Slavoj Žižek introducing: Laibach in North Korea

Introducion to documentary musical LIBERATION DAY, directed by Ugis Olte and Morten Traavik, about Laibach's groundbreaking 2015 concerts in North Korea. www.liberationday.film
Interviewed by Morten Traavik
Filmed at MG+MSUMModerna galerija Metelkova, Ljubljana,
inside the installation artwork "e-flux video rental (EVR)", a project by Anton Vidokle and Julieta Aranda, New York 2004.
Thanks to Zdenka Badovinac

[@lindat.9976]

in short, Laibach expresses and tells us more about a broader, dark aspects of humanity, which might be present in each human and society, more than about any particular political realities. It just happens to be, that these two themes have so much in common. Or is that all just in our minds.

[@retinaofthemindseye]

The only difference about Laibach and the political powers that be is that they are only artists and therefore not in power. But they - like Zizek himself - belong to a very seductive branch of human ideology called pop culture. I suspect that if Lao, Mussolini, Franco and Stalin had formed a boy group, Zizek would be full of praise about them too.

[@SanderBessels]

“Pop music is for sheep, and we are the shepherds, disguised as wolves.” - Laibach So, are they real monsters? Yes, but by calling upon our own desire to march and unite to the sound of militaristic music, they make us discover our own fascist tendencies. And they show the totalitarian aspect all kinds of structures: pop music, democracy, fashion, communism, even of themselves (tanz mit Laibach). Sometimes however, they are not monsters and their music is really a parody (Life is Life). They give a song so much weight that it collapses and all you can do is laugh. That’s how they break down the constructs of pop music and totalitarianism.

[@Evemeister12]

People bitching about john oliver should appreciate that hes introduced many people to laibach. Including myself. And I'm glad I became acquainted with their strange but beautiful art. Theres no such thing as bad publicity.

[@giovannibello6954]

I think Hatari is right now following this kind of Laibach's perpective about authoritarian regimes. For example, about what Zizek tells regarding the liberal left looking for the humanity behind Laibach's façade, Hatari members did this very contrasting sketch when they were at Eurovision. You can see them sharing a birthday party with friends and showing their intimate, warm humanities, but at the same time one person dressed in gray clothing reads passages of what it seems a political manifesto which is full of gray and pessimist statements about power, society, mass media, etc.

[@petitnicollas]

"And so and so on (snif)"

[@krzysztofneumorgen7296]

but what is between the snifs? divide the speech into the snif bites if it is too long to grasp as a whole. make pauses and think a little in silence after every snif. ave

[@sergwiesen8563]

I thought to type this quote

[@auurbjarnadottir6138]

That's all you get? I am very sorry for you.

[@petitnicollas]

@@auurbjarnadottir6138 Yes, it's my favourite quote

[@petitnicollas]

@@DejanTesic That comment is pure ideology

[@U24B6]

Fantastic insight. Thank you. For all of your work, art and awareness of culture and humanity.

[@SF.-_]

Much more worthwile take than I've heard elsewhere.

[@duffajfka]

Thanks for explanation Mr Žižek, I see something else behind Laibach but you gave me an interesting insight.

[@StefanTravis]

Whenever people don't want to listen, they declare they don't understand.

[@klemenator]

Or that the other person is a jew/nazi/facist/racist/pseudo intelectual...

[@retinaofthemindseye]

Or they just prefer to think for themselves.

[@MarcioSilva-ssiillvvaa]

@@retinaofthemindseye Or lie to themselves.

[@kurtsinger3061]

I'm a citizen of NSK, and believe in freedom. I also believe that cocaine is a hell of a drug.

[@nerveclinic]

Someone had to say it. Benefit of the doubt, really bad allergy or cold? My question is why did they accept this version rather then reshoot it when someone didn't have the sniffles?

[@istheregasinthecar2807]

It’s a nervous tic. He cannot not do it speaking publicly!

[@thewholerabbit936]

I bet the inside of his nose looks just like the room he’s sitting in.

[@mcanduiken2224]

This is why I always take some time to read the comments, there are some real gems. Hilarious 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@TheAmoriangela]

ahahahahahahahahahah

[@McAwesomeDelux]

I love how YT auto-captions is just like "Naaaaah..."

[@meahoola]

I remember standing on the Berlin Wall on November 9th '89, in my head an industrial beat and the words from a Laibach concert a few months earlier: "Nicht Neid, nicht Leid, nur die Begeisterung, die ganze Nacht feiern wir Einigung".

[@freudastaire]

he's wonderful to hear, his sybilian way of spelling words, remember me Osho's speeches in speed

[@OerythiaDeQuatrefages]

^)

[@TheAbrantino]

the documentary was the bet movie or everything i've watched on tv this year

[@dcinput7645]

I always saw Lukashenko in maternal role too.

[@Jeeoo]

1000th subscriber :)

[@munobasho9]

I'm curious about the white books or binders (?) behind him, a couple that says 'Symbionese Liberation Army'.... Is that a documentary of the SLA?

[@HWalla23]

All I can find of them is some references to an artist reading from a few of them at MoMa. From what I can gather, those are likely pamphlets and propaganda from the SLA.

[@judeanpoet3687]

This, I feel, can apply to so much of post industrial and neofolk music (ie Death in June et cetera) in that this is a portrait of what is lurking. It isn't a celebration of fascism, it is a beacon of beautiful art that shows the nature of man. Perhaps.

[@GothicCrypt]

This, my friend, is an excellent comment.

[@Tobi-oi3uf]

I don't think so no as I myself adore Fascism and totalitarianism in DPRK and would like to live in such society so that disproves your point and a little bit of Zizek's point

[@littlesometin]

nope, the frontman of Death in June is an actual fascist

[@Ca11mero]

@@littlesometin What do you base that on? I've never seen him in any other way than OP's comment, using symbolism of totalitarian regimes as metaphors to picture something else.

[@Tobi-oi3uf]

@Obungo bin Hitler Stalin Cause I have belly issues from foreign food :(

[@richardjones7984]

The conclusion was right. Watching Laibach is like looking at a road accident, you can't turn away. People have a fascination for the things they hate. I like the music and the juxtaposition of incompatible themes. Being a fan of Cybergoth music the irony here is normal fare since much Goth music has two voices in lyrics one on God / Mans' side and the other the devils voice and sometimes it is difficult to know which is which.

[@johnlloyd8109]

This guy is what I aspire to one day be.

[@sebastiansustersic8]

Good luck

[@marcoperego5200]

Then do loads of cocaine mixed with adderall

[@TerriblyNice_Not]

Maybe read his philosophy and determine to be a more informed version of yourself

[@johnlloyd8109]

@@TerriblyNice_Not LOL, bet you're popular at parties.

[@psychotrancemission5783]

I believe and trust Ljubljana. These are good people. Sorry, this is Ljubljana but I use translate Google and it is translated. In German: Ich weiß das die Band Laibach heißt aber die Übersetzung lässt dieses Wort nicht zu. Best regards at all...Dirk.🙂

[@Lunar_Pendragon]

Glauben Sie, dass Nordkorea ein besserer Ort ist, als es gedacht ist?

[@pavimaris]

All this stuff is too much for me to understand. I would rather be a puppet that laughs at John Oliver's segment on Laibach.

[@BiffChunksteak]

good for you. go there then. and don't for a minute think the world is made up of more than two camps, that would be too much to understand.

[@percival7754]

well then fuck you! :D

[@yumallah]

Guys, this is very obviously sarcasm, how can you not notice that?

[@tmngogo]

@@BiffChunksteak nice

[@pavimaris]

Watched this video again after a few years (August 2022) and it seems like I have gotten smarter and am able to understand more than I did before.

[@takezosan]

all make sense now. thanks

[@samthesomniator]

The T-Shirt with the lacanian graph of desire 😃😃

[@Tobi-oi3uf]

People in the comment section saying "they now understand it" are still mislead. There are literally people who would like to live in a totalitarian regime and enjoy its promises of order etc

[@gevorgnazaryan7673]

Awesome shirt, does any1 know where I can get 1?))))00)

[@amal-ti2zz]

He is so likeable

[@MikkelThaUberHomie]

sorry i really tried.

[@anpro....]

👍👏

[@georgzug6943]

Absolut sehenswert. Laibach in Nordkorea war sowas von irreal.

[@weaponxx9467]

You know, the amount of times I've seen videos of Zizek where he's kinda rambling and wiping his nose while sniffing, I'd swear the different producers of these videos feed him coke and "Roll Film!"

[@Angel.Diez.Ovelar]

And he was not prepared for that good Quality.....

[@scorpiongk4087]

How many times did he rub his nose?

[@hallandouvte4778]

Fuckin' love his shirt

[@alexdonovancole]

They HAD to support Laibach.

[@distortiontildeafness]

What do you mean they HAD to?

[@sanguisbibimus]

This dude’s voice sounds like orchestrated slobbering.

[@retinaofthemindseye]

I wonder how a "detailed" analysis can show you anything "immediately", wouldn't that take some time?

[@TheTrancemaster90]

I agree, sniff, sniff...

[@SimonGros]

Also sprach Aleš Dejan Knez

[@Twolliebollie]

"but what if the opposite were true?"

[@retinaofthemindseye]

And this, ladies and gents, together with the interminable "and so and so on (sniff)" in a nutshell is the postmodern philosopher's whole shtick, which he prefers to call a "deconstructive reading strategy". This is a relatively easy to execute semantic operation that produces a near inexhaustible flourish of superfluous meaning. To keep the mind busy and the heart leashed. What the postmodern philosopher very cunningly learned from all the despots of "20th century's history" is that as long as he keeps talking, he will be right. And as long as his verbose ramblings produce a semblance of meaningful discourse, peppered with nostalgic pop art references, the people will listen and the people will let him go on. He is the magician who has substituted his mundane tricks for the substance of magic itself. Tricks are subject to technological innovations, at some point they become outdated. So, Zizek succeeded in turning philosophy into an infinite jest with no more axioms but no less dogmatic. And to dismiss you from my own spell that I've been weaving here over several lines, consider the way I wrote 20th century's history and not the history of the 20th century. Here's is Taylor Durden's very own brand of single-serving history, or Jason Bateman on his delectable twelve hole course of murder and haute-cuisine, a gourmet dinner of instant history portioned down into ever smiler bites so as to keep us forever hungry. Oh yeah, the sniffing is of course a crucial diversion tactic in these proceedings, I'm sure you have figured that one out by yourself. See you all for tomorrows lesson.

[@PrimusProductions]

Luke Skywalker?

[@eugenkramaric1173]

: )

[@petarruzevic3401]

Manz great, verz smart, and even genious things, can, actuallz, be said and expressed through snorting sounds. Nonetheless, cocaine is one of the best things Freud had given to us. Sadlz, without recognition for patent. Volimo te, Slavoj.

[@sinisaberic8427]

Great philosopher, a band that profoundly influenced the socialist Yugoslavia. But I can't help myself - a box of handkerchiefs would be great.

[@sirvladharkonen6200]

and so on, and so on, fixes shirt, touches nose

[@micmacmoc]

Heh, love your haters mate!

[@andynowicki4532]

Interesting points made, but distracted by him constantly wiping his nose with his fingers

[@demonit2]

First I'm trying corect my t shirt.. and that's going on till the end of interview.

[@EliphasDesni]

64

[@DoomlsGriefx]

Slavoj Žižek is the example of a grown man believing in imaginary world

[@stryomberg]

Strange, he didn´t have this lisping sound before. Lost a tooth?..

[@retinaofthemindseye]

Yeah, it feels too much know. Definitely not a good career move!

[@uwelucas8190]

😅😂🤣Monty Python 😆

[@jl3977]

ok, the personified meme known as 'Zizek' is going a bit far

[@hvanmegen]

This guy is energetic.. I want to know what he snorted just before this interview :P

[@devinm6058]

He didn't snort before, he's snorting in the vide XD

[@michellenorman7798]

Ajax

[@WaaDoku]

Someone please help the man and give him a tissue already!

[@wj2429]

How about you shut the fuck up and listen?

[@petersuchansky6703]

@@wj2429 to listen to that bs between the sniffs? those sniffs and shirt pulling is more interesting.

[@democratictotalitariansoci1462]

Same as my thoughts. They didn't want to enjoy music, just wanted to show a representative of Western society. Could have found some worse example like Rammstein, but Laibach had the balls to go there for less money.

[@kamran102]

They are not "caring mothers", they are big babies!

[@angelomicallef3916]

LONG live DPRNK

[@ChucksSEADnDEAD]

Pretty sure it's just DPRK as they don't recognize the south.

[@ognjenstanic3100]

Throw that video to the lions

[@hofstb]

"sniff"

[@dominik13579]

What? Who? Who is Laibach?

[@OnYourRottingHorse]

A really good band

[@fieldlab4]

In case Laibach's bizarre performance in North Korea seemed baffling, here comes Laibach compatriot Slavoj Žižek to add to the mind numbing discontinuity by contributing some unhinged and incomprehensible analysis, surely itself part of the project. 😄❤️

[@fieldlab4]

Post-patriarchal North Korea 😄

[@fieldlab4]

Žižek is a post-philosophical genius

[@ajonetto]

Pablo Escobar's favorite author 😤

[@butterbagboy]

Do you need a Kleenex?

[@sebastianmelmoth685]

Not very convincing.

[@FlatRangeOperator]

COCAINE?

[@rammstein0801]

This guy's makes more sense when he doesn't make sense.

[@mareklakomski2256]

lol, are you sniffing glue ?

[@Aluzcz]

I wish someone would love me as Slavoj loves his coke.

[@philippefreicha2560]

Too much coke in the nose.

[@klemenator]

Wow arent you creative

[@epaulardchristopher4142]

Arrêté la cocaïne

[@pedrolizardo7704]

that's a good insight, but i don't think this dispprove the left liberal point of "what if people get it wrong?" So, the point of laibach is to make ourselves stand before our own hypocrisies and contradictions... what about the fascist that take that exact face value for celebration and raise power? maybe i'm missing something but that pisses me off in all genres and bands that flirts with fascism more or less explicit: themselves and fanbases keep things so much low profile or so much into this narrow concern of art, ideology, concept, etc thing that makes me question... do these people give a damn with the danger of fascists being atracted to this in their stupidity and if there are real fascists and totalitarians among them in the crowd? shouldn't ANY people care about this and step up explicitly against it? does all these insights of zizek become somewhere explicit enough to avoid this problem and, then, prove that my fears are ungrounded? maybe we should split the art from its creator in the sense that my question concerns much more about an exercise of our ethical capacities than this art concept alone

[@ChucksSEADnDEAD]

I think that's pure neuroticism. If the existence of Laibach is too dangerous, then we live in a figurative powder keg and should all get our own padded cell where nothing can make us think the "bad thoughts". Oh no, there could be real fascists in a crowd. Let's stop the concert and give a stern warning to the audience. Should a comedian also stop himself in the middle of a set and explain why his jokes are not real?

[@jigrodrigues]

Cocaine is a hell of a drug

[@jamesdean1143]

I think that he’s got a coke problem.

[@jonnywalker2015]

Someone has been snorting too much 😁

[@gundabalf]

dude's crazy

[@klemenator]

Says the weeb 🧐

[@arbaabsheytaan6723]

Man's on some pure Colombian, eh ?

[@tadaslietas6376]

nope

[@klemenator]

Okay get back in the kitchen. This wasnt made for single cell organisms.

[@okamaman7324]

Zizek once again proving that marxism is a blind. Some times a drawing of a Cigar is just a Drawing of a cigar m8

[@ofltaoklahoma8208]

Well that;'s two minutes I won't get back.

[@kirillchaos]

he use drugs or what?!

[@capricorn1204]

:)))))))))))))))))))

[@BiffChunksteak]

ffs dude get better fitting dentures I'm wiping my screen all the time

[@sasazivkovic2358]

kako lijepo serereš...global kapitalizm...and so on....ništ od Laibacha....

[@haley9810]

Wtf is wrong with him?

[@janmican7406]

Nobody listens to Laibach.

[@Harrytmik]

Sorry, but this analysis was kind lf shitty. Concepts were vague and not tied to the reality of the spectacle.