Brasslands

Balkan music is characterised by fast, high-pitched, moving trumpet lines. This sound, the musicians responsible and their bands are central to the Trumpet Festival. The 50th edition was held in August 2013 in the Serbian village of Guca and attracted 500,000 visitors. At the end a contest: which band and brass musician get to call themselves master for the next year? Three brass bands from different backgrounds were filmed during the run-up to the festival. The Serbian members of Dejan Petrovic see it as a contest they want to win. Zlatne Uste from New York, who lacks a Balkan background, hopes to play flawlessly. The Roma-Serbian members of Demiran Cerimovic Orchestra hope to win so they'll be booked all year and earn a living. Feelings towards the Americans present are mixed as memories of the bombing of Serbia in 1995 are still fresh. Brasslands is not only an enervating festival registration, but also provides insight into Serbian culture and daily life.