Liberation Day

When Norwegian artist Morten Traavik announced that he would arrange the first rock concert ever in North Korea, steam came out of critics' ears from Seoul to Washington. Of all bands, his performers of choice were the controversial ex-Yugoslav avant-garde collective Laibach – both famous and infamous for their totalitarian aesthetics, industrial sound and a song catalogue better suited for marching than dancing to. Laibach is in many ways the musical equivalent of Cindy Sherman - exposing and subverting both hidden and overt totalitarianism by enacting and celebrating it rather than moralizing. Liberation Day takes you behind the scenes of what philosopher Slavoj Žižek calls "the most fascinating cultural event of the 21st century", and face to face with quite possibly the toughest crowd imaginable: 1500 North Koreans never before exposed to anything even close to experimental rock'n'roll. Traavik manages to get the show approved by the country's all-pervading censorship, including Laibach interpretations of «The Sound of Music», «Do-Re-Mi», «Life is Life» and «The Final Countdown». The audience's response you need to see for yourself.

Morten Traavik (1971) is Norwegian multi artist, known for controversial art projects like «Miss Landmine» (2008-09), «Pimp My Aid Worker» (2010) as well as a groundbreaking and ongoing series of collaborations with North Korean artists and cultural authorities.

Ugis Olte (1981), is a Latvian documentary and music video director. He is also known for award-winning collaborations with the pop group Instrumenti. His latest documentary, Double Aliens, deals with sense of identity among the Armenian minority in ex-Soviet Georgia.

Ida Johannessen

SPECIAL SCREENING FEATURING DIRECTORS, LAIBACH AND SLAVOJ ŽIŽEK
We are pleased to host special screening of Liberation Day on the occasion of the national premiere October 8th. The film will be introduced by a short lecture by philosopher and cultural critic Slavoj Žižek, made especially for the occasion.

After the screening directors Morten Traavik and Ugis Olte together with Laibach core members Ivan Novak and Mina Spiler will do a live Q & A. The evening rolls on with an after-party in the basement floor of Vika cineplex, where Laibach will DJ and the North Korean State TV footage of the concert will be projected.

More info at www.liberationday.film