Koki, Ciao

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.