DJ Ahmet is a sweet, if familiar, coming-of-age romance between star-crossed lovers that succeeds because of its funny but grounded quirks.
Director: Georgi M. Unkovski
Genre: Drama, Coming of Age
Run Time: 99′
Sundance Premiere: January 23, 2025
U.S. Release Date: TBA
U.K. Release Date: TBA
Fifteen is a difficult age, regardless of gender, socio-economic status, or where you come from. DJ Ahmet tells a tender coming-of-age story about this crucial age, steeped in the customs and traditions of a rarely-seen part of the world, but its sensibilities are familiar enough for anywhere. Funny, tender, sweet, and gorgeously crafted, the film feels like a major hidden gem at the Sundance Film Festival, and for writer-director Georgi M. Unkovski.
Set in the countryside of North Macedonia, Unkovski’s debut feature follows the teenage exploits of Ahmet (Arif Jakup) as he’s torn between his responsibilities for his father’s farm and his desires to be a normal kid. Ahmet has a close relationship with his younger brother Naim (Agush Agushev), who doesn’t speak – possibly because of the recent death of their mother. Their father isn’t cruel per se, but he prioritizes the well-being of his sheep farm over the well-being of his oldest son. Ahmet is too young to really know what he wants to do with his life outside of listening to music, but tending to the sheep ranks fairly low on the priority list.
His life gets turned upside-down when he meets a girl, Aya (Dora Akan Zlatanova), after a bizarre and hilarious encounter in the woods. She’s unwillingly betrothed in an arranged marriage (she’s also 15), so they find commonality in their rebellious natures. It’s here where DJ Ahmet finds its beating heart, as each of the scenes between Ahmet and Aya is sweet and simple without tipping over into treacle. Unkovski has the good sense to make Aya more than a damsel in distress, and Zlatanova gives a fully-formed performance to match. Jakup and Zlatanova share a natural chemistry together, which goes a long way after the film kicks into gear. We want them to find love together, but we also want them to find themselves above all else.
If there’s an underlying theme to be found in the film, it’s in the conflict between the old generation and the new. Unkovski doesn’t beat us over the head with it, but finds comic opportunities to poke fun at the often clueless, stubborn ways that Ahmet’s elders deal with their problems. But, crucially, the youths aren’t always the smartest in the room, though the bulk of DJ Ahmet’s drama comes in Ahmet and Aya’s struggles for autonomy. Though the plot often goes to familiar and predictable places, especially in the resolution to the teens’ romance, there are enough unique flourishes that help it rise above the standards in the teen romance genre.
Unkovski is aided by the naturally picturesque North Macedonian mountains, but cinematographer Naum Doksevski makes nearly every scene a feast for the eyes. Several night scenes, including one lit by fireworks, are staged to create indelible images. The film world outside of the Sundance Film Festival may be too big for DJ Ahmet to break through, but it’s no less deserving of finding an audience willing to discover its pleasures.
DJ Ahmet: Movie Plot & Recap
Synopsis:
Ahmet, a lonely teenager torn between his responsibilities to his sheep herder father and his love of music, falls for the girl next door. Together, they rebel against the older generation and dream of a life of freedom.
Pros:
- A tender romance anchored by genuinely grounded performances
- Gorgeously cinematography, taking full advantage of the North Macedonian countryside
Cons:
- The plot tends to go to familiar places within the teen romance, coming-of-age genre.
Dj Ahmet had its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2025.
