How to Become a Hero

Asia Pacific Premiere

Fat, forty, depressed and in a mid-life crisis, film director Mladen Matičević is at the point of realization that unlike the type of movies he aspires to make, his life is anything but heroic. His career has stalled; he hasn’t made a movie with Clint Eastwood or some of his other idols of the same status.

While navel gazing, he become fascinated by marathons and decides to run the Belgrade Marathon, scheduled to take place in less than a year! Facing the scepticism of family and friends, he starts training and simultaneously documenting his efforts on film. But when Matičević’s mother dies, his efforts are derailed. Will he manage to finish his training and run in the Belgrade marathon?

Turning the camera on himself, Matičević makes a fool of himself and our societies where so many cheap heroes are the idols of the day. Andy Warhol once said that "in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes."

With a great deal of wit and self-irony, Matičević playfully combines spontaneous scenes with documentary reconstructions mocking the Rocky cliche.

Documentary tends to be mostly reflective of critical situations, urgent problems and individual tragedies. It rarely uses humour nor does it allow us to laugh. It almost seems inappropriate to laugh which is why How to Become a Hero is a breath of fresh air by provoking a healing and liberating laughter.