The Parade

With equal marriage on the way, it’s easy to forget that in parts of the world being gay can mean daily abuse, violence and even death. Gaybashing in Serbia is not the most obvious material for a comedy, but writer/director Dragojević takes some chances and has something to say.

Through a complicated series of events, a homophobic former soldier turned gangster reluctantly agrees to arrange security for a Pride march in Belgrade. He’s forced to recruit a band of mostly insane former enemies from across the Balkan states (in a sense uniting them), and slowly learns to trust and respect the much more dignified gay community.

The material is broad and coarse; the homophobic language is pervasive and difficult to take at times, and, yes, the film is pretty funny – but it's also one that isn’t afraid to have an agenda, and Dragojević’s genuine passion for change in his homeland shines through. A challenging, subversive little gem. [Scotty McKellar]