Private Project

Revolution Eternal

An unbuilt Museum of Revolution in Belgrade, Serbia becomes a site of investigation into the true nature of revolution, and brings the myth of a forgotten country back to life. The history of Yugoslavia is told through the lens of Slobodan Maldini, a Serbian architect obsessed with the building as a metaphor for national history, and the arc of his own life. Alongside Maldini’s reflections, Revolution Eternal captures the growth of a personal relationship between myself and a Roma man named Stanisha, who invites me to film the museum’s squatted basement. Throughout the film, this unexpected meeting ground serves as a reminder that the foundation of coexistence is the immaterial power of human connection.

  • Megan May Daalder
    Director
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    53 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 1, 2017
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Serbia
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Megan May Daalder

Megan May Daalder (US) is an interdisciplinary Los Angeles based artist who works at the intersection of documentary film and live performance. Her work explores unlikely relationships in a world of complex identities. Inspired by current events and field research each project tackles a present day paradox, tracing its links to the past and the future.

Daalder holds a BA from UCLA’s Design Media Arts Department. Her films, videos and installations have been shown at The Rotterdam International Film Festival, the Netherlands; the 14th WRO Media Art Biennial, Wroclaw, Poland; Kyoto City University of Arts Gallery; The Berkeley Museum of Art, Berkeley; Guggenheim Gallery, Orange County; Diet Gallery, Miami; MaRS gallery, Los Angeles; Five Car Garage, Santa Monica; UCLA Art|Sci Gallery, Los Angeles; Mains D’Oeuvres Gallery, Paris; and Jack Hanley Gallery, NYC amongst other international festivals and venues.

She has spoken at TEDx Gabriola Island and won the People’s Choice award at the Entertainment Software and Cognitive Neurotherapeutics Society for her installation The Mirrorbox. This installation was also studied as a “novel tool for modulating self-other perception” at the USC Brain and Creativity Institute, in collaboration with neuroscientist Sook-Lei Lieu.

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Director Statement

Revolution Eternal came together when I plunged into the history of Serbia from two completely unrelated perspectives and captured it on the fly with a point and shoot camera.

I was in Belgrade for an artist’s residency when I found the unbuilt Museum of the Revolution. I knew very little about the country when I arrived - I was the epitome of a naive twenty-something American.

The history of Yugoslavia as architect Slobodan Maldini tells it still resonates with me as a kind of utopia, more appealing than the faltering market driven myth of America. But at their most idealistic, Yugoslavia and the United States of America both describe a place where diverse cultural identities can thrive together.

In a post-trump America, I’ve become more and more attentive to moments that truly embody this ideal of coexistence. To my surprise, the Los Feliz Costco has started to feel more like a sanctuary than a shopping nightmare, its multicultural customer base like a living portrait of a former ideal.

My hope is that the future can be forged with clues from these expired myths. Editing Revolution Eternal has reminded me that the goal is not to fight for what was, but for what will always be.