The Weight of Chains 3

The Weight of Chains 3 is a 2019 Canadian[2] documentary film which details how the military-industrial complex, big business and political interest groups endanger peoples’ health and very existence, focusing on Serbia.[1] Directed and produced by Boris Malagurski, the film was released on September 28, 2019 in Chicago.

The Weight of Chains 3
Film poster
Directed byBoris Malagurski
Produced byBoris Malagurski
StarringAleksandar Vučić
Noam Chomsky
Jeffrey Sachs
Nele Karajlić
Katrín Jakobsdóttir
Production
company
Malagurski Cinema
Distributed byMalagurski Cinema
Adria Film
Release date
  • September 28, 2019 (2019-09-28) (United States)
  • October 5, 2019 (2019-10-05) (Canada)
  • March 20, 2020 (2020-03-20) (YouTube)
Running time
123 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish, Serbian
Budget$89,286[1]

As the third installment of The Weight of Chains trilogy, the film deals with NATO's use of depleted uranium munitions during the bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, the environmental disaster that this allegedly caused, current threats such as genetically modified organisms, climate change and systemic issues that prevent people from taking democratic control over their countries. The film also discusses related topics in Cuba, Chile, Italy and Bolivia.[3]

Synopsis

The film starts by detailing how and why the United States Army started using depleted uranium in its munitions, against the backdrop of nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific and the nuclear arms race during the Cold War. It then discusses the effects of US use of depleted uranium during the Gulf War in Iraq and Kuwait and presents this as a trial run before the use of depleted uranium in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995 and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999. The documentary then goes on to present NATO's bombing of Yugoslav chemical factories and oil refineries as "crimes against the environment". Through interviews with Serbian and Italian military and medical experts, the film suggests that NATO knowingly turned the Balkans into an experimental laboratory in which KFOR soldiers and civilian populations were human guinea pigs.[4]

The documentary moves on to assess the potential threat coming from genetically modified organisms, small hydro plants, air pollution and climate change, advocating that the neoliberal system is to blame for the ongoing destruction of the environment. The film gives a brief history of how that system was imposed in Serbia, through interviews with current government and opposition representatives, as well as economic experts. Detailing the rise of Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić and several of his government's affairs, the film suggests that change is no longer a matter of choice, but a question of survival. The documentary presents positive examples of countries that were able to change their political and economic systems but also shows stories of rebellion in Serbia itself, in which small groups of well-organized individuals were able to beat the system, which the author considers "rotten".

Cast

Production

The film was funded through donations.[1] Controversy sparked after the Film Center of Serbia refused to support the film noting that the film was "too scientific and investigative" with too much of an emphasis on "social activism". Malagurski filed a complaint with the Serbian Ministry of Culture, claiming that the reasons given for funding refusal were illegal and went against the rules and regulations for funding film projects. The Ministry agreed that the Film Center of Serbia broke the rules and annulled the results of that competition. Despite this, The Weight of Chains 3 did not receive funding from the Film Center of Serbia.[4]

Release

Following the World Premiere in Chicago, The Weight of Chains 3 was screened in several cities across North America, including Las Vegas, Miami, Washington, New York, Toronto, Windsor, Waterloo, Hamilton, London, Boston and Ottawa.[5] The film had its European Premiere on October 25, 2019 in Vienna.[6] Subsequent screenings took place in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Salzburg, Graz, Linz, Innsbruck and Lauterach.[6]

A minor clash erupted before the New York premiere of The Weight of Chains 3 when a group of Albanians gathered to protest against Malagurski and his film in front of the SVA Theater in Manhattan. The Albanian demonstrators were chanting in favor of the Kosovo Liberation Army, one Albanian protester was arrested by the NYPD, while Malagurski received a police escort to the cinema, after which he dedicated the premiere to the NYPD.[7]

The film had its Serbian premiere at the Belgrade DOK Film Festival on February 2, 2020,[8] after which it was screened in cinemas in several cities across Serbia, including Novi Sad, Kragujevac,[9] and Niš.[10]

References
  1. The Weight of Chains 3 Official Web Site
  2. The Weight of Chains 3 Malagurski Cinema]
  3. The Weight of Chains 3 Adria Film
  4. The "Chains" are too heavy Večernje novosti
  5. The Weight of Chains 3 screened in Frankfurt, opening the eyes of foreigners Frankfurtske vesti
  6. The Weight of Chains 3 in Vienna Radio Television Serbia
  7. Chaos at the New York premiere of The Weight of Chains 3 Nezavisne
  8. The Weight of Chains 3 Synopsis DOK#2
  9. The Weight of Chains 3 Cineplexx Serbia
  10. The Weight of Chains 3 Vilin Grad Cinema
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