Boris Malagurski (Борис Малагурски; born 11 August 1988) is a Serbian-Canadian[ "Serbian-Canadian documentary hit-maker Boris Malagurski" by Dubravka Lakic Politika] film director, Film producer, writer, political commentator, television host, and Activism.[ The Weight of Chains Film Center of Serbia]
Early life and education
Born to Branislav Malagurski and Slavica Malagurski, Boris grew up in the northern
town of
Subotica. In an interview for
Literární noviny,
Prague's cultural and political journal, Malagurski said that his last name originates from the
Poland town of Mała Góra.
[ "Vítejte v Kosovu, vaše auto je už tady!" Literární noviny]
Malagurski emigrated to Canada in 2005 and made a documentary film about his move from Serbia called The Canada Project. Excerpts from the film were shown on Serbian National Television, as a part of Mira Adanja-Polak's TV show.[ Mira Adanja-Polak and You June 5, 2005] Since then, Malagurski identifies himself as Serbian-Canadian.[ Srpsko-kanadski režiser Boris Malagurski Alo novine] While studying Film Production at the University of British Columbia,[ "2005. godine Boris je emigrirao u Kanadu " Subotica.com] Malagurski organized protests in Vancouver against Kosovo's declaration of independence and received help from Canadian journalist Scott Taylor and Irish diplomat Mary Walsh in making his film about Kosovo.[ Boris Malagurski: Vlast zaboravlja narod Kosmeta Naslovi.net] Malagurski became a Canadian citizen[ Teža verig in pasivnosti Delo] and remained in Canada until 2011, when he returned to work in Serbia.
Malagurski attended Kitsilano Secondary School in Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver. Malagurski earned his bachelor's degree in Filmmaking from the University of British Columbia.
Career
In 2010, the
newspaper Politika described Malagurski as the "Serbian
Michael Moore",
though Malagurski himself had spoken of his use of "Michael Moore post-production techniques", earlier in the same year.
[ Interview with Boris Malagurski on his new film Novine Toronto | March 26, 2010]
Film
In 2009, Malagurski released
Kosovo: Can You Imagine?, a
documentary film about the plight of
Serbs communities living in Kosovo at that time. Former
Canadians general
Lewis MacKenzie, Canadian former
diplomat James Byron Bissett, former UNMIK officer John Hawthorne and economist Michel Chossudovsky are interviewed in the film.
The Weight of Chains
In 2010, Malagurski released
The Weight of Chains, his documentary film analyzing the role that the United States, the European Union, and the
NATO alliance as a whole allegedly played in the breakup of Yugoslavia. The film features interviews with James Byron Bissett, John Bosnitch, Michel Chossudovsky,
Vlade Divac, Branislav Lečić, Veran Matić, John Perkins, general
Lewis MacKenzie and others. The film was shown in cinemas in Australia, Canada, the United States and Serbia,
Težina lanaca u domaćim bioskopima B92
The Weight of Chains Past Screenings WeightOfChains.ca also at the festivals listed below, and on
Eurochannel TV networks.
[ The Weight of Chains on Eurochannel] In December 2018, the film was added to the film and video catalog of the Library of United States Congress.
The Presumption of Justice
Malagurski co-directed (with Ivana Rajović),
The Presumption of Justice in 2012,
[ A film about Brice Taton Politika Newspaper | 27 June 2012] a documentary dealing with the September 2009 death of Brice Taton, a fan of
Toulouse FC, and alleged inconsistencies in the subsequent court case in Serbia. The film had its broadcasting premiere in April 2013 as a part of Malagurski's TV show on Happy TV which also featured an interview with a man who claimed to have witnessed the event, but who had not been called to testify.
[ Drugačija istina o stradanju Brisa Tatona PressOnline.rs]
Belgrade
for
Belgrade]] Malagurski's next film
Belgrade, (also known as
Belgrade with Boris Malagurski), a documentary about
Belgrade, the capital of
Serbia, had its world premiere on 19 October 2013 at
Sava Centar in Belgrade
[ RTS Dnevnik 19. oktobar 2013, Radio Television Serbia, 2013.] and was aired on Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) on 20 October 2014.
[ Beograd, domaći film RTS.rs] The film features interviews with several prominent Belgraders, including tennis player
Novak Djokovic.
The Weight of Chains 2
The Weight of Chains 2 was released in 2014 as a part of the Serbian Film Festival at Montecasino in
Johannesburg,
South Africa.
It features interviews with
Noam Chomsky, Carla Del Ponte, Mlađan Dinkić, Vuk Jeremić, Ivo Josipović, Slavko Kulić, Miroslav Lazanski,
Michael Parenti,
Oliver Stone,
James Woolsey and others.
[ Nema povlačenja, nema predaje Politika]
The Weight of Chains 2 The Interviewees
Malagurski: Uz puno truda bolje sutra može da se ostvari Večernje novosti The film discusses the effects of neoliberal reforms on all aspects of life in the former Yugoslavia, from politics, economics, military, culture and education to the media.
[ The premiere of The Weight of Chains 2 on January 31 Tanjug.rs] Festival screenings include Raindance Film Festival
and the Subversive Festival
and others listed below, and it was broadcast by RTS.
[ RTS - Težina lanaca 2]
In September 2017, Malagurski released a documentary film about Serbian monasteries in Kosovo called
Kosovo: A Moment In Civilization,[ Film O Manastirima Na Kosovu: Da Zapad zavoli srpske svetinje (Video) A Film About Monasteries in Kosovo Večernje novosti][ A Serbian film about Kosovo Serbia Today] designed to oppose Kosovo's membership in
UNESCO.
The film was released on September 15, 2017 in
Paris, France.
The film was condemned by Kosovo's government.
Like Me a Million
Malagurski directed and produced a Serbian
short film Lajkuj me milion puta (). It stars
Nikola Kojo, Miloš Biković and Maja Šuša.
The film was released on March 29, 2019 at the 66th Belgrade Documentary and Short Film Festival.
The Weight of Chains 3
Malagurski made the third part of
The Weight of Chains film series which deals with how big business and political interest groups endanger peoples' health and very existence.
The film was released in
Chicago on September 28, 2019,
and features interviews with
Jeffrey Sachs, Katrín Jakobsdóttir,
Noam Chomsky, Nele Karajlić and Danica Grujičić.
In December 2019, Malagurski announced that he would produce and direct a documentary film about the 2019 crisis in
Montenegro.
The announcement came following clerical protests in Montenegro.
In November 2020, the official film trailer was released, featuring interviews with Amfilohije Radović, Zdravko Krivokapić, Matija Bećković and others.
The film had its world premiere in
Belgrade in May 2021.
Malagurski directed the feature documentary film that chronicles the history of
Serbs who live West of the
Drina river, including an interview with
film director
Emir Kusturica. The film was financed by the city of
Banja Luka and other municipalities in
Republika Srpska, as well as by individual donors,
and premiered in Banja Luka in October 2022.
There were calls for screenings to be cancelled in several European countries.
Television
From 2013 to 2015,
Malagurski hosted
Revolution, a weekly TV show on Happy TV. The show, featured documentary segments and interviews with state officials, foreign and local experts and ordinary citizens of Serbia.
[ The Revolution of Boris Malagurski on Happy TV Story.rs][ Malagurski: It's time to sober up Večernje novosti] During the 2014 Southeast Europe floods, Malagurski reported for Happy TV from several flooded areas in Serbia.
[ Hrvati, A Srpski Heroji: Dečki koji su spasavali nesrećne Obrenovčane! Telegraf.rs][ Reportaža iz Obrenovca: Srbi i Hrvati zajedno rade na spašavanju Večernji list] The show was cancelled in January 2015. Malagurski alleged that Happy TV gave no official reason for the show's cancellation.
From 2015 to 2017, Malagurski worked as the executive producer and host of a TV show, Globalno, on BN Televizija, which deals with "global topics from a domestic perspective."
From May 2017 to December 2018, Malagurski was the editor and host of a clip show for the Sputnik Serbia news agency, and the editor and host of a clip show, ClipaRT with Boris Malagurski, for the Russian state-funded RT Documentary channel, dealing with global issues.
Malagurski has also appeared on RT, to comment on Balkan topics.[ RT: "KFOR će prekoračiti mandat" B92.net] In 2020, he was described as "one of Sputnik's YouTube stars popular with young people".
Journalism
Malagurski has written articles for the
Politika daily newspaper
[ "Šund kao droga" - Boris Malagurski Politika Newspaper][ "Zelene i crvene zone" - Boris Malagurski Politika Newspaper] and a political magazine
Nova srpska politička misao.
[ Битка је у нама Борис Малагурски, НСПМ | 1 November 2010][ Дневник 2010 Борис Малагурски, НСПМ | 19 October 2010][ Моја држава, моја револуција Борис Малагурски, НСПМ | 14 October 2010]
Political views
Malagurski is a
Euroscepticism, believing that "chasing the
European Union is like going on a blind date, you don't know what will happen, but you still want to go because you are desperate."
[ A New Wave in Balkan Politics? by Sergej Dojcinovic, Balkanist Magazine, March 14, 2017]
In an interview for Marin Marinković's talk show One On One on Alternativna TV, Malagurski identified as left-leaning[ Malagurski on the status of Serbs in the world 43min on ATVBL.com] and, in an article in Danas, denounced attempts by some to label him as "extremely right-wing", noting that his films were screened on leftist festivals such as the Subversive Festival in Croatia, that worldwide screenings were organized with the help of leftist parties such as the Left-Green Movement in Iceland and that he was compared to Michael Moore and even Karl Marx in the Slovenian Delo newspaper. Malagurski described these attempts as "Balkan self-declared leftists and civic elitists wanting to hold on to their monopoly of views that are allowed in that ideological sphere", adding that "if anyone dares to criticize the European Union as a bureaucratic elite dictatorship in Brussels, NATO as the army of America's corporate interests and the local NGO sector that deals with politics and receives money from abroad as agents of foreign interests, one can only be labelled as a "right-winger" or whatever sounds more gruesome to uninformed audiences."[ Nisam "ekstremni desničar" Danas, April 6, 2017]
Malagurski "supports protests as a form of pressure on governments" and that "elections are important, but democracy works only if we create the conditions under which any elected official will have to make decisions".[ Neoliberalism - The Mother of All Economic Problems in Serbia The Voice of Cacak] As a critic of neoliberalism, Malagurski believes that "resistance to neoliberalism is no longer a matter of ideology, but of common sense", and he advocates the inclusion of young people in politics, noting that most people in Serbia who share similar problems are not united and can't recognize their common interest.[ Boris Malagurski: Resistance is a matter of common sense Novosti.rs]
Malagurski was interviewed for Amir Zukić's talk show Pressing on N1 in which he expressed his condemnation of United States foreign policy, noting that "what the United States are doing to Muslims is far more deceitful than what the Nazis did to the Jews, because the Americans are telling Muslims that everything they do is for their own good." According to Malagurski, this shows how well developed the Western propaganda machine is, adding that "Joseph Goebbels would be fascinated by what the West has achieved."[ Malagurski: Joseph Goebbels would be fascinated by what the West has achieved N1] On the topic of relations between states and peoples in the Southeastern Europe, Malagurski also stated that "people in the Balkans need reconciliation, and to talk about what brings us together".
Malagurski has also expressed views on Croatian politics, adding his support for Ivan Pernar and the populist Human Shield political party[ Govor hrvatskog poslanika o EU i NATO koji je zapalio region, za dva dana ga pogledalo milion ljudi! BKTV News][ Ovo je govor Ivana Pernara koji je zapalio regiju, u dva dana ga pogledalo milijun ljudi Index.hr, October 25, 2016] and Macedonian politics, arguing that "the West has made North Macedonia an extremely vulnerable and divided country, and that as such it needs a miracle to survive, unfortunately."[ Борис Малагурски за Фактор: На Македонија ќе и треба чудо за да опстане Faktor.mk]
Activism
In October 2011, Malagurski showed his film
The Weight of Chains at the
Jarinje barricades on the Kosovo-Serbia border,
[ Using alternative paths to get to North Kosovo Politika, October 31, 2011 ] which he said was a show of support for the Serbs fighting for their rights in the disputed province.
[ We're afraid of Belgrade, not KFOR Pravda newspaper, October 30, 2011]
In June 2012, Malagurski took part in a protest in front of the Radio Television Serbia building, that called for an end to "organized media darkness" in Serbia and requested the airing of Malagurski's film The Weight of Chains on Serbia's public broadcaster.[ Protest ispred RTS-a RTS] In front of 200 protesters, Malagurski said that Aleksandar Tijanić, the director of RTS, had told him that despite positive reviews, The Weight of Chains couldn't be aired on RTS because it had already been aired on Happy TV, Malagurski claimed only clips had been shown, which he corroborated with documents from Happy TV.[ RTS odbio da prikaže film Težina lanaca Kurir] Malagurski also claimed that "Serbia is the only country in the region and in almost all of Europe, where The Weight of Chains has not been shown by the national public broadcaster".
Malagurski has given speeches about Balkan political issues, specifically, on the future status of Kosovo.
Political Analyst Jasmin Mujanović has described him as one of the commentators who "peddle 'Russian-themed' disinformation", used in Russian state influence campaigns in the Balkans.
Controversies
Threats controversy
In September 2012, Malagurski and Ivana Rajović (co-director), filed a criminal investigation request at Belgrade public prosecutor's office against 12 members of an internet message board for alleged "organized threats to their life and personal and professional safety", made on the message board after the premiere of
The Presumption of Justice. Three of the 12 were charged and found guilty in March 2014 at the trial court in Belgrade, each was sentenced to a year in prison, suspended for 3 years of probation.
[ A parody of justice] Malagurski's actions and the court's decisions were criticised by Milica Jovanović,
and Dario Hajrić
writing in Peščanik, and Jovana Gligorijević, writing in
Vreme.
Malagurski replied in responses published by Vreme in March 2014[ Polemike | Akademski huligani - kako "građanska Srbija" poziva na linč Boris Malagurski, NSPM.rs] Historian Čedomir Antić criticised Malagurski's accusers in an op-ed in Politika.
Kostić allegations
In January 2013, after an interview for Malagurski's TV show
Revolution with Vesna Kostić of the
World Bank office in Belgrade was broadcast, Kostić complained that Malagurski had "forged" a conversation in the broadcast.
Malagurski denied the claims, adding that Ms. Kostic "forgot how she answered the questions".
Personal life
Malagurski and his wife Ivana have a son Mateo, born in 2019, and a daughter Laura, born in 2022.
Malagurski is the owner and CEO of Malagurski Cinema, a Filmmaking company.
Filmography
|
|
| 2010 | The Weight of Chains | | | |
| 2012 | The Presumption of Justice | | | |
| 2013 | Belgrade | | | |
| 2014 | The Weight of Chains 2 | | | |
| 2017 | | | | |
| 2019 | The Weight of Chains 3 | | | |
| 2021 | | | | |
| 2022 | | | | |
|
Short films
-
The Canada Project (2005)
-
(2009)
-
Like Me a Million (2019)
Television
Malagurski has hosted the following TV programmes:
|
|
| 2013–2015 | Revolution | 55 episodes |
| 2015–2017 | Globally | 56 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | Malagurski for Sputnik | 56 episodes; Clip show in Serbian |
| 2018 | ClipART with Boris Malagurski | 23 episodes; Clip show in English |
| 2019–2020 | Malagurski In Short | 68 episodes; Clip show in Serbian |
| 2020–2022 | Big Stories & Beyond with Boris Malagurski | Clip show in English |
|
Festival screenings
-
2005, The Canada Project and Vreme Je in 'Young European Filmmakers' at the Palić Film Festival in Palić, Serbia
[ Young European Filmmakers Palić International Film Festival, 2005]
-
2009, Silver Palm Award (one of 14 films awarded in the Student Film category) for Kosovo: Can You Imagine? at the Mexico International Film Festival, Rosarito, Mexico.
[ RTV - Film Borisa Malagurskog nagrađen na festivalu u Meksiku, Radio Television Vojvodina, May 11, 2009]
-
2009, Kosovo: Can You Imagine? at the BridgeFest International Film Festival, East Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
[ Kosovo: Možete li da zamislite? (30 min) , Četvrtak 7. maj 2009.]
-
2011, The Weight of Chains at the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, Havana, Cuba
[ "El peso de las cadenas" Festival Internacional Del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano]
-
2011, The Weight of Chains at the Moving Images Film Festival, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
[[53] MIFF Schedule, End of World Showcase]
-
2011, The Weight of Chains at the Beldocs, Belgrade, Serbia.
[ Festival of documentary film at Novi Sad Cultural Centre 021.rs][ The Weight of Chains in Novi Sad Radio Television Vojvodina] Zrenjanin, Kragujevac, Niš, Vršac and Aleksinac,[ "BELDOCS" on a tour throughout Serbia B92.net] Serbia.
-
2011, The Weight of Chains in 'Balkan Cinema Strand' at the Raindance Film Festival, London, United Kingdom
[
]
target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[57] Raindance Balkan Cinema Strand 2011
-
2013, Belgrade at the Serbian Film Festival at Montecasino in Johannesburg, South Africa
[ Film Festival Brochure 2013 Serbian Film Festival at Montecasino]
-
2014, The Weight of Chains at the Balkan New Film Festival in Oslo, Norway
[ Balkan New Film Festival 2014][ The Weight Of Chains CinemaTeket.no]
-
2014, The Weight of Chains 2 at the Serbian Film Festival at Montecasino in Johannesburg, South Africa
[ The Serbian Film festival at Montecasino Montecasino.co.za]
-
2015, The Weight of Chains 2 at the Balkan New Film Festival in Oslo, Norway
[ Balkan New Film Festival 2014]
-
2015 The Weight of Chains 2 at the Subversive Festival in Zagreb, Croatia
[ Težina lanaca 2 / The Weight of Chains 2 2015 - 8th Subversive Festival]
-
2015, The Weight of Chains 2 at the Raindance Film Festival in London, United Kingdom
[ The Weight of Chains 2 Raindance Film Festival]
-
2019, Like Me a Million at the Belgrade Documentary and Short Film Festival.
-
2020, The Weight of Chains 3 at the Belgrade DOK Film Festival.
-
2020, Best Documentary Feature, Best Screenplay In A Documentary Feature and Best Editing In A Documentary Feature for The Weight of Chains 3 at the South Film and Arts Academy Festival, Chile.
-
2022, Best Historical Documentary for Srpska: The Struggle for Freedom at the Silk Road Film Awards, Cannes, France.
-
2023, Best Documentary Feature, Best Directing In A Documentary Feature and Best Cinematography In A Documentary Feature for Srpska: The Struggle for Freedom at the South Film and Arts Academy Festival, Chile.
External links
