Morten Traavik je norveški režiser in umetnik, ki deluje v mednarodnem prostoru in se izraža v širokem spektru umetniških žanrov. Študiral je gledališko režijo v Rusiji in na Švedskem. V svojih delih, ki brišejo mejo med umetnostjo, aktivizmom in družbenimi problemi, se nikoli ne oddalji od ideje, da je svet oder in identiteta igranje vlog. Med drugim je poznan po številnih kontroverznih sodelovanjih s severnokorejskimi umetniki in vodilnimi na področju kulture, deluje pa tudi kot pooblaščeni predstavnik za kulturne zadeve v tej državi.

Uġis Olte je latvijski režiser in montažer, ki pri ukvarjanju z resnimi temami rad ohranja igrivost. Z občutkom glasbenika in prepričanjem, da so lahko sanje, miti in pravljice uporabna orodja za pripovedovanje sodobnih zgodb, je ustvaril številne izvirne televizijske formate, glasbene videe, reklame in tudi tri kratke filme: The Red Spot, KK2678 in King of the Wild Things. Njegova srednjemetražna dokumentarca Stuck in Stikine (2007) in Double Aliens (2015) sta bila lansko leto premierno predvajana na festivalu IDFA.

Synopsis

Under the loving but firm guidance of an old fan turned director and cultural diplomat, and to the surprise of a whole world, the ex-Yugoslavian cult band Laibach becomes the first rock group ever to perform in the fortress state of North Korea. Confronting strict ideology and cultural differences, the band struggles to get their songs through the needle’s eye of censorship before they can be unleashed on an audience never before exposed to alternative rock’n’roll. Meanwhile, propaganda loudspeakers are being set up at the border between the two Koreas and a countdown to war is announced. The hills are alive…with the sound of music.

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Directors

 

Morten Traavik is a Norwegian director and artist, working internationally and in a broad spectrum of artistic genres. He studied theatre directing in Russian and in Sweden. In his work, which blurs the distinction between art, activism and social issues, he never ceases to escape the idea that the world is a stage and identity is merely playing roles. He is known for numerous controversial collaborations with North Korean artists and other leading members in their cultural sphere as well as being an official representative for cultural affairs in that country.

Uġis Olte is a Latvian director and editor, who likes to keep serious issues playful. With a feeling of a musician and a belief that dreams, myths and fairytales are useful tools for telling contemporary stories, he created numerous original television formats, music videos, commercials and also tree short films: ‘The Red Spot’, ‘KK2678’ and ‘King of the Wild Things’. His two medium-length documentary films ‘Stuck in Stikine’ (2007) and ‘Double Aliens’ (2015) premiered last year at the IDFA festival.