How South becomes North
Süden Radio #3
How South Becomes North (Long Live Macedonia, Long Live Republic of North Macedonia) is a documentary based on field recordings made by Toni Dimitrov.
The Republic of Macedonia, a country that was a synonym for the south during the Yugoslavia Federation time, has recently changed its name and became the Republic of North Macedonia: a country with its own historical legacy, sold its identity to clear its path to NATO and EU membership.
Macedonia joined the UN in 1993, but as a result of an ongoing dispute with Greece over the use of the name Macedonia, it was admitted under the provisional name of Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The recent Prespa agreement, signed by Macedonia and Greece in June 2018, saw the country change its name to Republic of North Macedonia. The new name is going to be used both internationally and bilaterally, so that even the 140 or more countries that recognise the name Macedonia will also have to adopt North Macedonia.
The whole process was long and accompanied by many protests and conflicts. Eighty-one deputies out of the 120- members of the Parliament voted in favor of The Prespa agreement, securing the required two-thirds majority. Representatives of the opposition boycotted the vote that took place on January 11, 2019 and several hundred people have protested against this deal in front of parliament over the past years, without any success. The illegal government - Toni Dimitrov says - has pushed its agenda against the will of the people expressed in a low turnout referendum.
In How South Becomes North, Toni Dimitrov tries to stay focused on the recent events: the sound piece collects field recordings from some of the protests of last summer 2018, but also other related materials from parliamentary sessions, news, etc...
