatian

‘The Weight of Chains 2’ deals with neoliberal reforms in the Balkans and the effects of these reforms on all aspects of life in the former Yugoslavia, from politics, economics, military, culture and education to the media. Through stories of sold off companies, corrupt politicians, fictional tribunals and various military alliances, the film deconstructs modern myths about everything the people have been told will bring them a better life. Featuring Noam Chomsky, Oliver Stone, Carla Del Ponte, Michael Parenti, Diana Johnstone, Vuk Jeremic, Domagoj Margetic, Ivan Pernar, Igor Mandic, R. James Woolsey, Ivo Josipovic, Slavko Kulic, Veran Matic, Jovan B. Dusanic, Mladjan Dinkic, Miroslav Lazanski, John Peter Maher, Jasmina Vujic and others.

2014 | Opening Film | Montecasino Film Festival | Johannesburg, South Africa

2014 | Official Selection | Balkan New Film Festival | Stockholm, Sweden

2015 | Official Selection | Subversive Festival | Zagreb, Croatia

2015 | Official Selection | Raindance Film Festival | London, United Kingdom

Serbian-Canadian documentaristic hitmaker Boris Malagurski, with two sold-out projections at the “Akademija 28” cinema, held the Belgrade premiere of his new provocative documentary “The Weight of Chains 2”. The young author (screenwriter, director, producer and editor) and outstanding documentarian couldn’t care less about political correctness. He, without pardons or delay, “slaps” everyone left and right.

Of course, he doesn’t do it without cause, but with the power of arguments and facts that emerge from a well-written and placed screenplay (built with thorough investigative research), with the help of appropriately selected distinguished interviewees and an expressed documentaristic interpretation of reality. After dealing with the topic of the breakup of Yugoslavia according to Western dictate in his previous hit film “The Weight of Chains”, in his new feature documentary “The Weight of Chains 2”, Malagurski stomps on another, no less important or provocative, topic. Now he comprehensively analyzes which foreign and domestic individuals were key to the economic destruction of our country and deals with the “import” of neoliberalism in the Balkans after the fall of Yugoslavia, as well as the effects of neoliberal reforms on politics, economics, military, culture, edocatuion and, of course, the media. He does so through a series of stories of robbed and sold-off companies (from Subotica’s “Sever” to Vranje’s “Kostana”), corrupt politicians, destructive foreign investors, various economic-military alliances and fictional tribunals. With a clear stance, he deconstructs modern myths about a promised better life, giving examples from the macro level (from the economic schools of Hayek, Mises, Milton Friedman, through the experiences of Chile, Argentina and the rest of Latin America, Rusia, Great Britain, Reagan’s America, Arab countries, Greece, Spain, etc.) he corroborates the sequence of events on the micro level (former Yugoslav republics and Serbia) and by confronting claims made by the interviewees, the message of the film is clearly presented – resistance to neoliberalism is no longer a matter of ideology, but of common sense.

It’s not necessary for you to agree with Malagurski’s ideology to notice that he indisputably made a full-blooded and, for our cinematic terms, unsurpassed documentary. Exciting and dynamic. Fast directing and over 3,100 editing cuts (Milan Lakic from Johannesburg also helped Malagurski with the editing), humorous pasages and “rest periods”, an abundance of archival footage and inserts from domestic movies, use of animation, etc. In regards to both content and form, this is a complex film. Had it ben somewhat more concise, it would have been even better. The fact of the matter is that because of the opening of so many chapters and subtopics and a constant vocal narration in English, which makes for a harder track of Serbian subtitles, “The Weight of Chains 2” will be too demanding for most. But not uninteresting.

Who can resist not seeing and hearing what is said on the “export” and “import” of neoliberalism, disasterous for the masses, by people such as Noam Chomsky, Oliver Stone, Carla Del Ponte, Michael Parenti, Domagoj Margetic, Igor Mandic, Miroslav Lazanski,… Or, who can resist finding out how much money, from whom and with which purpose, was given to our non-governmental organizations.

Dubravka Lakic | Politika Newspaper

Documentary film “The Weight of Chains 2” deals with the neoliberal reforms in the Balkan area after the fall of Yugoslavia and the influence of these reforms on the economy, media, army, culture, education and politics, with exclusive interviews with Noam Chomsky, Oliver Stone, Michael Parenti, Carla Del Ponte, Domagoj Margetic, Igor Mandic, Slavko Kulic, R. James Woolsey, Iraklis Tsavaridis and many other experts respected in the world.

Through stories of sold-out and ransacked factories, corrupt local politicians, fictitious courts, destructive foreign investors and different military-economic alliances what’s deconstructed here are modern myths about everything that the representatives of the system promised us would bring a better life. The methods of social control with the help of certain non-government organizations financed by Western governments and funds lose their shape, as a different way is offered, a way that is set to inspire young people to shape the future.

Subversive Festival Review

Following on from his homonymous first film about the West’s role in the breakup of Yugoslavia, Serbian-Canadian filmmaker Boris Malagurski brings us a new documentary on what happened after Milosevic lost power. The end of a horrific war and overthrow of a dictator should have signalled new hope for the former countries of the Yugoslav Republic; conversely, with ‘help’ from the United States and the shiny new ideals of neoliberalism, economies shrank, income inequality sky rocketed and war criminals were effectively pardoned. Malagurski’s film explores the economic, political and social crimes and misdeeds committed by profiteers in the aftermath of the Yugoslav wars. Not content with this corner of Europe, the film also widens its scope to examine the damage that neoliberal policies have done the world over.

‘The Weight of Chains 2’ is masterfully edited, fast-paced and full of mind-boggling information, intercut with titbits from Serbian comedy films and a wealth of fascinating archive footage. Malagurski’s presentation and narration are passionate, wry and full of humour; anyone looking for a whirlwind education on Eastern Europe, neoliberalism and the influence of the U.S. on the world economy, this is your stop.

Raindance Film Festival Review