"ZID SMRTI" The Balkan Wall of Death

"ZID SMRTI"
The Balkan Wall of Death

While filming the music video for "At Races", the first single released from the latest album of Italian band MESSA, director Mattia Mura and Marco Zanin (the band’s bass player) captured a powerful short documentary titled "Zid Smrti" - whom in Bosnian means ‘Wall of Death’. Shot on location in August 2024 as part of the music video production, the film offers a rare and intimate look at a Bosnian family whose members have dedicated their lives to performing the iconic motorcycle stunt show inside a vertical wooden cylinder – a death-defying exhibition that has been passed on across generations.

Amid roaring engines and the nostalgic atmosphere of traveling fairs, Zid Smrti reveals the human side of a fading artform, a tradition that lies somewhere between circus, rituals and rebellion. This family's passion and fearless devotion shine through in every frame.

“Shooting a documentary about Zid Smarti was not planned, actually.” says Mura. “But when we got to know them, spending a considerable amount of time with them during the video shooting, we immediately knew that we wanted to tell their story. In just a few minutes, the film captures entire years of courage, grit, and life on the edge.”

“They are unlike anyone we had ever met before” adds MESSA. “Their strength, their hospitality, and the beauty of what they do resonated deeply with the themes not only of the song ‘At Races’ - but of the whole album ‘The Spin’. This documentary is our little tribute to them.”

"ZID SMRTI" is now available online.

Filmed, directed and edited by Mattia Mura
Concept by Marco Zanin
Music by Messa
Translation by Ana Radovanovic

Special thanks to Zid Smrti family in Banja Luka

Messa is managed by SpinGo!
ITA booking by Samall at Trivel
EU booking by Ricky and Wade at Swamp Booking

Mattia Mura (Cecina, 1992) is an Italian film and documentary director. He began his career as a writer before turning to cinema, founding the cultural association Helix Pictures. After graduating from Sapienza University of Rome, he joined Fabrica (Benetton’s communication research center), where he created international documentaries such as ‘ChromoSkopje’ and ‘Drew Nikonowicz – Notes from Anywhere’. He collaborated with Oliviero Toscani and, in 2019, directed ‘Il nostro nome è Anna’, an award-winning short film now available on Prime Video. His main works include ‘The Choice of Staying’, filmed within the Damanhur community, and the cross-border docuseries ‘Breakfast over the Bridge’. He is also the artistic director of the international film festival Cecinema.