01.01.2007

Directed by: Martin Kočovski, Dean Damjanovski, Dejan Projkovski

Artistic direction: Branko Brezovec

Music: Marijan Nećak

Choreography: Olga Pona

Set design: Tihomir Milovac

Costume design: Blagoj Mičevski

Lighting design: Ilija Dimovski

Cast: Petar Gorko, Gabriela Petruševska, Sonja Osavkova, Katina Ivanova, Sonja Mihajlova, Ognen Drangovski, Valentina Gramosli, Suzana Brezovec, Emil Ruben, Adrian Naziri, Biljana Dragičević, Pero Arsovski, Salaetin Bilal, Selpin Kerim, Matija Vastl, Nikola Projčevski, Boris Čorevski, Petar Mirčevski, Daniele Buonaiuti, Sergio Aguirre, Manola Nifosi´, Sandra Garuglieri, Miroslav Lazarevski, Djokica Lukarevski, Lovro Brezovec

Dancers: Nikola Angelovski, Marjanco Georgievski, Katerina Nikolovska, Klementina Bosevska, Radmila Kotevska, Sašo Tumanovski

Pizzicato Roma Brass Orchestra: Mendo Selman, Nusret Bajramov, Ajnur Asanov, Musil Asanov, Dzengis Asanov, Kemal Sabanovski, Murat Juseinov

Project’s concept and producer: Damir Domitrović Kos

Production: Ex Ponto (B-51 Cultural Society) and Ljubljana Festival, Ljubljana; Kampnagel, Hamburg; MAG Culture & Experience, Skopje and Laboratorio Nove, Florence (Slovenia, Germany, Macedonia, Italy)

Duration: 120 min

This performance is based on Kosti U Mramoru (Bones in the Marble), a piece by an intriguing Croatian writer-essayist, publicist and - in particular – playwright, Slobodan Šnajder, and it contains subject matter for which the author himself doesn’t really believe that those in the territories of former Yugoslavia are yet prepared to deal with. Namely, he says that there is nobody in Croatia with whom he could discuss this drama, and that there’s no arena in which he could gain popularity as an author. Merciless and uncompromising – even as regards his own beliefs – Šnajder catalogues Tito’s life from 1918 to his death, as well as after 1980 when the generals turn their back on their Alter-Ego and precipitated the disintegration of Yugoslavia. Indeed, the dissection of the post-Tito period is deliberate, and the mode of revenge of the defeated utopia becomes perfectly clear. »I read astonishing amounts of literature and discovered incredible hatred. They hated him so much that this mere fact makes you realise how great he actually was. How they loved him was a less relevant criterion, and a more flexible one. After all, love is deceptive, whereas hatred is invariably more sincere,« commented Šnajder in an interview with Serbia’s Danas magazine.

Following a succession of purges in Macedonia, which washed away several high-ranking officials, including the production’s local partners, Tito –Certain Diagrams of Desire eventually received its premiere on 31st March 2007 in Bitola – but not in the Bitola National Theatre as planned, but at the Bitola Cultural Centre. The attempts of Ilirjan Bekiri, Macedonia’s Minister of Culture, to prevent the premiere resulted in a genuine explosion within professional and journalistic circles both in Macedonia as well as throughout Europe, and eventually cost him his position.

 

The Tito Project

Tito, one of the great icons and history makers of the 20th century, also provides a platform for an extensive international project involving the participation of ten institutions and cultural organisations from nine countries.

Tito’s persona and opus forms the basis of a discourse across five theatre performances, respectively directed by a Croatian, three Macedonians (Tito – Certain Diagrams of Desire), an Egyptian, a Russian and a German, and involves artistes and producers from Italy, Germany, Russia, Croatia, Montenegro, Egypt and Slovenia. Under the direction of Branko Brezovec,the individual productions shall ultimately result in a four-hour revision of 20th century history entitled Tito - The Fourth Way.

The concept for a profile of the 20th century through a theatre presentation of the life and work of Josip Broz Tito was devised by Ex Ponto Festival Director Damir Domitrovič Kos, whereas expert assistance as regards the dramaturgy of the entire project has been provided by the Croatian politician, historian and professor at the distinguished Yale University, Dr. Ivo Banac.