Ok.. Lets jump on a plane to the Balkans, share a 4 room bunk bed sardine can, meet a group of complete strangers and photograph a bee keeper for 24 hours whilst grabbing a few hours sleepon a concrete driveway and get bitten in the ass by a bug that shouldn't have been there! Well thats my kind of heaven. Global Lives have been shooting A Day In The Life type film documentaries all over the world. I saw the request and before i knew it i was in Belgrade.
Myself and 2 other togs Emile and Max were getting to know each other using the Lav Beer method (well Max chose the Coke route). Fast forward.. a night out drinking more than i have since 1995, running around Belgrade trying to find food for 2 veggies that didnt contain an animal part and climbing 6 floors to get to our Penthouse retreat really made me think im a very lucky person.. I really am! Once upon a time i was an Estate Agent and i know exactly what they are doing now (looking out the office window).. I digress..The object of the project is to film 24 hours in the life of our subject and his family. This is a complete 24 hour film so if you ever get to watch it you need a lot of pop corn and a coffee machine within arms reach!
Dusan and his family were absolute superstars. If you ever get the chance to have a film crew invade your home you will know what i mean. And that includes a video cam on a tripod in your bedroom whilst you sleep.. all night..
Shoot over. After a few hours sleep on the concrete with my new girlfriend Ms Bug, i slept like a baby back at the can. Sunday was spent editing 3 togs work which amounted to 2500 images..Ten hours later and full of coffee we stepped out into the small square. A call from the local Serbian crew asking us to meet up and move up a notch to the Lav Beer. If you have ever stared at a comp screen for 10 hours and waded through 2500 pics you will know what our eyes felt like. I was heading for one place only.
The next few days were spent walking the streets of Belgrade to shoot some stock. Belgrade is a great city especially if your a backpacker. Its cheap, safe (unless you support one of the local football teams). Im going back hopefully this year without any hesitation.
As for those strangers.. a great bunch of people and hopefully will be friends for life. A South African fish curry has been promised in London.. Hey J... You ready?!
Images shot with a Nikon D3, D700, Zeiss ZF 35mm f2 and Zeiss 50mm f2 Makro
Copyright ©2009 Stewart Weir. All images and story content is the Copyright of Stewart Weir.
Content may not be copied or distributed without prior permission from Stewart Weir.
