International Art House Series: DJ Ahmet

Ahmet, a 15-year-old boy from a remote Yuruk village in North Macedonia, finds refuge in music while navigating his father’s expectations, a conservative community, and his first experience with love—a girl whose future is already promised to someone else. Georgi M. Unkovski’s debut feature is a delightfully inspiring tale as old as time, told in a romantic and rebellious new way. A devoted shepherd longing for more than green pastures and the bleating of his faithful herd, Ahmet enlists his younger brother Naim to help him capture the attention (and hopefully, affections) of village beauty Aya, who is begrudgingly betrothed to another. Did we mention there’s a banging soundtrack and neon pink sheep to move the plot along? Winner of the Sundance World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision. [99 min; comedy, drama; Turkish, Macedonian, and English with English subtitles]