Ellington

Trumpet and brass bands are a huge deal in Serbia. Each year, the town of Guca hosts a trumpet festival where the world's finest players and bands perform for hundreds of thousands of people. Imagine Woodstock with the sound of traditional Serbian brass music instead of rock 'n' roll.

The 84-minute film "Brasslands" follows the endeavors of three different groups as they make their way to the 50th anniversary of the Trumpet Festival held in Guca. The festival's semicentennial celebration, was also the first international competition, featuring groups from all over the world.

The first group is from Brooklyn in New York City. The name of the band is "Zlatne Uste," which is a bad Serbian translation of "Golden Lips" (It actually means "Golden Mouth"). The band is the oldest of its kind in the United States, formed in 1983, by gym teacher Michael Ginsburg.

The second group is the Dejan Petrovic Orchestra led by Petrovic from Uzice in western Serbia. People consider Petrovic a "trumpet master," and he has the rock-star swagger to prove it. He attained his status through study and practice, and his home country holds him in high regard.

Lastly, we meet Demiran Cerimovic, a three-time champion from Vranje in southern Serbia. Cerimovic is of Romani descent and other Serbians see him as a gypsy.

The film converges at the festival. You'll have to see the film to see who wins, but it is less about the results of the competition than it is about the journey.

The most interesting aspect is the way the film portrays the relationship between Serbia and the U.S. The Serbians are very aware of how the world sees them, and the Americans enter the competition equally aware that they are presenting this music to an audience who lives and breathes it daily. The real majesty of the film lies in its message of the unifying power of music.

"Brasslands" screens 5 p.m. April 6 on Screen B.