Reproach of Men (2019)

Directed by: Rob Lücker | 10 minutes | short film, drama | Actors: Ranko Kovačevic, Marko Smiljkovic

Filmmaker Rob Lücker is a late bloomer. Although his love for film showed itself at a young age, for a long time he thought that a career in the film industry was not for him. So he started working as a plumber. But his love for film continued to itch and to his great fortune Lücker was accepted at the Film Academy at the age of 26. His work is renowned for its dark humor and strong visual images. In 2014 he won a Golden Calf for best short film with his hilarious short film ‘Das Wad’ (2014), about the Jewish gold prospector Salomon who stumbles upon a German U-boat while searching for treasure on the Wadden Islands. the series ‘Rundfunk’ and ‘Seven small criminals’, which he directed, are also widely appreciated and praised. His short film ‘Reproach of the people’ (2019) has also been shortlisted by the selection committee for the Golden Calves. Lücker was inspired for this film by a thirteenth-century parable of Nareddin Hodja, an Islamic cleric known for his satirical stories.

The ten-minute ‘Reproach of the People’ tells the story of eighty-year-old Andrej, who goes on a journey with his six-year-old grandson Pico and their pack mule Todor. During their journey they meet different people and everyone interferes with him. A man in a hammock comments on the fact that Andrej lets his grandson walk while he himself is on the donkey, so they switch. The vain they meet afterwards thinks that Pico should make way for his grandfather (‘Today’s youth no longer has respect for the elderly’). So both Andrej and Pico decide to continue on foot. The couple they meet next, bites them that they can’t help their donkey to carry their heavy stuff. How do Andrej and Pico deal with all this commentary and are they still able to continue on their way?

‘Reproach of the people’ is a tragicomic fairy tale filmed by Rob Lücker as a ‘silent’ film: there is no talking, but thanks to old-fashioned title cards we still get (albeit sparse) dialogue, supported by a perfectly fitting soundtrack by the Black Ox Orkestar. The film was shot in the outbacks of Serbia, a landscape that looks even more desolate than it already is due to the black-and-white filter that Lücker uses. The director’s deep-rooted love for Sergio Leone’s westerns is evident in the style he employs here: we often see the beautiful, expressive heads of protagonists Ranko Kovačević and Marko Simljkovic in close-up, with unfathomable glances. Not only thanks to its strong visual images, but also because of the black humor ‘Reproach of the people’ strikes the right chord. ‘Reproach of the people’ is more topical than you think at first glance; the ‘call bells’ that comment on the side of the road symbolize the shouters who wave their unfounded opinions into the air via social media. Lücker also adds some visual jokes and a big wink to (some of) the seven deadly sins, adding an extra layer. Nice example of what this promising filmmaker has to offer!