A day in the life of Dzoni, a young Serbian recruit. With seven other soldiers, he is taken to a remote spot. After waiting for a long time in the heat of summer, civilian prisoners arrive and only then does it become clear what soldiers are expected to do. In a calm tempo, the film follows the young soldiers, who do what is expected of them during this sluggish and sweltering day. These are ‘enemies of the state’, they are assured by their commander Kouki, and there’s only one solution to that. Liquor will help them along. Ordinary People shows the gruesome banality of war crimes and provides an implicit explanation from within the military system. Perisic’s (1976) debut film was premiered during the last Cannes Film Festival and is based on a trial at the War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. The film was supported by the Hubert Bals Fund.
