Skinning

The film opens with news footage of protests outside the American embassy in Belgrade, reacting to Kosovo's declaration of independence. These shots are intercut with Novica leading chants and lighting flares, while he provides narration that frames his perspective on the events.

We meet Novica, a timid high school student whose days revolve around advanced math classes for gifted kids and math competitions. His social life is limited, and his closest friends are his stoner cousin Mirko and a nerdier classmate, Stanislav.

During the math competition, Relja pressures Novica to help him cheat. Novica passes the scribbled solution to Relja, and the supervisor instructs him to identify the person he had helped; Novica deliberately names Stanislav, causing both Novica and Stanislav to be expelled and breaking the supervisor's promise to spare him.

Outside the competition, Relja hands Novica a copy of Hitler's Mein Kampf and invites him to a controversial Hadži-Tankosić lecture at the University of Belgrade's Faculty of Philosophy. Mirko accompanies them but leaves early, unhappy with the lecture's racist content, while Novica stays and is receptive to the ideas presented.

A few days later, Relja takes Novica to a football match where skinheads use the FK Radnik crowd to project their right-wing agenda. The group clashes with Pufta, Radnik's financier, and with rival factions; their presence at the match is more about intimidation than football.

During the match, Novica and the skinheads are taken to the police station and questioned by corrupt inspector Milutin and a young idealistic officer, Lidija. Lidija senses something off about Novica and offers help, even giving him her personal contact information.

A few days later, Relja formally introduces Novica to the rest of his skinhead crew, including Mina and the computer geek Svarog. They gather in an underground, swastika-adorned cave where they drink beer and listen to hardcore bands.

Novica already knows Mina from the neighborhood, and she seduces him, signaling his entry into the world of racist skinheads. The moment marks a turning point as he becomes more entangled with the group.

One night, while the group is out drinking, they encounter a solitary Romani boy from a rival group. Novica refuses to back down, joins the assault, and kills the Gypsy with a construction block. The others panic briefly, then dump the body into the river and weight it with rocks.

Shocked by the murder, the group regroups and decides to dispose of the evidence, attempting to cover up what happened. The act deepens Novica's immersion in the violent world of the skinheads and marks a turning point in his life.

The Kosovo protests and the political backdrop continue to loom over the characters, underscoring how extremism and nationalist fervor permeate daily life in Belgrade. This context frames Novica's actions and the group's dynamics throughout the story.