The Second Generation

A teenager raised in Germany is sent by his immigrant parents back to Yugoslavia –a motherland he barely remembers. The displaced young man is an outcast with his Serbian classmates as well as German peers. His family is worried that he has lost control of his life. The basis for this film is a documentary Zilnik shot a year earlier called The First Trimester of Pavle Hromis (1983). The Second Generation marks the beginning of the director’s exploration of immigration, which would be followed by Kenedi Is Getting Married (2007). It could be regarded as a personal work as well, taking into consideration Zilnik’s unfortunate experiences in West Germany. A peak of Zilnik’s TV period, the movie takes on the form of a docudrama so organic for the director and so perfectly soundtracked by what could be a serviceable introduction to the riches of Yugoslavian punk rock.