EFTERKLANG: THE MAKEDONIUM BAND

Andreas Johnson | Danmark | 2024 | 81’ | OmeU

The Danish band »Efterklang» has an idea. They want to travel to North Macedonia and in just one week – with the help of their long-time local friend Grga – put on a spectacular performance in collaboration with local musicians, right in front of the Ilenden Monument, also known as Makedonium, an impressive testimony to (ex-)Yugoslavian architecture, which was completed in 1974 and is intended to commemorate the Ilenden Uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1903.

The three Scandinavian indie rockers from »Efterklang» had hardly planned anything when they landed in the capital Skopje and immediately began distributing flyers to recruit band members for their new adventure. In search of allies and the country’s unique folk music culture, the project soon takes them out of the capital, into the countryside, into the mountains – and all the way to the political top. The film, directed by Andreas Johnsen (who has already made music films in styles as diverse as classical music – AI WEIWEI: THE FAKE CASE – and rap – KIDD LIFE), documents an eventful and warm-hearted journey that ultimately confirms the most important thing: the unifying power of music.