The Seventh Sarajevo Fest begins tonight under the motto Peace. The play Boško and Admira by the Slovenian Youth Theatre opens on the stage of the Sarajevo National Theatre. Until September 19, the audience can expect numerous performances from the region and Europe, as well as discussions, exhibitions, panels and workshops. Director Haris Pašović speaks to Federal Television about the program of this year’s Sarajevo Fest.
This year, Sarajevo Fest carries an important message of peace, and also reminds us of 30 years of peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Speaking about why it is important to talk about peace today in a world where terrible wars are taking place, Pašović emphasizes that we do not talk about it enough and do not appreciate the fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina has been at peace for 30 years.
“If we talk about war, we must talk about how terrible war is. And that there is no other alternative than peace. If we want a society that should be prosperous, a new generation is already coming that has been completely operated on, so to speak, by war and it should remain that way. We are here to help you maintain that peace with your experience, and that is the experience of the horrors of war,” emphasizes Pašović.
Art always reflects social and political changes and events. Reflecting on how this reflects on this year’s Sarajevo Fest program in this context, he said:
“There are some new things appearing here, a few young artists from Slovenia, from the European Union, who were born after our war – they wanted to see what really happened and they took the story they came across about Boško and Admira. We are opening with that play. That is the Slovensko mladinsko gledališče from Ljubljana. It is one of the most important theaters in the region that Sarajevans love very much. And another play of theirs was coming – Incubator, directed by one of the most sought-after directors in Europe at the moment, Oliver Frljić. The play is so strong that many festival directors in Europe told Oliver that they could not invite that play, so, here we are, we invited it and we are bringing it.”
Asked how important it is for such plays to be performed in Sarajevo and how important it is for festivals to invite plays like Incubator in the context of further peace-building and upbringing, but also the education of the audience, he said:
“Incubator is truly moving and speaks most of all about how much – if there is no peace, what is happening. It is easy to wave flags of nationalism, religion, and beat our chests on Facebook, but in reality we must take responsibility to protect life. Life is important and we as a society do not respect ourselves enough, and that is what we are saying at this festival”.
We remind you that tonight, starting at 9:00 PM, the opening of the 7th Sarajevo Fest will be held at the National Theater in Sarajevo, with the play “Boško and Admira” by the Ljubljana Youth Theater, directed by the successful young Slovenian director Živa Bizovičar. The festival runs from September 5 to 19, and the audience will be able to enjoy top-notch theater productions from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia, Greece and Germany, Federalna writes.
