An Interview With Nataša Aksentijević - The Life and Death of a P*rno Gang (2009), A Serbian Film (2010), Working Class Goes to Hell (2023) (Spoilers)

Disturbing Cinema: It's been 15 years since the release of The Life and Death of a P*rno Gang (2009), directed by Mladdn Đorđević, which was your first feature-length film where you played the character Sofija (one of my favorite characters). How did the film project all begin with you, and how was your experience working with Mladdn Đorđević and the cast and crew? 

Nataša Aksentijević: Thank you, first of all, for this favorite character. I was in love with that movie from the moment I read the script. Although, from today's point of view, I am quite dissatisfied with how I played Sofia (it could have been much better), I am still very proud to be a part of that film. Mladdn Đorđević is one of the most talented people I have worked with. His commitment to surgical precision is something that has fascinated me since our first meeting and continues to this day. 

Disturbing Cinema: You have developed a very long and close friendship with Predrag Damnjanović, who also starred in The Life and Death of a P*rno Gang (2009) and who you continue to work with to this day. Do you stay in contact with any of the other cast and crew of the film, and have you ever thought about filming a reunion all together to talk about The Life and Death of a P*rno Gang (2009)? I think that would be such a beautiful and interesting idea! 

Nataša Aksentijević: That would be a great idea. Unfortunately, I don't see all my colleagues from the film that often. I still meet most of the team today through work. Peđa is my colleague from the university, and life has arranged for us to become so close through work that now new jobs are born from that closeness. 

Disturbing Cinema: Do you recall any crazy, funny, or beautiful on set stories from The Life and Death of a P*rno Gang (2009) or A Serbian Film (2010) that you could share with us all?

Nataša Aksentijević: Of course, there are many such stories. The funniest situation is when,  Ivan Đorđević  the actor who plays Ceca in The Life and Death of a P*rno Gang (2009) was talking in a pub (which happened to be next to the set, where we from the crew were drinking coffee and there were people from the village where we were filming) and said so loudly that they heard him and from the neighboring tables, "And that cute horse d*ck is sticking to everything." People got up and left the pub. There was no way we could explain to them that this "sweet c*ck" is plastic, that it was glued to the mare (which was tame and trained), coated with sweet syrup so that it would look normal for the scene we were filming. After that story, the locals looked at us as extremely deviant people? they no longer thought we were actors. They thought we were "sectarians." To this day, we still mention that "sweet d*ck." 

Disturbing Cinema: A year later, after The Life and Death of a P*rno Gang (2009) you went on to star in another extreme film by the name of A Serbian Film (2010), directed by Srdjan Spasojevic, which also tackled p*rn and politics, but with a different approach and got worldwide attention. A Serbian film, according to Fangoria magazine, has been banned in 46 countries, and it has been labeled everywhere as one of the most controversial and disturbing films ever made. Critics have condemned it, praised it, warned about it, and compared it to other iconic extreme films like Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom and  Irréversible. The film has shocked people from all around the world, with some people loving it and some people hating it, and it has become a very successful film in the extreme cinema community with a huge fan base. How does it feel knowing that you were part of such a huge phenomenon that people still love and talk about to this day? And did you expect this kind of reaction? 

Nataša Aksentijević: I expected it? I knew what kind of project I was getting into. The courage it took for me to accept such a "small" but devastating role was enormous. And I never regretted it. All that I wanted to tell in those rebellious years, I told through that scene. I received both great reviews and great compliments. What is most important to me is that there are no indifferent people. 

Disturbing Cinema: I would like to now really talk about the newborn scene in A Serbian Film (2010), which is the most infamous scene from the film where a newborn baby gets ra*ed and you are the one who is playing his mother. This is a scene that has scarred people around the world, and it is something that they cannot erase from their memory. Many have said that the meaning behind this scene is that we are all f*cked from the moment we are born, and it only gets worse as we age, and that it's specifically a political statement when it comes to Serbia and how if you are born there , you are f*cked at birth, which the director has also stated. How did you feel and approach this very controversial scene, and was it mentally or physically challenging for you? I feel like you must have the guts to do such a scene, and I genuinely applaud you for it. 

Nataša Aksentijević: Absolutely, but that scene is not vulgar, violent, or disturbing without any cover or message. That scene serves to beg the question. To tell the story not only of us who were born in this country. Rather, to make it known that there are parts of the world where people are born with bad luck and have circumstances that some other parts of the world do not have to contend with, Although the way things are around the world today, I have a bad feeling we're all going to be screwed soon. The biggest problem is alienation. People have become alienated not only from each other but also from nature and themselves. Liberocapitalism is the system that most quickly destroys all that is beautiful and good in people. 

Disturbing Cinema: Director Srđan Spasojević once stated: Serbians have been royally screwed from birth throughout the last tumultuous two decades. The breakup of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic, and Kosovo—it's all been depressing, frightening, and completely impossible to function properly in the country. It has been an environment where anything can happen, and usually for the worse. Our destiny has never been in our own hands through constant oppression, and it's those feelings we wanted to give voice to in A Serbian Film. It's all a literal metaphor about how violated we feel as a nation and how abused we have been by our own government. I'm proud to have directed a fearless look into the moral, political, and ethical abyss that is Serbia today. The combination of s*x and violence in the p*rnographic film industry was our weapon to hammer down those risky ideas. What do you personally think and feel about the film, and is Srđan Spasojević's statement on Serbia still true to this day?

Nataša Aksentijević: I wish Srđan all the best? his life path is unusual and extraordinary, but the idea he implemented through A Serbian Film is complete and accurate. If I hadn't thought so, I wouldn't have been part of it. Today, Serbia is a completely different country, but I still wonder what kind of life I would have led if I had been born in another country with such a gift and talent. If I had recorded  in a Western country, I would have had great privileges, respect, and certainly a larger bank account. In these areas, culture does not occupy a significant place in society. That's one of the things I want my fatherland to change. Fashion is essential for everyone's health. 

Disturbing Cinema: You have starred in two very iconic extreme Serbian films. Both of these films have left such a huge impact on me, especially The Life and Death of a P*rno Gang (2009) , which is one of my favorite films ever. What do you love most about both of these films, and how have they impacted your life? 

Nataša Aksentijević: Those movies brought me freedom. I realized that now, in these years. It was perhaps not a "smart" choice at the beginning of my career to agree to such roles. The middle likes to scold, but that choice brought me freedom and perseverance. It took me on a difficult path? the rough path brought me bigger and better experiences. Today, I am extremely honored to be a part of those films. Although throughout my career I have flirted with variety shows, light boulevard theater, and everything that is not appreciated in high art circles, I know that my soul has gone through purgatory (by that, I mean my participation in those films). 

Disturbing Cinema: You are listed as Biljana in the cast and crew of Mladen Đorđević's new film, Working Class Goes to Hell, which I can't wait to see. Is there anything you could tell us about your character and the film, and how was your experience working and reuniting with Mladen Đorđević again? 

Nataša Aksentijević: Divine. I am extremely lucky to always be a part of the films made by Mladen. This movie is extremely funny and taxing. This is the magic that he possesses as a screenwriter and director. He talks about scary and painful topics in a humorous way. Ulova Bljana is a story about a woman who flees from a small village to the city, leaving behind a lost, poor man and a rich, lost, and arrogant degenerate. Exactly what happens to all of us while we suffer, competing to see who will have more, better, newer, bigger, whatever it is. 

Disturbing Cinema: You have done it all. You have been in many television shows and many different films. You earned the nickname  Nataša DNA while working as the presenter of the TV show DNA Analysis, and you are part of the presenter team at K1 Television. You are also currently working on a comedy television series called Popadija, which is about the adventures of an iconoclastic fashion influencer as she steps into the role of the wife of a priest in a small Balkan village. You've gained a lot of popularity and affection because of your humour and your honesty, and you are one of the most famous TV personalities in Serbia. Was there a particular event or point in time that you told yourself that you wanted to become an actress, and what important advice would you like to give to young aspiring actors and actresses who want to get into the television and cinema industries? 

Nataša Aksentijević: As a little girl, I realised that I wanted to be an actress. Not that I would be a famous person, but that I could be anything. And the lawyer, and the witch, and the murderer, and the princess, and the beggar, and the rich man. I have the impression that through my work I am living more than one life, and that is why I am very happy and satisfied. Acting is my diagnosis. Everything I did, including TV formats and jobs that were not strictly acting, I did with dedication and a touch of sarcasm and cynicism. Because I don't take myself seriously, let alone others. I think that spontaneity and self-criticism won me the affection of the audience. I value the love and energy I receive from them extremely. 

Disturbing Cinema: I would like to conclude our interview by asking you one of my signature questions: What is the most disturbing film you have ever seen? 

Nataša Aksentijević: A Serbian film is something that I could not watch a second time (in its entirety from beginning to end). 

Disturbing Cinema: Congratulations on the films, and thank you once again for taking your time answering my questions, Nataša Aksentijević. It was an absolute pleasure interviewing you.

The Life and Death of a P*rno Gang (2009) Plot Summary: An aspiring film maker turns to p*rn after little success, then falls into a pursuit of crime with his band of misfits and suffers the repercussions of their unprecedented journey.

You can buy or rent The Life and Death of a P*rno Gang (2009) here:

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/The_Life_and_Death_of_a_Porno_Gang?id=83DC2FE4187152F1MV&hl=el

TetroVideo: https://tetrovideo.com/shop/life-death-of-a-porno-gang-dvd-edition/

Synapse Films: https://synapsefilms.com/products/life-and-death-of-a-porno-gang-the-dvd

A Serbian Film (2010) Plot Summary: Milos, a retired porn star, leads a normal family life with his wife Maria and six-year old son Petar in tumultuous Serbia, trying to make ends meet. A sudden call from his former colleague Layla will change everything. Aware of his financial problems, Layla introduces Milos to Vukmir - a mysterious, menacing and politically powerful figure in the pornographic business. A leading role in Vukmir's production will provide financial support to Milos and his family for the rest of their lives. A contract insists on his absolute unawareness of a script they will shoot. From then on, Milos is drawn into a maelstrom of unbelievable cruelty and mayhem devised by his employer, "the director" of his destiny. Vukmir and his cohorts will stop at nothing to complete his vision. In order to escape the living cinematic hell he's put into, and save his family's life, Milos will have to sacrifice everything - his pride, his morality, his sanity, and maybe even his own life.

You can buy or rent A Serbian Film (2010) here:

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/A_Serbian_Film?id=D3AFA8A5E4F029A6MV&hl=en 

Unearthed Films: https://www.unearthedfilms.com/catalog/2020s/serbianfilm.php

Medienversand: https://www.medienversand.at/Serbian-Film-A-Uncut-Edition-blu-ray-B/52547

Working Class Goes to Hell (2023) Plot Summary: Five years after a factory fire claimed the lives of several workers and, with them, the primary livelihood of a rural Balkan town, the plant’s union is met with a debilitating blow in their fight for reparations. Long suspected of causing the fire in order to privatize their property, the owners have succeeded in evading legal consequence and the workers are cast as ungrateful nuisances, obstinate in the face of capitalistic progress. Stoic labour leader Ceca (Tamara Krcunovic) refuses to give up hope, but her position grows tenuous when the collective begins to develop a fascination with the pagan practices of its newest member, Mija (Leon Lucev). After Mija leads the union in a ritual that belies a satanic undertone, strange occurrences begin to be reported around town, including the enigmatic manifestation of a decrepit man, seen stalking the most corrupt citizens.

You can buy or rent Working Class Goes to Hell (2023) here:

Prime Video: https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Working-Class-Goes-to-Hell/0J6B8L50NEA0HIAQU3ENFF9X44