Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 2014
The Weight of Chains 2
Buy The Weight of Chains 2 now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
'The Weight of Chains 2' is a 2014 Canadian-Serbian[http://www.subversivefestival.com/film/6/329/te%C5%BEina_lanaca_2 The Weight of Chains 2] Subversive Festival in Zagreb, Croatia documentary film about the political and economic situation in the countries of the former Yugoslavia.[http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/kultura.71.html:505859-Malagurski-Uz-puno-truda-bolje-sutra-moze-da-se-ostvari Malagurski: Uz puno truda bolje sutra moe da se ostvari] Veernje novosti Directed and produced by Boris Malagurski, the film was released on November 20, 2014 at the Serbian Film Festival at Montecasino in Johannesburg, South Africa.[http://www.montecasino.co.za/whatson/Events/Pages/Serbian_Film_Festival.aspx The Serbian Film festival at Montecasino] Montecasino.co.za
As the sequel of 'The Weight of Chains',[http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/kultura.71.html:386313-Boris-Malagurski-Zelim-da-radim-u-Srbiji Boris Malagurski: elim da radim u Srbiji] the film deals with neoliberal economic reforms in the Balkans and discusses 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 stolen and sold off companies, corrupt politicians, fictional tribunals, destructive foreign investors and various economic-military alliances, the film deconstructs modern myths about everything we've been told will bring us a better life", Malagurski told Tanjug.[http://www.tanjug.rs/novosti/161646/premijera-dokumentarca-tezina-lanaca-2-31--januara.htm The premiere of The Weight of Chains 2 on January 31] Tanjug.rs
The film aired on Radio Television of Serbia in July 2016.[http://www.rts.rs/page/tv/sr/story/21/rts-2/2395016/tezina-lanaca-2.html RTS Teina lanaca 2]
Synopsis
The film starts with events that led to the overthrow of Slobodan Miloevi on 5 October 2000. It analyzes the National Endowment for Democracy's financing of the Otpor! resistance movement, together with the West's training of Serbian activists and politicians in Budapest and discusses the row between the government and the opposition concerning electoral fraud accusations. The film continues to assess Serbia's economy after the fall of Miloevi.[http://www.parlamentnilisty.cz/zpravy/kauzy/USA-chteji-okupovat-cely-svet-predstavoval-v-Praze-srbsky-reziser-svuj-film-A-dal-vsem-navod-jak-se-tomu-vzeprit-371144 USA chtj okupovat cel svt, pedstavoval v Praze srbsk reisr svj film. A dal vem nvod, jak se tomu vzept] Parlamentn Listy
As the concept of neoliberalism is explained in the film, from the teachings of Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises, to Milton Friedman and the Chicago Boys, and the spread of neoliberalism from the overthrow of Salvador Allende in the 1973 Chilean coup d'tat, which brought Augusto Pinochet to power, to Margaret Thatcher's reforms in the United Kingdom and Ronald Reagan's reforms in the United States,[http://www.nspm.rs/hronika/boris-malagurski-otpor-neoliberalizmu-danas-nije-stvar-ideologije-vec-zdravog-razuma.html?alphabet=l The Weight of Chains 2] NSPM.rs Malagurski argues that a 'shock-economy' based on the Washington Consensus led Serbia and other countries to the edge of existence, with the United States imposing these policies by installing puppet regimes. The film asserts that non-governmental organizations, with multimillion-dollar budgets and direct connections with Washington, help keep U.S.-friendly regimes in power and the people in line. Noting that Russia demanded that NGOs register as "foreign agents" in that country to solve this problem, Malagurski mentions that the United States also passed the Foreign Agents Registration Act. "Institutions like the International Monetary Fund", Malagurski said in a discussion, "act like hitmen", whose policies "destroyed the economies of many countries". The destruction of the education system in the former Yugoslavia is assessed in the film as well, with Malagurski arguing that adopting the neoliberal model led to a drastic decrease in quality of learning, combined with vulgar television shows that aim to dumb down the populace.
Malagurski then briefly tackles the topic of the Yugoslav wars, claiming that Slobodan Miloevi and Franjo Tuman, leaders on opposite sides of the conflict, had several common banks abroad where they hid money that was stolen during the war. The film argues that Croatian general Ante Gotovina amassed enormous wealth during the war as well. Carla Del Ponte then discusses the case of Ramush Haradinaj, saying that he was freed because of political pressure from the United States. She also says that UNMIK refused to send evidence of organ theft in Kosovo, arguing that "since NATO and the Kosovo Liberation Army were partners during the war, they couldn't act against each other after the war."
The 2002 Venezuelan coup d'tat attempt is analyzed in the film, with Hugo Chvez, who previously changed Venezuela's neoliberal constitution and defied the IMF, briefly being replaced with a President loyal to the United States, arguing that the coup d'tat failed because many people went to the streets to demand Chvez back, with Chvez quickly being re-installed as President. Malagurski then presents his recommendations for how a country can free itself from Western control by protecting local industry, as the film argues that foreign investments destroy local production (noting the examples of South Korea, which restricted foreign investments, as well as Finland from 1930 to 1980),[http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/Kultura/Sta-je-sokiralo-Karlu-del-Ponte.lt.html What shocked Carla Del Ponte] Politika creating a welfare state and making protesting a way of life.
Production
The film was produced with support from the Office for Kosovo and Metohija,[http://www.subotica.com/vesti/intervju-boris-malagurski-id14150.html "2005. godine Boris je emigrirao u Kanadu "] Subotica.com the Serbian Ministry of Youth and Sport, the Belgrade Secretariat for Culture, Radio Television of Serbia,[http://www.subotica.com/vesti/premijera-filma-tezina-lanaca-2-autora-borisa-malagurskog-u-petak-u-bioskopu-eurocinema-id21834.html "The Weight of Chains 2" in Subotica] Subotica.com as well as individual donors worldwide.[http://weightofchains.ca/2/#sponsors Weight of Chains 2 website] Sponsors
Release
Following the World Premiere in Johannesburg, 'The Weight of Chains 2' had its European Premiere on November 29, 2014 at the Swedish Film Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, as a part of BANEFF the Balkan New Film Festival.[http://baneff.com/2014/11/25/wight-of-chains-2-european-premiere-29th-november-2014-sfi-stockholm/ Weight of Chains European Premiere on November 29 2014 at the Swedish Film Institute in Stockholm] BANEFF.com[http://allevents.in/stockholm/the-weight-of-chains-2-stockholm-premiere/344392165741103 The Weight of Chains 2 Stockholm Premiere] AllEvents.in In an interview, Malagurski said that the film was shown at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education[http://www.subotica.com/vesti/premijera-filma-tezina-lanaca-2-autora-borisa-malagurskog-u-petak-u-bioskopu-eurocinema-id21834.html Tehnoloki insitut Monterej] Subotica.com and the film was also screened at the Museo Nacional de las Culturas[http://www.mexicoescultura.com/actividad/123869/El%20peso%20de%20las%20cadenas,%20parte%202.html#.VLqruSvF_E0 El peso de las cadenas, parte 2] Mexicoescultura.com in Mexico City, Mexico.
Subsequent screenings took place in Vancouver[https://www.straight.com/listings/events/784951 The Weight of Chains 2] The Georgia Straight and Toronto[http://www.theroyal.to/films/weight-chains-2/ The Weight of Chains 2] Royal Cinema in Canada, Innsbruck[https://m.metropol-kino.at/metropol/movie/5902/das-gewicht-der-ketten-2 The Weight of Chains 2] Metropol Kino in Austria and Stuttgart and Berlin in Germany. The Balkan premiere took place in Banja Luka,[http://www.nezavisne.com/umjetnost-zabava/film/Poruke-Malagurskog-stigle-do-Banjalucana-285153.html Malagurski's messages arrived in Banja Luka] Nezavisne novine[http://www.glassrpske.com/drustvo/vijesti/Balkanska-premijera-filma-Tezina-lanaca-dva/lat/173222.html Balkan premiere of The Weight of Chains 2] Glas Srpske while the Serbian premiere was in Subotica.[http://www.subotica.com/vesti/premijera-filma-tezina-lanaca-2-autora-borisa-malagurskog-u-petak-u-bioskopu-eurocinema-id21834.html The premiere of The Weight of Chains 2 in Subotica] Subotica.com The film opened in cinemas in Belgrade,[https://web.archive.org/web/20150315071349/http://www.b92.net/kultura/vodic/bioskopi.php Cinemas in Belgrade] B92.net Vienna,[http://www.kinofans.com/kinoprogramm/Wien/Das-Gewicht-der-Ketten-2-film-224341-Spielzeiten.htm "Das Gewicht der Ketten 2" in Wien Kinoprogramm und Spielzeiten] Novi Sad,[http://www.kcns.org.rs/vest/boris-malagurski-tezina-lanaca-2/ Nevieno interesovanje i salve aplauza na otvorenoj sceni] Eurocinema in Cultural Centre of Novi Sad Linz,[http://www.megaplex.at/film/das-gewicht-der-ketten-2 Das Gewicht Der Ketten 2] Megaplex Linz Ni,[http://www.juznevesti.com/Zabava/Film-Tezina-lanaca-2-i-u-Nisu.sr.html Film Teina lanaca 2 i u Niu] Southern News Kraljevo[http://www.kvart.rs/2015/02/tezina-lanaca-2/ The Weight of Chains 2] Kvart Cinema in Kraljevo and was shown in aak,[http://vesti.krstarica.com/kultura/tezina-lanaca-2-u-cacku/ The Weight of Chains 2 in Cacak] Krstarica News Kozarska Dubica,[http://www.dub-radio.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3648:prikazan-film-qteina-lanaca-2q&catid=34:vijesti "The Weight of Chains 2" shown in Kozarska Dubica] DUB Radio Tesli,[http://dobojski.info/kultura/item/7296-najava-premijera-filma-tezina-lanaca-2-u-teslicu The premiere of "The Weight of Chains 2" in Teslic] Dobojski.info Graanica[http://www.tvmost.info/vesti/u_gracanici_prikazan_film_tezina_lanaca_2/16219 "The Weight of Chains 2" shown in Graanica] TV Most and Sombor.[http://www.soinfo.org/vesti/vest/14473/ The Weight of Chains 2 in Sombor] SOinfo.org]
The film was also shown in Prague, Czech Republic, and as part of the 2015 BANEFF in Oslo, Norway.[http://baneff.com/oslo-2015/ Balkan New Film Festival] 2014 It was also screened at the Subversive Festival in Zagreb, Croatia, as well as in Ljubljana, Slovenia,[http://www.kinoteka.si/si/455/spored.aspx Petek, 15.5, 19:00, Tea verige 2 (The Weight of Chains 2)] Kinoteka.si Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina,[https://archive.today/20150804180754/http://www.mi2news.com/announcement-of-events-for-monday-18-may-2015/1451/ ANNOUNCEMENT OF EVENTS FOR MONDAY, 18 MAY 2015] Podgorica, Montenegro,[http://mnmne.org/poziv-na-premijeru-filma-borisa-malagurskog-tezina-lanaca-2-u-organizaciji-pokreta-za-neutralnost-crne-gore/ The premiere of Boris Malagurski's The Weight of Chains 2] Podgorica, Montenegro and other cities.[http://gin.ba/desavanja/kultura/325-premijera-novog-filma-borisa-malugarskog-tezina-lanaca-2 Premijera novog filma Borisa Malugarskog: Teina lanaca 2]
In September 2015, the film had its United Kingdom premiere at the 23rd Raindance Film Festival in London.[http://calendar.raindancefestival.org/films/the-weight-of-chains-2 The Weight of Chains 2] Raindance Film Festival
Critical response
Serbian film critic Dubravka Laki[http://www.grazia.rs/u-fokusu/intervju/dubravka-lakic Dubravka Laki] grazia.rs. Retrieved February 3, 2015 wrote a review of the film in 'Politika' following the Belgrade premiere of 'The Weight of Chains 2', in which she wrote that "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". She described the film as "exciting and dynamic", adding that, in regards to both content and form, it is a "complex film", which could have been "even better if it had been more concise". Laki points out that, 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".[http://www.politika.rs/scc/clanak/317930/%D0%93%D0%B4%D0%B5-%D1%81%D0%BC%D0%BE-%D0%BC%D0%B8-%D1%83-%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%98-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B8 Gde smo mi u ovoj prii] Politika.rs
Agata Tomai, writing in the Slovenian newspaper 'Delo', described the film as "a Yugoslav version of The Shock Doctrine by Michael Winterbottom or a cross between Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story and Gibney's Casino Jack and the United States of Money".[http://www.delo.si/sobotna/teza-verig-in-pasivnosti.html Tea verig in pasivnosti] Delo
Interviewees
The interviewees in the film include:[http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/Kultura/Nema-povlacenja-nema-predaje.lt.html Nema povlaenja, nema predaje] Politika
* Noam Chomsky American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, logician, political commentator and activist.
* Carla Del Ponte former Chief Prosecutor of two United Nations international criminal law tribunals.
* Mlaan Dinki Serbian politician, former Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, co-founder of G17 Plus, first Governor of the National Bank of Serbia from 2000 to 2003
* Vuk Jeremi Serbian politician, former President of the United Nations General Assembly.
* Diana Johnstone American political writer, focusing primarily on European politics and Western foreign policy.
* Ivo Josipovi Croatian politician, the President of Croatia from 2010 to 2015.
* Slavko Kuli Croatian scientist and economist concerned with the sociology of international relations.
* Miroslav Lazanski Serbian politico-military correspondent and commentator for the Belgrade daily 'Politika'.
* Igor Mandi Croatian writer, literary critic, columnist and essayist.
* Michael Parenti American political scientist.
* Ivan Pernar Croatian politician and activist.
* Oliver Stone American film director, screenwriter and producer,
* R. James Woolsey national security and energy specialist and former Director of Central Intelligence who headed the Central Intelligence Agency from 1993 until 1995.
Two of the interviewees were featured only in the film trailer:[http://weightofchains.ca/2/#video Video] WeightOfChains.ca
* Branimir Brstina Serbian actor.
* Michael Ruppert American author, investigative journalist, political activist and peak oil awareness advocate.
References
Buy The Weight of Chains 2 now from Amazon
<-- Return to movies from 2014