DJ Ahmet: Against All Odds

by Sydney Reyes

Georgi M. Unkovski, in his first feature-length film, brings us to the country of North Macedonia to show us the life of music in their corner. DJ Ahmet (2025) is about a 15-year-old shepherd boy from a small Macedonian village. His dream to be a DJ and play music out loud is heavily subdued by the conservative views of the town and his grieving father. Where the village is small, his dreams are big. Throughout the film, we witness Ahmet (Arif Jakup) face a multitude of battles: loss, societal expectations, family dynamics, the weight of following one’s path, and puppy love. Even with these challenges hitting him at all angles, we see a boy willing to fight for what he loves. DJ Ahmet is a story of teenage ambition, hope, and love against all odds.

People do not openly love music in Ahmet’s village, so the film shows us those who do. We see an inspired kid and his friends who want to play music to anyone who would listen. Early on in the film, Unkovski establishes the dichotomy of music and tradition in Ahmet’s world: imagine sheep flocking onto a rave dance floor. This eccentric picture perfectly encapsulates the boy’s inner struggle and the core conflict of this film. Can Ahmet let go of his responsibilities in order to follow his heart? We learn that Ahmet’s heart can generally be divided into three parts—music, the beautiful Aya (Dora Akan Zlatanova), and Ahmet’s cute baby brother Naim. Aya and Ahmet connect through their mutual love of music, slowly causing Ahmet’s heart to belong to her. The duo’s innocent chemistry produces genuine moments in the film. And Agush Agushev wistfully portrays Naim, who misses his mother and has not spoken a word in a long time, but casts loving gazes on Ahmet who takes good care of him. Jakup, Zlatanova and Agushev make their debut with DJ Ahmet as their first-ever screen credit. Their performances evoked what I gathered as a true-to-reality depiction of Macedonian youth culture, untainted by external factors or previous film experience. It’s as fresh as it is insightful and they are a delight to watch on screen. Through Ahmet’s lead, these three characters and some of their friends give us a glimpse of how they navigate growing up in a village that hinders them from being their true selves.

Aside from the important messages of the story, the film never misses out on being humorous and visually striking. It’s a brilliant way to keep audiences engaged and connect even more with such lovable characters. My favorite laugh-out-loud moment is when the local mosque leader talks about the difficulties of technology, while his voice is unknowingly picked up by the PA system. The speakers from the mosque are heard throughout the village, causing everyone to hear this old man’s struggles. It’s classic yet pure and I’m sure this was a hit to cinema audiences, but from where I am, the four walls of my room are the only witness to my squeals of laughter. Ahmet, as a growing boy, is captive to the canonical and amusing beauties of adolescence which creates even more hilarious moments like his awkwardness with the opposite sex (read: Aya). The film’s technicolor visuals alongside a comical yet deep script all establish DJ Ahmet as a spectacle on the wonders of rural living. Cinematographer Naum Doksevski employs numerous wide shots showing the rich greenery of the village, the people dressed in colorful garments, and even some inexplicably bright red sheep. There is a lot of care put into these aspects of DJ Ahmet, creating no dull moments in its entirety.

DJ Ahmet is filled with life lessons and an affection for music’s healing and uniting properties. Stemming from the revelation that Ahmet and Naim’s mom loved music, this core snowballs into music effectively setting the village free of their prejudice against it. Ahmet’s perseverance is remarkable, he goes against his father and even Aya’s family who think nothing better of the art form. It is music that gave Ahmet the courage to stand up for baby Naim to their father, yet it also reconciled the family. Music empowered Aya to step out of her box and fueled the climax of the story. When their ambitions are suddenly in trouble, the unexpected form of battle to regain them is a thrilling peak that had me invested, wondering if they’d make it.

DJ Ahmet tells us many things, from never being afraid to follow your dreams to forgiving oneself over an uncontrolled loss to how music is happiness. With great pacing and engaging storytelling, it delivers its messages well. Ahmet’s character is one of tenacity, kindness, and reliability. His journey is a reminder that good things happen to good people. That love, in every form of it, is a strong kind of perseverance.

DJ Ahmet: Against All Odds

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