{"id":1130,"date":"2019-01-03T15:16:14","date_gmt":"2019-01-03T15:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/18\/?p=1130"},"modified":"2022-02-06T20:51:51","modified_gmt":"2022-02-06T20:51:51","slug":"timisoara-festival-pierces-through-past-and-future-nationalisms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/18\/timisoara-festival-pierces-through-past-and-future-nationalisms\/","title":{"rendered":"Timi\u015foara Festival Pierces through Past and Future Nationalisms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Matti Linnavuori<\/strong>*<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TESZT Euroregional Theatre Festival in Timi\u015foara, Romania,
May 20-27, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Timi\u015foara, theatre is different. I am left gaping in amazement at the courage of the\nperformers and the sharpness of thought in the writing. The theatre of Kokan Mladenovi\u0107\u2014though not only his\u2014dares to make relevant and well-founded\npolitical statements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teszt Festival is organised\nby the Hungarian-language State Theatre \u201cCsiky Gergely,\u201d in Romania\u2019s Timi\u015foara, centre of the Banat region and future capital\nof European Culture (2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The festival\u2019s main sphere of interest is the Balkans\u2014geographically,\npolitically, aesthetically. Attila Bal\u00e1zs, to spell his name first-name-first, contrary\nto Hungarian grammar, leads the festival, which had more than 300 offers for\nthe 25 spots in the program of Teszt\u2019s 11th edition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Balkans and the Visegrad countries not only have their share of problems, but they tend to present their European neighbours with problems, for example, with distorted nationalism, so\nfashionable today. This is a main point of attack and ridicule in Jami District<\/em> (\u201cyummy\u201d), a co-production\nof companies from three countries, Bitef Theatre, CzkTivat, Maszk and Think\nTank Studio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Nina Neskovic, Jelena Graovac and Isidora Simijonovic declaring truths of Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian politicians, scientists and newscasters in Jami Distric<\/em>t. Photo: www.teszt.ro<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Jami District is a tiny bit of land ignored until now by Serbia, Croatia\nand Bosnia-Hercegovina. But when the world\u2019s oldest skeleton is found in Jami,\nthe three countries send their soldiers to claim the area and, consequently, to\nclaim parenthood to all mankind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three apes greet us, when we enter the performance space of Jami District<\/em>, written by Milena Bogavac\nand directed by Kokan Mladenovi\u0107. The apes soon remove their masks and begin to\ntalk, one in Serbian, one in Croatian and one in Bosnian. They tell us how the\ninhabitants of Jami became apish performers in a theme park. They are young\nactresses Isidora Simijonovi\u0107, Jelena Graovac and Nina Neskovi\u0107, and their\nroles range from politicians to news anchors, from soldiers to teachers. Many\nscenes take too long, which I see as proof that the conflicts shown cannot be\nsolved with any swift intervention. Form and content unite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Video 1<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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