Milan Kovačević, 80+, in the role of Stevan Arsin, is about to buy records by his own 1960s jazz band, the “Montenegro Five”, in a second-hand record shop in Vienna when his mobile rings. A property valuer in Novi Sad tells him the Serbian state intends to return the house that was expropriated from his family during World War II. Restitution, goodwill: the kindly gentleman, his back heavily stooped, sets off at his very own pace with researcher Nina to his old homeland, consisting of lots of Habsburgian and even more of New Serbian markers – and only a little of former Yugoslavia. In this docu-fiction featuring an amateur cast oozing aged charm, Stevan follows the ingenious tracks laid out by Želimir Žilnik (“80+”, just like his hero, but as youthful, cheeky, funny and witty as ever) and travels through a post-socialist landscape encountering family, friends, old loves and new obstacles. In 1969, Žilnik won the Golden Bear for Early Works, the time has now come for his Late Works: while the bonding may be less radical (soft touch matters), his eye for the political and social at the margins remains sharp.
Milan Kovačević, stariji od 80 godina, u ulozi Stevana Arsina, sprema se da kupi ploče svog džez benda iz šezdesetih godina, „Montenegro Five“, u prodavnici polovnih ploča u Beču, kada mu zazvoni mobilni telefon. Procjenitelj nekretnina iz Novog Sada obaveštava ga da srpska država namerava da vrati kuću koja je njegovoj porodici oduzeta tokom Drugog svetskog rata.
Restitucija, dobra volja: ljubazni gospodin, pogurenih leđa, kreće svojim tempom zajedno sa istraživačicom Ninom na put u stari zavičaj, ispunjen brojnim habzburškim, još brojnijim novim srpskim obeležjima – i tek ponešto od nekadašnje Jugoslavije.
U ovom docu-fikcijskom filmu sa amaterskom glumačkom postavom koja zrači šarmom poznih godina, Stevan prati domišljate tragove koje postavlja Želimir Žilnik („80+“, poput svog junaka po godinama, ali i dalje mladalački drzak, duhovit i lucidan) i putuje kroz postsocijalistički pejzaž, susrećući porodicu, prijatelje, stare ljubavi i nove prepreke.
Žilnik je 1969. godine osvojio Zlatnog medveda za film Rani radovi; sada je došlo vreme za njegova Kasna dela. Iako je povezivanje manje radikalno (suptilan pristup ima svoju težinu), njegov pogled na političke i društvene margine ostaje izuzetno oštar.