The autobiography of Koki, the 67-year-old speaking cockatoo formerly owned by Tito, leader of Yugoslavia for 35 years. Koki was part of the diplomacy and entertainment on the Brijuni islands, site of Tito’s residence and a key location during the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Koki show still continues on Brijuni where he is caged on public display for tourists. Featuring recordings made with Koki over four years and previously unseen footage and images from state archives, the film weaves together fragments of Koki’s life on Brijuni during state visits from political figures including Nikita Khrushchev, Sukarno and the Ceaușescus, as well as celebrities like Sophia Loren.
Netherlands 2025, '11
DIRECTOR: Quenton Miller
SCENARIO: Koki, Quenton Miller, Misho Antadze
CAMERA: Quenton Miller
MONTAGE: Misho Antadze
MUSIC: Luka Barajević, Koki
PRODUCERS: Aram Lee
PRODUCTION: When Site Lost the Plot
FESTIVALS & AWARDS:
Rotterdam IFF (2025)
Berlinale: Shorts CURPA Filmmaker Award (2025)
GoShort (2025)
Quenton Miller
Born in Australia in 1981, the filmmaker and artist Quenton Miller has been based in the Netherlands since 2012. His focus on film developed out of video installations and from writing and designing for literary publications. He often makes comedies which depict alienated characters struggling with language, truth, time and history. Diverse experiences of language are a strong feature of his films. “Although his work may seem ironic at times,” one reviewer wrote, “it is characterised by a romanticism and razor-sharp lightness.” Recent works include animals’ viewpoints, merging nature documentaries with genre films to de-center the human.
