Budva, under the auspices of the Tourism Organization of that city, hosts the biggest cultural event in Montenegro in August, because the great European and Polish writer Olga Tokarčuk, the famous Nobel laureate, is coming to the "Ćirilicom" festival. She will be a guest at a large number of events in Budva, including at the central celebration of the jubilee of Montenegrin education - in Budva on September 3 they are celebrating the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of the first Montenegrin minister of education, Visarion Ljubiša, who was also the first president of the Red Cross, as well as one of the most important authors of the first General Montenegrin Property Code. The central celebration of the jubilee is the premiere of the theatrical play "The Ship" directed by Ana Đorđević, which is co-produced by the Montenegrin National Theater and which tells the story of two knights from Pastrovsk - the brothers Stefan and Visarion Ljubiša from Budva.
The executive producer for the drama program of this festival - Boris Mišković, talks about the entire event for "Vijesti".
Mr. Miskovic, this year is the seventh time this traditional festival is organized. Until now, your projects have been present here. How do you perceive this event?
The very fact that the central point of the project is the celebration of the jubilee of Montenegrin education, and that our main partner is the Montenegrin National Theater, in a time when education and culture are grossly neglected means a lot. Also, I look very favorably on all festivals that raise the consciousness and spirit of the people in these areas. I was honored and it is a great pleasure that I got the opportunity from the Budva "Miroslav Luketić" Public Library to participate in the festival program, last year with the play "Tall Man", this time with several projects. I was employed at Grad Teatr for 26 years, so the establishment of new festivals, like this one, causes great excitement for me. I am very happy that Budva is investing a lot of money in real cultural events, I am sure that this will bring many benefits in the future. When I just add the fact that the main guest of the festival is the Nobel laureate Olga Tokarčuk, then there is little to add to the story of the festival's size.
Cyrillic is a Montenegrin script perhaps more and earlier than that of any other Balkan nation. It is probably more important for its history and authenticity than it is for others. Please give your opinion on this?
At the turn of the millennium, Montenegro found itself at the crossroads of development philosophies. The increasing influence of globalization in the world has influenced the rapid decline of interest in the preservation of traditional values and customs in Montenegro. Those who do not think more deeply, believe that the traditional cannot fit into the modern, which is far from the truth. There is no better example of this than the fiddle. When critics of the fiddle see a Scot dressed in a kilt playing the bagpipes, they speak enthusiastically about the importance of preserving tradition and admire the manifestation of it.
It is a very similar thing with the Cyrillic alphabet. As if we are ashamed of it, it disappears from our environment, and there is no more authentic Montenegrin "product" than it. Due to all of the above, I think that the existence of such a festival is of great importance, not only because of the cultural content it offers, but also because it serves as a reminder that the European Union, which we strive for, and how it needs Montenegro, which is its own, which is authentic, proud, defiant, with a mentality that is often incomprehensible to us, but it is ours. The acceptance and adoption of European standards, which is necessary for the further development of this society, does not mean renouncing oneself, but the exact opposite. The beauty of Montenegro is that it is different and thus enriches and teaches.
Sometimes, among those who do not follow this event carefully, an unjustified impression is created that only one type of culture and one type of identity is represented here.
Man believes most easily in what he wants to believe. Superficiality is a serious problem of Montenegrin society. As soon as the festival is called "Cirilica", to the ignorant it belongs to the past, and it is a mistake that could not be bigger. None of those who advocate that thesis have even looked at the program of the festival. You would have seen that this year's program includes the "Ad limina" reports of the bishops of Kotor to the Holy See, the round table "Culture and models of reconciliation" in which Ibrahim Spahić participates, and Mr. Andrija Vuksanović is also invited, and, as icing on the cake, how I already said, the guest appearance of the great Polish Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk. Divisions do not move forward, we push ourselves into the sad past.
This year, you are an associate in the realization of a good part of the drama program of the festival. Tell us a little more about it, because it is particularly interesting that you received funding from a public competition for the promotion of Montenegrin cultural heritage?
Budva, as I have already said, is determined to invest significant money in culture. This is, obviously, a great new direction in the development of the Municipality, and I congratulate them from the bottom of my heart. One, if I may call it that, sub-direction, in that highway of cultural investments, is the preservation of Montenegrin cultural heritage. This additionally indicates that some anomalies from the past, such as the concepts of "buying and selling culture", have truly been abandoned and that high-quality projects are being created.
I received the funds from the aforementioned TO Budva competition together with the "Miroslav Luketić" library for three plays, which are closely related to the cultural heritage of Montenegro. It is about the ballet performance "Zidanje Shkodra", the dance performance "Kosara and Vladimir", based on the motifs of the folk tale about Montenegrin Prince Vladimir and his great love Kosara from Macedonia, and the dramatic performance "Brod", which tells about Stefan Mitrov Ljubiša and his cousin Visarion.
I believe that through projects like this, it is most beneficial to nurture our own cultural heritage and tear it from oblivion. I consider myself privileged to be a part of that story and I do my best not to betray the trust that has been placed in me. This is not just a job for us but much more for future generations.
This year and last year, probably the biggest jubilee in Montenegro is celebrated, 200 years since the birth of the brothers Ljubiša, Stefano and Visarion. You have been involved with Ljubiš before, during your work at the Grad Teatar festival. How do you view his work and importance?
Stefan Mitrov Ljubiša is, along with Njegoš, the biggest name in Montenegrin literature, I am afraid that I am not worthy to speak competently about him and his work. Visarion is less known to the public, and our obligation was to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the first Montenegrin Minister of Education, because in this way we give many important messages about our existence. We invited the competent ministry to join us in this great celebration. The fact that he was the first president of the Red Cross gives this jubilee even more significance.
Cooperation with CNP is this year's biggest festival undertaking. How satisfied are you with it?
I am glad that I got the opportunity to cooperate with the Montenegrin National Theater and see for myself the seriousness and professionalism of its people. Everything worked flawlessly. The production team, headed by Dejan Đurković, and the technical team, headed by Đani Milacić, ensured that everything the show needed was delivered. I highlight the mentioned two, because they are at the head of those teams with whom I was in contact, and from the conversation with the director and the actors, I know that every screw in that house did its job perfectly, and I, on this occasion, thank them most heartily for that .
The big world premiere of the play "The Ship" about the Ljubiša brothers is scheduled for September 3. Is it the first CNP production in the new season? What do you expect from that?
"The Ship" is a story about two great men from our history, but also a significant anti-war drama that tells about the fact that we have not mastered Gandhi's way of thinking very well, so, probably, as a result, wars are repeated. The layered nature of this play is also reflected in the fact that it clearly raises the question of whether we can deal with human rights, a platitude so widespread today, without first feeding the population.
I am sure that this will be one of the most significant performances in Montenegro in the last ten years, and certainly the most significant for Budva.
Finally, this year, Budva is the city that, for the first time in the history of Montenegro, presents to the audience as many as six of its own productions, and almost all of them are from the local heritage. It is the biggest undertaking of its kind and the biggest possible promotion of Montenegro in the past 50 years, when it comes to researching its own heritage.
It is the right way to Europe. We must invest in culture in order to be part of a cultural Europe. Directionally, preserving our identity, taking care of our heritage, appreciating and enjoying differences, I am sure, we have a beautiful future. I am proud that Budva, the city where I spent so many years, works so dedicatedly to preserve Montenegrin cultural heritage.
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