FIAT in the spirit of recognizable tradition and energy

The 38th edition of the Festival of International Alternative Theater was rounded off with the award ceremony on Saturday evening, yesterday's performance in Dabovići, and the earlier presentation of the monograph.

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The 38th FIAT team, Photo: Duško Miljanić
The 38th FIAT team, Photo: Duško Miljanić
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

Brave, powerful, sobering, somewhat dreamy, quite strong, sometimes cheeky, always and without exception engaged..., with recognizable and attractive energy and quality, in the spirit of a good alternative that we lack, this year's 38th edition of the Festival of International of the FIAT alternative theater, a large, unique and significant event.

As much with theatrical signs and symbols, as with words and movements, but also with actions, consistently, with enthusiasm, the FIAT team with everyone it gathers and unites, is on a common goal, with a clear message from the very beginning: "Let's be better people for a better the world! The fight does not stop, FIAT does not surrender!".

Alternative poetics, unusual theatrical expressions, means and abilities, stunning theatrical worlds..., different from those to which the domestic audience is/are used to, have opened and shown new horizons of (artistic) thinking about the world and current topics that touch us all, move us and at the same time warn about what kind of society we are creating, what kind of time we live in and what we are all facing.

In the diverse program, the 38th FIAT presented a good selection of plays to the Montenegrin cultural public, for which the actress was in charge Ana Vujosevic. Of the 117 applications received, 12 were chosen for the main segment of the program, and in the spirit of the recognizable Fiat tradition, the spokeswoman of the festival reminded Andrijana Muratović who led the award ceremony on Saturday evening, which closed the theater program.

From the ceremony: Muratović
From the ceremony: Muratovićphoto: Duško Miljanić

"In addition to the competitive selection, the audience had the opportunity to see the accompanying selection of plays that appeared in both selections in the overall context of European theater tendencies, which are precisely the product and consequence of FIAT's long-term influence in the theatrical production of Montenegro..." she said. Muratović added:

"New times and new expressions remained on the poetic vertical of the founder and initiator of this festival Slobodan Milatović and Ljub Đurković, a Ana Vukotić persisted with that idea even when persistence seemed impossible."

The "impossible" is always overcome, with the struggle and enthusiasm of the team led by Vukotić, who, after a break, rebuilt FIAT in 2013. FIAT's reputation remains at a high level, as evidenced by visiting ensembles from all over the world, as well as those from the former Yugoslavia, as well as individuals who remember older editions.

"Slobodan Milatović" award to Pejanović

The award decisions were announced on Saturday evening at midnight, after deliberation by the jury, which was unanimous in each category.

Young Montenegrin director Damjan Pejanovic won the award for the best director "Slobodan Milatović", named after the founder of the event. Jury composed of: writer and director of the City Theater Podgorica Stevan Koprivica - president and members: actress of the Montenegrin National Theatre Jelena Minic and producer and dean of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Cetinje Edin Jasarovic Pejanović was awarded for the play "Disagreement" based on the text by Albert Camus in the production of the Montenegrin National Theater and pointed out that they see him "as a new strong argument of the Montenegrin theatre".

"New strong argument of the Montenegrin theatre": Pejanović
"New strong argument of the Montenegrin theatre": Pejanovićphoto: Duško Miljanić

"Pejanović directs Camus's 'Misunderstanding' with a filigree director's handwriting, accentuating the new meanings of absurdity in relation to Camus's imposition of this philosophical category. "Visual suggestiveness, flawless management of the actors and a large team of creative collaborators, determines Pejanović as a new strong argument of the Montenegrin theater", stated the jury.

All decisions were made unanimously, and from night to night as Fiat progressed, it became obvious that these decisions would not be easy, even though at times the laureates could be guessed.

The prize for the best play, Grand Prix of the festival, was won by the play "The Handka Project or justice for Peter's follies" directed by Blerta Neziraj, based on the text by Jeton Neziraj. The play was created in cooperation with Qendra Multimedia from Pristina, Mittelfest from Germany, Teatra della Pergola from Italy and the International Theater Festival MESS from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A scene from the play "The Handke Project"
A scene from the play "The Handke Project"photo: Duško Miljanić

"This play is a painful confrontation with the age-old enigma of the positioning of creators and intellectuals against the government - noting the problematic responsibility of intellectuals. The 'Handke Project' is the reverse of the paradigm. The ensemble of the play led by Blerta Neziraj created a pregnant performance, a hellish mosaic, which will leave us surprised and wondering", explained the jury.

"The Handka Project" is also the first theatrical play from Kosovo that was performed in Podgorica, the organizers and the team of the play stated earlier. An actor known for numerous theater and film projects around the world, Arben bajraktaraj he excelled in the play, and for his performance he won the award for the best male role.

From the play "The Handke Project": Bajraktaraj
From the play "The Handke Project": Bajraktarajphoto: Duško Miljanić

"With acting charisma, Bajraktaraj builds a delicate multi-layered character that leads us through a disturbing story about an intellectual in a social storm. "Bajraktaraj has a rich acting instrument which he uses precisely and thus leads us to the painful social catharsis that we witness every day", stated the jury.

In the same category, equally, the prize for the best male role was won by the Montenegrin actor Ivan Bezmarević for his role in the play "Uncle Vanja" directed by Mirko Radonjić and produced by CNP. Bezmarević creates the character of Astrov with unexpected means, the jury noted, moving from warm values, through discreet irony, all the way to complete physical nakedness.

Award for the best male role to Ivan Bezmarević
Award for the best male role to Ivan Bezmarevićphoto: Duško Miljanić

She won the award for the best female role Beti Lučić for the role in the play "Rebellion - sold out/Ljubavnice" directed by Senka Bulić, according to the text Elfriede Jelinek, a produced by Hotel Bulić Theatre.

"Lucic, in a specific acting bravura, transforms the character of the narrator into an active dramatic character boiling with energy and emotion. With a special acting register, Beti Lučić defends a woman in a woman-unfriendly environment", said the jury.

Awarded for the best female role: Beti Lucic
Awarded for the best female role: Beti Lucicphoto: Duško Miljanić

It was also awarded special award, namely the play "The Enemy (Peace Conference)" directed by Melodie Lassalin and Simon Capelle in the production of Zone - Poems from France, which is realized in cooperation with the French Institute in Montenegro.

Special award to the French play 'The Enemy (Peace Conference)'
Special award to the French play "The Enemy (Peace Conference)"photo: Duško Miljanić

"The play stood out for its special artistic sensibility and the corpus of all selected choreo-dramatic means that make up one extremely coherent picture in the field of physical theater, and it dealt with the questioning and research of the painful facts of recent wars in these areas," the jury emphasized.

Identity card of the festival

As part of the festival, this year the "FIAT monograph" was presented, which records part of the history of the event, which since its inception has been unique and important both for Montenegro and for the former Yugoslavia, and today those borders are shifting and reaching beyond the European continent.

Although this was 38, the monograph covers 35 issues of FIAT. Director Ana Vukotić explained that she insisted that no additions be made, stressing that she believes in new generations who will deal with FIAT and preserve its spirit and energy.

"I have great emotions towards this book, towards all the days and hours that Slobo Milatović and I had in connection with this book. I want to thank the author's team, who worked carefully and dedicatedly on the scarce material we had at our disposal, under difficult circumstances... I cared that this book saw the light of day as soon as possible, and that would not have happened if it were not for the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and of art and the Secretariat for Culture of the Municipality of Podgorica (who are the publishers)," she said.

And for Petar Milatović, the editor of the book and Slobodan Milatović's brother, the work on the monograph was emotional.

"This was an incredible pleasure, both professionally and emotionally, and I think that this book is a personal card of the festival that lasted through time, through all kinds of events. The festival is an imprint of the time this society went through. I was a witness from day one, although more from the sidelines," he said.

Co-editor of the monograph, Danilo Milatović, without founder of the festival, he pointed out the commitment of Ana Vukotić, he said that all the information was checked with Ljubomir Đurković, and he also pointed to the work of the associates Vukosave Tomović i Marija Milicković.

"We didn't have most of the material, so it was interesting, but exhausting at the same time. Although I knew that FIAT was important, in communication with foreign festivals I got additional information about it and realized that it is one of the more relevant festivals as far as alternative theater is concerned," he said.

He also reminded that FIAT was always more than a festival for the city...

"The monograph represents a materialized testimony that the public gathered at Duklja, the bed of the Ribnica when it was dry, reminds that the public gathered at the facilities of 'Radoj Dakić', the late hotel 'Crna Gora', in Kuslev's house, which became an indispensable part of the cultural Podgorica. FIAT's function was to discover those places," said Milatović.

The monograph consists of four chapters, Vukotić said: author's texts about FIAT, a chronological segment, a part that recalls international artists who performed at the festival, and a chapter that records Montenegrin artists who established themselves at FIAT. At the presentation of the edition, on Friday evening, they also spoke: Niko Goršić, Branko Baletić, Ana Matić, Duško Miljanić.

"Parable" as a metaphor

This year, FIAT played under the elliptical slogan "Parabola", which is a metaphorical association with metaphysics in the poet's poetry. Ratko Vujošević, and at the same time an exact definition of the movement of the Festival of International Alternative Theater from Podgorica.

A scene from the play "Uncle Vanja"
A scene from the play "Uncle Vanja"photo: Duško Miljanić

Top performances "Uncle Vanja" and "The Unpublished Diary of Katerina Radonjić" directed by Dušanka Belada, and performed Ivana Mrvaljević, the official program of the festival ended the night before last, while the performance of the famous band "The Books of Books" in the crowded courtyard of Kuslev's house in Podgorica was a good prelude to the awards ceremony, which began at midnight.

Yesterday, the 38th edition of this manifestation officially ended with the performance "Living Water", which has been organized in Dabovići for several years, and is dedicated to the creator of the Festival of International Alternative Theater and the founder of alternative theater in Montenegro, director Slobodan Milatović.

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