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Koki, Ciao

Berlinale Shorts 2025
© Quenton Miller
Co-written and narrated by Koki, the 67-year-old speaking cockatoo formerly owned by Tito, leader of Yugoslavia for 35 years, this film is a short experimental documentary and autobiography, featuring a non-human as its central creative figure. Koki was part of the diplomacy and entertainment package on the Brijuni islands, site of Tito’s residence and a key location during the Non-Aligned Movement. 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, the Ceaușescus and Indira Gandhi, as well as celebrities such as Sophia Loren and Orson Welles.
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by Quenton Miller (Director, Screenplay), Koki (Screenplay), Misho Antadze (Screenplay) Netherlands 2025 Croatian 11' Colour International premiere | Documentary form

Crew

Director Quenton Miller
Screenplay Koki, Quenton Miller, Misho Antadze
Cinematography Quenton Miller
Editing Misho Antadze
Music Luka Barajević, Koki
Sound Design Luka Barajević
Producer Quenton Miller
Co-Producer Aram Lee

Produced by

When Site Lost the Plot

Photos

Quenton Miller

© Dana Tileva

Born in Australia in 1981, the filmmaker and artist 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.”

Filmography (short films)

2015 The Confidence Man, His Masquerade 2018 The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over the Lazy Dog 2021 The Trial 2022 Higher than History 2025 Koki, Ciao

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2025