Pranjani – a small village in central Serbia. Locals earn their living abroad or as farmers. Many count themselves among the Chetniks, Serbian patriots. So far, so normal. But every May, the Rakijada takes place – a competition that is all about who can drink the most, balance on wooden poles and brew the best rakija plum brandy. The red thread of the competition allows the examination of the Serbian soul from a new point of view, while never losing sight of the typical humour of the Balkans.
Nikola Ilić was born in 1977 in Belgrade. Since 2007 he's been living and working in Switzerland. He worked at the City Theatre of Lucerne for three years. In 2010 he started studying at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences & Arts/Video Department from where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Summer 2013 with the short documentary Kanton Jugoslawien. Since 2013 he's been working as a freelancer in photography, DOP & filmmaking. Since 2014 he has also had Swiss citizenship.
Selected: Kanton Jugoslawien (2013), Just Another Day In Egypt (2015)
