A One Mann’s Movies review of “DJ Ahmet” (From the 2025 London Film Festival). (2025, 4*, ’12’).
Once again, the LFF serves up a wonderfully quirky film that you would never likely get to see on a UK General Release; “DJ Ahmet” combines romance, drama and some wonderful comedy to create a terrific feelgood movie. It won the “Special Jury Award: World Cinema Dramatic” at the Sundance Film Festival, and I can see why.
One Mann’s Movies Rating:
Plot:
Ahmet (Arif Jakup) is a 15-year-old boy from a remote Macedonian village. His chance of getting away from his rural existence is hampered by his farming father (Aksel Mehmet) who constantly takes him out of school to tend the sheep. But his life becomes further complicated when he meets and falls for Aya (Dora Akan Zlatanova) – newly arrived from Germany but there for an arranged marriage. Can Ahmet stop the marriage and win the girl?
Certification:
UK: NR; US: NR. (The film has not yet been rated by the BBFC but I would expect it to be a 12A.)
Talent:
Starring: Arif Jakup, Agush Agushev, Aksel Mehmet, Dora Akan Zlatanova, Selpin Kerim, Atila Klince.
Directed by: Georgi M. Unkovski.
Written by: Georgi M. Unkovski.
Running Time: 1h 39m.
Summary:
Positives:
- Fine comedy moments that smashed the 6 laughs test.
- The drama is poignant and well delivered.
- The music is great, especially the song “Fabulous” over the end titles.
Negatives:
- Although the location is novel, it doesn’t really break much new ground thematically.
Full Review of “DJ Ahmet”:
Comedy offset by bittersweet drama.
As with the best comedy films, the light needs to be blended with the dark and the debut writer/director Georgi M. Unkovski does that here with style. In terms of the darkness, Ahmet and his younger brother Naim (Agush Agushev) are ruled with a rod of iron by their father (Aksel Mehmet), still grieving the recent death of his wife and the boy’s mother. Naim has taken it so badly that he is mute, but rather getting support and a grief counsellor, his father packs him off in the car every day to take him to some quack doctor and – as the doctor in “Black Adder” was always prescribing – “a course of leeches”.
Life gets harder for Ahmet when his father buys a new flock of 20 sheep and he has to tend to them. While attending a rave in the woods, the sheep escape and the rogue moutons invading the dance floor becomes an internet and local news sensation!
The Rom bit.
It’s not made terribly clear how “arranged” the marriage of Aya (Dora Akan Zlatanova) is, but she clearly is not keen to progress with it, particularly after meeting Ahmet when the pair bond over a love of music. Ahmed ties a sound system to his tractor in order for Aya (and three other local girls) to practice a risqué (for the region) ‘Tik Tok’ dance they are set to perform at the upcoming village fete: a plan Aya feels will make her in-laws revolt and cancel the wedding in disgust.
How the romance progresses, and ultimately what Ahmet does to profess his love, is nicely delivered by the script and provides a feelgood result, albeit tinged with a degree of realism. For Ahmet and Aya really live in different worlds. When Aya says that her video has received 1500 likes, Ahmet thinks for a minute before retorting “that’s like 5 whole villages”!
An incompetent Muezzin.
Some of the best laughs come courtesy of the local Muezzin (Atila Klince) who’s incompetence with modern computing is matched only by his wonder of it. “Ah, technology! Technology!” he gushes when Ahmet comes to the rescue. This doesn’t stop his PC from blasting out Windows start-up music (and other things) to the whole of the village from the huge call-to-prayer speakers on the mosque minaret!
Talented amateurs.
The two boys were cast from auditions of thousands of locals and most of the villagers that you see are the actual villagers who live there. They really do a great job. Particularly funny are the group of old woman gossiping around a big tree that you see at intervals throughout the film.
More house music!
My ears were still ringing from the thunderous House Music blaring out from “Sirāt” that I’d seen just before when – blow me – I go into this film and get a second dose! Once again, the rave music wasn’t really to my liking, but I did really like some of the other incidental music from the composers Alen Sinkauz and Nenad Sinkauz and I particularly enjoyed the song over the end titles – “Fabulous”.
Monkey?
There is a “monkey” – another dose of the old women around the tree, that happens just after the start of the end titles.
Summary Thoughts:
A fine, feelgood rom-com that ticked a lot of boxes for me. Well worth a watch if you can get to find it.
Tickets for the London Film Festival showings on Thursday 9th and Saturday 11th are currently sold out, but here is the booking web site to check for returns or other showings.
Where to watch?
Trailer:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHBATVjjLWY.
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