Exit Through the Cuckoo’s Nest – Nikola Ilić

“Exit Through the Cuckoo’s Nest” is an autobiographical documentary about a soldier who refused to fight during the Yugoslav Wars. The film tells the story of Serbian director Nikola Ilić, whose younger years spent in the counterculture scene in 1990s Belgrade comes to an abrupt end with the outbreak of the war and his draft to military service. Having made its world premiere at the 2024 Visions du Réel International Film Festival’s Medium Length and Short Film Competition, the film transforms into a subjective war diary through the director’s archive from the 1990s, as well as footage shot specifically for the film using thermal and surveillance cameras. 

*2024 Beldocs Documentary Festival, Serbian Competition, Best Editing 

*2024 Visions du Réel Film Festival, Official competition

* 2024 Official selection:

DokuFest, Guanajuato, Bolton