I Went to the Zoo the Other Day

Danilo feels down. Dragana takes him to the zoo. This film is about two friends, young immigrants from former Yugoslavia, and their experience visiting the Toronto Zoo. Throughout the day they look at the exhibits and converse through little stories, most of which are about animals. As the journey goes on, their interior worlds are slowly revealed. The project originated in China where the director is from, then was shot and completed in Canada. Though it was written and directed in English, the film was acted in Serbian, the actors’ home language. The film is a quiet reflection on the interrelationships between humans and animals. It questions the ways we see others. In the context of increasing global migration and urbanization, the film calls attention to the similarities between modern city dwellers and zoo animals. It attempts to express the ambiguous feelings towards displacement and alienation.