My Name is Janez Jansa

“A proper name is a word that answers the purpose of showing what thing it is that we are talking about but not of telling anything about it”. - John Stuart Mill. Individuals, artists and academics share their thoughts about the meaning and purpose of one’s name from different perspectives. The reasons for changing one’s name are explored as the film draws references from history, popular culture and individual experiences, leading us to this case: In 2007 three artists joined the conservative Slovenian Democratic Party and officially changed their names to that of the leader of that party Janez Janša. While they renamed themselves for personal reasons, the boundaries between their lives and their art began to merge in numerous and unforeseen ways. Signified as an artistic gesture, this particular name change provoked a wide range of interpretations in art circles both in Slovenia and abroad, as well as among journalists and the general public.