In the middle of filming a new film called “Ajvar”, which will probably be a blockbuster and taking a break from his increasingly frequent DJ performances, Sergej Trifunović discusses music, film and places in Serbia that have left him breathless with their beauty.
Sergej Trifunović is overly talented for three things: acting, music and judging character. Surely, he has other talents too, but these are the most prominent. As for acting, we know all there is to know there. For over 20 years, he’s been one of the best Serbian actors. In the middle of filming his new film, called “Ajvar”, which will most likely be a blockbuster, and taking a break from his ever more frequent DJ performances, we managed to exchange a few words with him. For starters, he confirmed what was to be guessed from his Instagram. The filming of Ajvar, directed by Ana Maria Rossi, where, after many years, he plays opposite Nataša Ninković, is going great and everything is unfolding according to plan.
Photo: Marko Todorović za “Aha” magazin za kreativniji život
“I hope we are making a good film,” explains Sergej. “Ana Maria Rossi is a great person and a great professional. She has written an amazing script for this story and the direction is excellent, so I believe the end product will be really good. Of course, at this point in production we still can’t be sure just how everything will come out in the end. The energy on the set is positive, just as it should be, and everyone is eager to work.”
When asked what he thinks, which is the best domestic film ever made, Sergej rapidly fires out an answer: “Ko to tamo peva” (“Who’s Singin’ Over There”). But, unlike domestic film, where he’s been one of the inescapable elements for a few decades, ever since his role in “Ubistvo s predumišljajem” (“Premeditated Murder”) launched him to stardom, Trifunović started sharing his love of music only recently, and only with those who understand good music. Thus, DJ Dick Whistler was born, one of the most popular DJs in town. Still, one could say that Sergej Trifunović has not completely owned up to his music alter-ego. Whoever tells him that he is one of the best DJs in town will usually get a long-winded speech emphasizing that the popular actor has no idea what parameters would be used to determine such a thing.
Still, jam-packed clubs and enthusiasm that his music elicits around town clearly show that with Trifunović entering the DJ scene, Serbia got another virtuoso at the mixing deck. What else would you call a DJ who is able to successfully integrate punk, Carmina Burana and Đorđe Marijanović?
However specific and catchy his DJ name, Sergej is not quite sure when and how it came to be. “At some point, Branislav Nedić suggested the nick Dick Whistler and I adopted it, but I don’t remember how exactly that happened and what the occasion was.”
Photo: Marko Todorović za “Aha” magazin za kreativniji život
All in all, it was high time that Sergej released all his musical talent into the ether. Music truly takes up a large part of the creative sensibility of this great actor. This can be confirmed by anyone who has heard any of the duets he has recorded so far. Or, anyone who has seen the hit play “Voz” (“The Train”) of Zvezdara Teatar, in which Sergej not only sings but also plays a fantastic piano and guitar. Or, anyone who has ever witnessed a gig by a band called Užička Republika… or has spent more than an hour with the man… ever.
His playlist he listens to, in private, has been known in Belgrade for quite some time. For a while, it was said that “in Serge’s car, music is better than in the majority of the clubs in the city”. As we spoke, he listened to Beethoven. As he explained, he doesn’t plan these musical processions, or spend any special time creating them. “The best part about music is that there is a lot of it. In my car, I plug in my USB and let it play, in due order, whatever comes up.”
It is clear that DJ performances of Dick Whistler are getting more and more regular – and more and more popular among Belgradians, but also with their guests, so we wanted to know which domestic music he would recommend to his guests, if they wanted to experience an authentic Serbian or Belgradian musical vibe.
“I am not sure that someone who’s not from around here could understand Toma Zdravković,” says Sergej. “For example, the foreigners who come to Gajba, where I play music, respond well to Vikler’s music. What that man is doing is excellent and it absolutely tears down all language and any other barriers.”
By: Miljana Nešković