TAROT SRBIJA! / TAROT SERBIA!

The decade of upheaval and re-orientation that followed the Balkans conflict also witnessed the meteoric career in Serbia of the former flea-market trader Milan Radonjić, alias Milan Tarot. The self-styled “tarotologist” was the star of a live call-in show aired by various local TV broadcasters. Filmmaker Ivan Ikić tracked Milan’s path through war-scarred Serbia for several years. As the “tips for life” delivered with the assistance of tarot cards became ever-more absurd, so the costumes worn by the TV guru became increasingly outlandish. While callers initially inquired about simple matters like the whereabouts of a stolen bicycle, a good day to get married on, or the sex of a forthcoming grandchild, many began to view Milan and his powers as their last hope. Those seeking help were seemingly undeterred by the exorbitant telephone charges or Milan Tarot’s crackpot advice and prophecies: his growing popularity soon made it necessary to hire a personal assistant and a marketing adviser. He also made home visits and held private sessions in his car on a shabby parking lot. The “magician of a new age”, as he saw himself, was fired with the ambition to “conquer the world”. Then, in 2009, spiritist broadcasts were banned from Serbian television, and Milan’s show came off the air. According to his cards, Serbia will join the EU in 2017; Milan Radonjic sees his own future in Bosnia and in Croatia.