RESERVNI DELI (SPARE PARTS)
Slovenia, 2003, 87 minutes, Colour.
Peter Musevski, Aljosa Kovacic.
Directed by Damjan Kozole.
Spare Parts was written and directed by one of Slovenia's major directors, Damjian Kozole. He takes the situation in Slovenia at the beginning of the 21st century: flashbacks to the laying of the foundation stone by Tito of the nuclear power plant in Krsko; the importance of motorcycle speedway in Krsko and the celebrities and legends; the reality of the new democracy but also the exploitation of the refugees from Afghanistan and the Middle East as well as from the Balkan Peninsula.
The film is realistic - with some brutal touches as it shows the treatment of the refugees by the rather ordinary truckies who are eager to make money, exploit the refugees, not having any care or commitment for them and their fate. The film is sympathetic to the refugees and shows the brutality of their exploitation and what it means to them: a woman being sexually assaulted, a family put in the boot of a car and suffocating and their bodies thrown in the river, the moodiness of a driver who lets his passengers off on the freeway, the discussion about the refugees being exploited for their body parts in black-market deals in Continental Europe. The film takes us behind the headlines of the unfair and brutal treatment of the refugees as well as the plight of the refugees.
The actors are quite convincing in their roles. However, they are not entirely without heart and the impact of the film is showing their friendships, their falling-outs, their relationships, their own personal struggles and griefs alongside the callous treatment that they offer to the refugees.
1. The impact of the film? From Slovenia, about Slovenia, about abuses of refugees? The judgment on Slovenia, as communicated for the rest of the world?
2. The Slovenian settings, the town of Krsko, the nuclear power station and the film returning to it? The motorcycle stadium, the credits sequences, the events during the film, the finale with the new driver? The roads of the country, the forests and rivers, the borders, the overview on Italy and Trieste? The range of songs, the musical score?
3. The title, the explanation that the driver gave Rudi about the spare parts industry in Continental Europe, the refugees being drugged and their hearts, liver, kidneys and other organs taken and sold?
4. The situation of refugees in Continental Europe at the beginning of the 21st century? The countries and regimes from which they fled? Their hopes for Western Europe? The treks from their countries, the people from the Balkans, the 1000 Euros to travel simply through Slovenia from Croatia to Italy? The range of people, racial backgrounds, religious backgrounds? Their being handled like cattle and sent on their way to their fate? The irony of the men sometimes wishing them good luck?
5. The portrait of the various refugees: coming out of the river, going into the vans, into the oil tanker, into the boots of cars? The age range? The first group and the young Macedonian woman, her husband with a fever, the men wanting sexual favours, her eventually agreeing because of the antibiotics? The brutal treatment, Rudi and his gentleness, giving her the money, putting the coat over her? Her husband's reaction? Spitting at Rudi? Her grief, at the border, sitting, her husband calling for her? The television headlines and her having fallen and speculation about this (and Rudi sleeping and missing the news, later wondering where she was and thinking she was in a better place)? The old man who was caught and came back again? The family wanting to go early, squeezing into the boot of the car, the comment made that more Chinese could be fitted in, their knocking but the police being present, the suffocation, their bodies thrown in the river? The Muslim woman and her dead baby, being given some money, burying the baby at the border? The young people, the old? Others having to wait for the next day?
6. The focus on Ludvik, his career as a motorcyclist, his being a legend? Taking on Rudi? His cancer and Rudi discovering? His continually breaking wind? The pain of his cancer? His wife's suicide with her cancer pain? His callous attitudes, the discussions with Rudi, becoming a father figure? Reprimanding him and their fall-out? Wanting him to have sex with the Macedonian girl, demanding it? Asking about his relationship with the girlfriend? His getting older, sometimes mellowing? Accepting Rudi back? His death and people putting flowers on his grave? The moral judgment on him and his behaviour?
7. Rudi as young, inexperienced, learning from Ludvik? Watching the men with the Macedonian woman, being compassionate towards her? Continuing to drive, his attitudes hardening? Going to the party, meeting the girl sick in the bathroom, taking her home, the relationship? Her not taking his calls, following the speedway champion? Her pregnancy, being rejected by the rider, coming to Rudi? Together with him at the end? Rudi and his hardening of attitude, bad mood and leaving the people on the freeway? His explanation to Ludvik? The regrets about the fight, the reconciliation? The young man coming to Rudi at the motorcycle event?
8. The other drivers, talking about their families, their callous attitudes, the money, the pizzas, sexual favours?
9. The atmosphere of the town, the bars, friendships, the survival of the town with the nuclear plant, the speedway? The director's comment that this was Slovenia as it is?
