
In1972,IbrahimHotiundertooktheHajj,travellingtoMeccaonaspiritualpilgrimage.Onthereturnjourney,hisbusmadeanunscheduledstopatthebustlingBaghdadbazaar,whereheboughtgiftsforhisfamily.WithinadayofhisreturntoKosovo,Hotibegantofeelfeverish.Afeverthenbecamearash.<br/> Composedentirelyofarchivalfootage,andnarratedbytheburnt-in-memoryclarityofDrZoranRadovanović,filmmakerMladenKovačević’spiercingdocumentaryrecountstheharrowingdaysoftheYugoslaviansmallpoxoutbreakfromstarttofinish.Itisameticulouslycomposedmosaicmemoryofthere-emergenceofonethedeadliestinfectiousdiseasesinhumanhistory.<br/> Interwovenwithasimmering,atmosphericscorebysounddesignerJakovMunižaba,witharchivalfootagethatisslowed,pausingonmomentsthatprovidetextureandpersonifybothRadovanović’smemoryandthespreadofthediseaseitself,thefilmtakesonelementsofmystery,horrorandthrillergenres,anchoredinimpactfulrealism.WhileKovačevićremainsrootedinRadovanović’sconciserecollection,thefilmechoesinresoundingcontrasttothe2020pandemic,creatingadynamic,parallelperspectiveofthepresentdayagainsttheachievementsinunityofthepast.