Here I Am

You can make music with anything, as 11-year-old Ilij demonstrates right in the opening scene. For example, you can drum very nicely on a tea kettle, and in combination with the beep of the microwave and the silverware drawer slamming shut, you have a beautiful composition. Music has always played a key role in Ilij's life. In an old home movie, we see a three-year-old with dreadlocks and a small drum fanatically playing along with an African band. Eight years later, Ilij has played in different bands and is now the leader of a drum band called Next Level Kids. It's obvious what he wants to achieve: beautiful performances. A career as a "surgeon, let's say" isn't for him. "I just really dig those spotlights," the toughie says. To the filmmaker's question of how he learned to become a good teacher, the answer is simple: "Observe others." At the same time, he knows there's still a lot to learn. "You can never say you can do everything." He proves to be a strict but passionate teacher when preparing his band for an important concert at a summer festival. "Come on, be serious. Tomorrow's the show!" (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)