Malagurski Cinema - The Weight of Chains (2011)

More than a decade after the turbulent disintegration of the Yugoslavian Republic, its former citizens are beginning to question not only the reasons behind the bloody conflicts of the 1990s, but also the true motives behind US and NATO intervention during the civil wars. Ever wonder why superpowers meddle so much in the internal affairs of other countries? Does it seem strange that someone would want to crush a successful economic structure? How can a country supposedly invade itself? Are you curious about what happens after a “humanitarian” bombing? Now find the amazing, surprising answers in The Weight of Chains. The film that takes a critical look at the role that the US, NATO and the EU played in the tragic breakup of Yugoslavia. The film, bursting with rare stock footage never before seen by Western audiences, is a creative first-hand look at why the West intervened in the Yugoslav conflict, with an impressive roster of interviews with academics, diplomats, media personalities and ordinary citizens of the former Yugoslav republics. What was Yugoslavia to the people who used to live there? Some say it was the symbol of independence. Others say it was developing and changing country that could offer everything to everyone. A society of self-management for all its people. But many would conclude that it is not so easy to say what Yugoslavia was. The author of this documentary, Boris Malagurski (who also made Kosovo Can You Imagine?), thinks that his early childhood in Yugoslavia was not bad at all. It was a a very close culture and people cared about each other in so many ways. You just don't see that in the western world in the same way. He also remembers some other aspects of his life in Yugoslavia like his family, vacations, politics, economy, the standard of living, free medical care and education, guaranteed right to a job, affordable public transportation, housing and utilities, literacy rate over 90 percent, life expectancy of 72 years, etc. Yugoslavia was a different case because it had established its own form of socialist model of economic activity which was mixed economy of private capitalist enterprises with state run industry and worker cooperatives. It was considered to be a success story of market socialism. It had higher rates of growth than most of the countries in Western Europe. It had an advanced welfare state, it was a multiethnic society which lived in harmony, and in many regards it was a model of development. By telling some aspects about his life, the director portrays a country with good living standards before the war, only to present what the once independent Yugoslavia was turned into A group of weak NATO colonies. “The Weight Of Chains” presents Western involvement in the division of the ethnic groups within Yugoslavia and show that the war was forced from outside – regular people wanted peace. However, extreme fractions on all sides, fuelled by their foreign mentors, outvoiced the moderates and even ten years after the last conflict – the hatred remains and people continue spreading myths of what really happened in the 1990s. Why did all this happen? This film will also present positive stories from the war – people helping each other regardless of their ethnic background, stories of bravery and self-sacrifice. The aim is to come up with a powerful weapon that people who are against war and hatred can use as a collection of good arguments in their favor. The disunity among peoples populating the Balkans have marked the last couple of centuries. Let's start a new page, today, in the 21st century. Featuring interviews with Lewis MacKenzie, James Bissett, Scott Taylor, John Perkins, Vlade Divac, Michel Chossudovsky, Joze Mencinger, Bosko Cirkovic Skabo, Michael Parenti, Veran Matic, Branislav Lecic and others.

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