Gucha

Summary

The tiny Serb town of Gucha would never have had any claim to fame had it not been for the "World Brass Championships". For over 40 years, over a quarter of a million visitors and the crème de la crème of gypsy brass instrumentalists from the Balkans have been meeting here annually. Every year, more than a dozen bands play before a jury in the hopes of winning the Golden Trumpet. After having won the prize for five years on the trot, Boban Markovic and his band – all outstanding proponents of ′Balkan fusion′ music – now only perform out-of-competition. One member of the "Boban Markovic Orkestar" is soloist and arranger Marko – who happens to be Boban’s 19-year-old son.

Marco also plays the male lead in this musical drama – a fictional story set against an authentic backdrop, about the rise of a brilliant trumpeter and gypsy named Romeo, with whom a Serb girl falls in love. Sixteen-year-old Juliana is the daughter of Serbia’s most popular trumpeter, known simply as Satchmo – after Louis Armstrong. Romeo, with whom Juliana falls in love, plays the trumpet in a rival gypsy orchestra known as "Sandokan’s Tigers". Satchmo finds Romeo’s dark skin repugnant, and would do anything in his power to keep the two lovers apart. However, as a passionate admirer of Lousie Armstrong, he can never admit to his aversion. Instead of coming between them, he promises therefore to give them his consent. Romeo may have his daughter – but only if he succeeds in beating him at the festival in Gucha …

Source: 57. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (Catalogue)