The Other Side of Everything – Druga strana svega (2017)

Directed by: Mila Turajlic | 100 minutes | documentary

A door that has remained closed for 60 years, with the key still in the lock. It might just be the opening of an exciting mystery, but it is the opening of a documentary about Serbian political history, ‘The Other Side of Everything’. During the nationalization of what was then Yugoslavia, the parental home of political activist Srbijanka Turajlic was divided to accommodate several families. Since that division, the separating sliding doors have not been opened. Together with her daughter, Turajlic decides to open the doors. Daughter Mila is a filmmaker and decides to film her mother during this period and ask about the different regimes she has experienced.

During the filming period, the Serbian elections, ultimately won by a former accomplice of dictator Milosevic, are in full swing. This gives the film an interesting angle on how far the Serbian people have developed over the past 60 years. Turajlic has lived through three different periods (communism under Tito, dictatorship under Milosevic and democracy until now) and played an active role of significance in the last two periods. This makes her view of today’s Serbia a relevant reflection on population developments.

‘The Other Side of Everything’ is not only interesting on a political and historical level, but also on a personal level. It’s hard not to get hit when Mila lashes out at her mother about her status as a revolutionary. Srbijanka considers this the duty of a professor to assist her students in everything, which Mila does not agree with at all. The altercation that follows is impressive. It makes the person behind the symbol so much more visible. Where images of revolutionary leaders enter every living room, the motivation of these people is often lacking. That motivation comes to the fore in ‘The Other Side of Everything’.

Fifteen years ago, Srbijanka Turajlic was an important link in the end of Milosevic’s regime. Now, together with her daughter, she looks back on fifty years of Serbian politics, with two major revolutions in it. Her conclusion? All revolutions fail, and the “winners” of the revolution always find a way to ruin it. The disappointed revolutionary sounds resigned. She is too old to do anything about it, but knows that the current situation is unbearable. Thanks to the efforts of her daughter, the viewer is taken into Serbian existence, and there is no other conclusion than to fully agree with her.

‘The Other Side of Everything’ is a moving film about a country in deep-seated division. This film provides a nice insight into Serbian society and the problems that characterize this society. That is why this film is recommended for anyone interested in the Balkans, the history of the communist eastern bloc or politics in general.