The rich multi-decade career of an impressive and unpretentious actor with sublime manners, who carries the spirit of the theater with him and within himself, Dejan Đonović, is proof of true commitment and love for the theater, play, creativity, audience, children... That it is a special life achievement to do work that you love and love the work you do, that from that pure love and dedication comes inexhaustible inspiration and a source of satisfaction and motivation, but also the desire to push boundaries and progress, Đonović shows in different acting aspects.
Although he is best known to the domestic audience for his various theatrical roles in his hometown Podgorica City Theater, his work and creativity for children, either institutionally or independently, Đonović has recently worked on several film and television productions, among which is the popular film "Alive and Healthy" director and screenwriter Ivan Marinović. Even two months after its premiere, the feature-length film arouses the interest of the public, it is shown in cinemas, among others in Podgorica, and with its authenticity and precision it is imposing itself as a current, universal and interesting topic that branches out in various directions. Đonović says that this particular film is the epitome of a real and good comedy - the kind that makes you feel something in your throat, make you genuinely laugh, while the next moment everything seems tragic.
Undoubtedly, he delighted the audience in the performance "Memories of Sara Bernar" directed by Staša Koprivica, in which he shares the scene with the legendary Tanja Bošković, with whom he holds a lesson in partner play, exchange and improvisation, as well as (joint) theatrical bravura during the performance.
In addition, in an interview with Vijesti, he also announces new roles, talks about film, plays, theater and art in general, but also about life and the lessons that intertwine through it all.
In the movie "Alive and Healthy" you play the father of the bride, who is played by Tihana Lazović. The film came as a kind of refreshment of Montenegrin cinematography, and after its premiere at the prestigious festival in Tallinn, it was shown in our country and is still in the cinema repertoire. How did you experience that achievement and how would you summarize its specificity due to which it attracts viewers?
I experienced the film "Alive and Healthy" as a miracle, I am simply fascinated. It is mostly a domestic production by Adriatic Western from my native Zelenika, with co-productions from the region. It so happened that the director Ivan Marinović, who is also from Zelenika and in whose first film "The Needle on the Threshold" I played, called me and gave me an important role in this production, which quite surprised and delighted me.
In a country where, frankly, there haven't been many shootings and projects in recent decades, the cinema space has finally opened up and is now actively being worked on. We also see that Radio and Television of Montenegro has already launched and implemented several projects, which is really wonderful for actors, especially for us, theater actors, who love the theater, but we want to try our hand at the screen and television.
Elem, regarding the movie "Alive and Healthy", when I watched it for the third or fourth time trying to notice any possible excess or deficiency of anything, I failed in that and I didn't notice anything, because everything is perfect, in my opinion. It is such a modern film, a bitter comedy, as Ivan Marinović would say, a comedy of disaster or a series of disasters. The film is a comedy, but it is also a drama, it raises many topics, it is multi-layered... People nowadays either deal with too tragic things or take some things too lightly and produce some light comedy. This, on the other hand, is a dramatic comedy that has all the weight of what is called a drama or something that can look like a tragedy, but in the end it doesn't happen, and it's a comedy. Comedy doesn't mean you have to laugh all the time. I think that the real comedy is when something sticks in your throat, you find it funny, and in fact, the more you find it funny, the more sad it is. Characters try to be more than themselves and fail, the key to true comedy. All the characters here are written in such a way that they have their own history, their own life, ups and downs, delusions, hopes, and I can tell you that really everyone, even the extras who appear in the film, have their own story, that's how skillful it is and nicely written. I remember that Mirjana Joković, who came from Los Angeles for the first time after 20 years to shoot a film in this area, said that when she read the script, she fell in love with everything that the film brings, and the text is so good and wonderful that she couldn't to refuse. In addition, you have seen an excellent, correct choice of actors, but also good co-producers, so all that remains for you is to act, to understand each other with the director and colleagues and to enjoy the work.
The backbone of the film is the wedding, around which everything is set, but the characters, customs, mentality and climate open up a number of other topics and questions. To what extent are "Alive and Healthy" a mirror of our present day or everyday life, and how does the complex characterization contribute to the story?
You have two families between which a problem arises due to some kind of insecurity whether to get married or not. There is the inconsistency of adults, i.e. parents who force to do what they have imagined and what they are behind, and young people whose lives are actually at stake. "Alive and Healthy" is a story about the gap between generations, about how much we understand each other intergenerationally, and then also between ourselves, it is also a story about our fears that are sometimes justified, sometimes not, a story about asking questions, about what is love, are love and falling in love the same thing, what will happen in a few years... The younger generations today live in a new time, and we, the older ones, are still from a previous era and we can't manage it very well, and neither can they manage in our times that we insist on and stay behind them, guarding them, holding on to them like a kind of sloop so that we don't sink.
The story of the film is multi-layered, but what is wonderful is that all these characters through the film, duration and various ups and downs, somehow become more mature and smarter for another experience, going through a kind of catharsis. It is very unusual that they, almost all of them, solve some of their problems, one way or another. The film really touched me so much that a couple of times during the screenings I caught myself shedding tears from some feeling of satisfaction, happiness, joy, because you see a real life unfolding on the screen, in those two dimensions, which is so real, at times painful, at times comical and with a series of problems that happen every few minutes. You have problems in your life, but they are not packed into one day, and here in very little time and space, a lot of things happen that you would never want to happen, but they do.
Do we sometimes need something to jolt us out of passivity or lethargy in our lives?
You know, I'm not one to ever say he's bored. There is a big difference between boredom and leisure. I am one of those actors who may take risks too often and accept something for which he may not even be ready, but it interests me and I perceive it as a kind of challenge through which I prove to myself that I can and am ready to take risks. Small, petty, or some bigger risks, move you to go further. Of course, on that way, sometimes he has to get lost. Maybe loss is sometimes more useful than gain. I call it a loss, not a defeat, because a loss is a surrender in a way, and a loss is a momentary minus that you may be able to turn into a plus tomorrow if you use that experience. I'm not sure that you can learn from other people's experiences, I'm one of those who have to feel some things on their own skin to know what happened and what should or should not be done.
That, I guess, is the charm of curiosity, play, research, and even life.
That's right, everything is connected to the game... I guess that's why I ended up in the theater, because for me, the game is a space of freedom that needs to be conquered and I can't imagine it any other way than the way I've been playing for years and decades.
In the play "Memories of Sara Bernar", respected Tanja Bošković, with whom you play, utters the line that we all play in order to satisfy the prematurely aged child in us.
Yes, that's a wonderful line. That text is really both poetic and witty and painful. "Memories of Sarah Bernhardt" tell about that period near the end of the life of someone who devoted his entire life to art. The question arises whether someone who lived like that can really die, even though it is a theater, where you don't have archives. In my opinion, neither photos nor videos can convey theater, because theater deals with reality, with what this moment is. That combination of the experienced moment of a live spectator and a live actor on stage is unrepeatable. That is why the theater has its own aura. Theater is a living art and as such is unrepeatable. If it's any consolation to us, as theater actors, we can say that we lived moments within moments, shared them with living people, which is a priceless treasure. When some things pass, they are placed where they belong, in memories. We cannot place the future anywhere, we do not know what it is and what it is like, although it has its charm, because it is unexplored, it has not happened, and in this context hope, anticipation, and excitement arise. It's nice to keep memories, to live in the present moment, to hope for a near future, and in the distance maybe we don't need to look far, but to enjoy this moment and prepare a little for the future.
The partner play in that play "Memories of Sarah Bernhardt" is also delightful, the perfect synchronization of emotions, movements, expression, but also the balance of all that. The importance of theater partners and teamwork is often discussed. How was it for you to do this duo drama with Tanja Bošković, who in an earlier interview for Vijesti spoke highly of all the words of praise, both for the work and for you?
There are no real, authentic, deep plays, and there is no theater without partner play and mutual teaching. I was lucky enough to play in a play with one Tanja Bošković, who said at the first rehearsal: "Children, I don't know anything, don't be angry with me"... I listen to what she says as a great actress and then I realize that that's what makes the theater a great wonder, she would say. Every time you start from the beginning, with old experience, but each new role is a little unexplored miracle that you try not to turn into a monster, and for that to happen you have to have a lot of trust in your partner, to surrender to him, but and he to you. I had the wonderful fortune of playing with Tanja Bošković and in working on this play I learned so much about myself and my work, and the feeling of satisfaction, happiness and elation when we play that play cannot be described in words, it is a cosmic feeling.
It makes no sense if you play for yourself on stage, because your partners on stage progress with each other and you get the best out of yourself thanks to the other, and the audience feels, identifies and participates as a third person. Tanja is wonderful, as a person, as a friend, an actress, a real theater artist! It was extremely easy for me to prepare this piece with her, of course, with the help of Staša Koprivica, who directed the piece based on John Murrell's great text. We are very satisfied with the result, but also with the fact that something like this happened in Herceg Novi, because Montenegro lacks such theater productions. I understand that it is not easy and that theater cannot be a cheap thing, but smaller environments and local self-governments should make an effort, if only by starting projects at the municipal level, perhaps with a smaller division, but in order for the theater system in Montenegro to Gori somehow developed.
What is the theater system like in Montenegro?
I have the feeling that no real theater system has been established in Montenegro yet. We have two or three theaters for about 600 inhabitants... That is small, and there are even fewer theater halls, or buildings. I'm not saying that the theater is made up of buildings, but that is certainly one of the conditions to work better, more carefree, and even better in the technical sense, because it takes much less will, desire and desire when you have the conditions provided. I say this from the perspective of an actor of the City Theatre, because we have not yet managed to move into that building, which would be the parent building of the City Theatre, after more than 70 years.
Not only the economy is important to society, but also culture. If you don't have a developed cultural and awareness in general, then you really won't think about anything other than being full, having a good car, an expensive mobile phone and being able to brag that you've been to the Maldives. However, I think that what makes life rich is a developed awareness of cultural needs, which we will pass on to children. If the entire system is not dedicated to reconnecting all of us somehow, I think we have done nothing and the European Union and talking about it and getting closer to that "West" which, although not ideal, somehow takes care of these issues, is in vain. We are not yet sufficiently aware of how important it is.
You have been on the domestic theater scene for years, in various engagements. How do you perceive the film and the work on it, and how do you perceive the theater?
There are more differences in film compared to theater. When you are on the set, no matter how much you prepare for the role, you have the feeling of a kind of open commune where you are relieved when you see that everything is in its place and is well prepared, then that simply cannot be lost. I have had the luck and pleasure of playing with people who are big stars, not in the context in which that term is used in Hollywood, but when I say "star", I mean what these people carry inside. Playing with Mirjana Joković, Goran Bogdan, Tihana Lazović, my dear colleague, Goran Slavić, Miloš Pejović, Sejf Seferović, Momo Pićurić, Snežana Šiškov, Nikola Ristanovski, it's a gallery of wonderful people, creators, who found their place in this film .
To brag, in the last year or two, I've been shooting movies and playing several roles, some a little smaller, some a little bigger. The film "For our children" by Gojko Brkuljan has almost been released, we are also expecting his work "Planet 7693", which I watched and which is a wonderful family film. I play there with my dear colleagues, among whom are: Kristina Obradović, Andrija Kuzmanović, Šeka Perišić, Ivona Čović Jaćimović... I was shooting a film with the working title "Mama" directed by Nikola Ležaić from Belgrade, and I also had one day of filming in Rajko Grlić's film in Zagreb... It just so happened that in the last year, I've been filming a lot.
What is the position of artists, art and theater in our country, and in relation to citizenship, socio-political and economic issues?
You better not ask me that. I belong to those who are not fans of people who like to feel power, to rule over others, and I think that in our country this is completely twisted, misunderstood and that there is a long-term system that cannot be changed, because dealing with art and dealing with power or using a certain kind of power, is not the same. When you are on stage, you have a kind of power, but it will collapse and fail if it is used in the wrong way. So you cannot manipulate the audience, they will reward and support you if what you are doing is good, but if it is not, you have failed. In life, it's the other way around. You feel that it is enough just to have someone promise you something or that it is enough to be in a group where you will feel protected. But, as in life, so in theater, we have to share things. Everyone should be given space, because everyone has the same right to life as others.
How much is given for art in our country is very little. Everything is expensive and politicians are sorry to give it, because they consider it a waste of money, because it does not remain as a material good, but remains as a spiritual good. I'm afraid they are not interested in that, because we are short-term people, or our government or participation in government may be short-term, so whether it will last four or more years, we still have to provide for ourselves. What is visible is invested in, and what is not, which is much more significant in my opinion, is little invested in. We have a terribly low rate of allocation of money for culture both at the state and city level, which is dangerous.
In such circumstances, how much is the theater and stage a field of freedom?
Certainly, no one can take away some feeling of freedom from me, unless I take it away from myself. I will take away my sense of freedom by siding with certain sides, belonging to certain parties for whatever reason, and when you belong to someone in that way, then you have no right to protest or think for yourself, you have to think with the head of the group . Although I don't think I'm overly smart or intelligent, and even talented, I like to think for myself the most, and to hit with my own head, not someone else's. When I die, I like to die alone, and not drag others down with me. You know, not all those who practice art are artists. Artists are those who have their own attitude and who are ready to give their artistic life for that attitude. And it is our job to give that artistic life of ours on stage through comedies, tragedies, farces, burlesques, grotesques... and that's where we die and come back to life every day. It's not easy either, because you have to use your emotions, but also your mind. It happens to you in one day, in one hour, that you are born and suffer and die. And so for decades. That life in the theater and life on the stage is a special kind of life and it is a mystery that is perhaps mystified much more than it should be, but it is also a mystery to us. What we are, who we are and what we can be... We know what we are, but not what we can be.
Perhaps the theater helps each individual to realize this.
Yes, but it also depends on your power of self-criticism to realize some things, to face yourself and to make that purification happen. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but let one out of 500 people experience something similar, that's success. So, when they ask if theater can change the world, it can, but not immediately.
A romantic comedy in which he plays a charming peer from the wasteland
Filming of the film "Ponton's Heart" has also been completed, which has already aroused the interest of the public. In what role will the audience be able to see you and what can we expect the film to awaken in the viewers?
Let's call it a romantic comedy. We have lost our sense of romance in a way. I have to admit that I was quite surprised at the invitation of director Senad Šahmanović, maybe I was even terrified when he told me that he had a role for me. It is a very interesting role that, I believe, actors like to play. It is about a man of my age, or a little older, who is quite slow, both physically and mentally. That is, he has a problem, he is not very smart, and I tried to make him witty and charming. I play in a great combination with two wonderful guys, Marko Janketić and Stevan Vuković. We are that scrap team. Marko Janketić plays a young man who is about to have a romance with an actress, played by Maša Labudović, whose grandfather is Rade Šerbedžija... I would stop there.
How does that story unfold?
Why and how does it happen, actually everything starts out quite unpleasant and awkward and you don't think that there will really be any love, but as things progress and open up, those who were too cynical, hard, nervous and neurotic, suddenly become their opposites, and those who were in some problem, begin to overcome them and everything ends as it should. Some people will withdraw, leave, disappear from other people's lives, but those who are negative will leave, and will remain positive. Unfortunately, some will have to go somewhere else, but it had to be done dramaturgically so that we also have wistful, sad parts, because life itself is made up of such moments, so romantic comedies are also made up of someone's departures, but also of someone's arrivals and encounters. By the way, Ponton is the name for, I think, the first generation of post-war Mercedes from the 50s. Comrade Tito had one here, I think it was black, TG11-11 or TG10-10. When he came here, he and Jovanka drove in that Mercedes. And I can say that one of the characters is a white Mercedes...
He feels the spirit of theater for children
You do not neglect working with children. How did it start to develop for you, and how is it today?
I started writing for children relatively late, through no fault of my own. I was already over 30 years old when a friend from the music school in Podgorica suggested that we send something for the Yugoslav children's song festival that appeared in Nikšić. I write a song about my mother, she comes up with the music, Rajko from Nikšić does the arrangement and the song goes to the festival! The next song "Kako bubamarama nestaj pokte" was here on "Naša radosti", and the member of the jury responsible for the text was Milenko Ratković, one of the rare and wonderful writers for children from Montenegro. With his credit, reputation and opinion that my text deserved the prize, I was encouraged and continued to write. Today, it seems to me that I feel that certain spirit of children's theater quite well.
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