Public attention of the entire world is focused on France these days, in anticipation of the 33 Olympics which are to begin in Paris, yet France has also been in the centre of attention of the theatre audiences, for the famous, prestigious Festival d'Avignon has just taken place. Hecuba, not Hecuba, original piece by eminent Portuguese author Tiago Rodrigues, who was also named the artistic leader of the festival, premiered at the festival.
Thanks to the general sponsorship of the 1664 Blanc company, as well as the perennial collaboration of Bitef and the French institute, our audience will have the pleasure of seeing Hecuba, not Hecuba this fall, at the National theatre in Belgrade!
Rodrigues’ artistic work is characterized by frequent reinterpretations of classics and blending of fiction with true stories, an approach deeply rooted in writing for and with actors and/or the audience, by means of which he seeks the poetic transformation of reality through theatre. He employs these strategies this time as well, using the myth of Hecuba and her children that she lost in the Trojan War as a starting point, and also drawing from Euripides' tragedies The Trojan Women and Hecuba.
However, Rodrigues expands this context by integrating a contemporary true story of a specialized institution for autistic children in Geneva and a mother who, looking to protect her child, sues the institution following leaked reports of abuse of its residents. Exploring universal themes of suffering, justice, and motherly love, the performance raises the question of whether a world where children endure such suffering deserves to be saved at all.
Following the Avignon premiere, the French Le Figaro noted that Rodrigues successfully constructed this extraordinary twofold story, calling it a superb piece of art. The New York Times stressed Rodrigues' ability to direct the audience to develop empathy towards both the main, but also numerous secondary, extremely complex characters.
This September the domestic audience will have its first opportunity to see Comédie-Française in our region and it will also be the first time the festival has the pleasure of presenting Tiago Rodrigues to the audience.
The Bitef team is especially proud to present this theatre, with centuries worth of tradition, to the Serbian audience the very year marking 100 years since the birth of Mira Trailović. Bringing Comédie-Française to Bitef was her unfulfilled desire.
We are also very proud to have 1664 Blanc as the general sponsor of the festival. The famous French company produced its very first beer in the middle of the XVII century, only about a decade before the founding of the Comédie-Française. So this year's Bitef will be the perfect place to meet the very best of the French tradition - from superb theatre art to superb craftsmanship of the premium beer.
The first visit to Serbia by the Comédie-Française is a result of a perennial collaboration of Bitef and the French institute in Serbia, whose cultural attaché Caroline Sotta claims the institute has many reasons to look forward to presenting this piece in Belgrade, first and foremost being - excellence.
"Comédie-Française, founded in 1680, is the oldest theatre in France with a permanent ensemble. Festival d'Avignon, founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, is one of the most important and most progressive festivals of the contemporary theatre in the world. Serbian audience will also have an opportunity to meet Tiago Rodrigues and his work for the first time, performed by the Comédie-Française troop."
As the second reason she stated courage, the quality Rodrigues - however Bitef as well - are known for: "Recognisable by its insistence on high standards when it comes to the artistic level of the programme, Bitef has once again affirmed the tradition of collaboration with the French institute in Serbia. Bitef’s artistic team put its trust in this performance even before it premiered, knowing that it carries a strong message about humanity and the society we are living in today.
Finally, as the third reason, Sotta cites encounters, for this performance is set to take place at the end of this week at the famous festival in Athens, while further performances are expected in Ljubljana, Bucharest and Istanbul following Bitef.
"We are particularly pleased by this regional dimension because of Teatroskop, a programme the French institute developed precisely in order to further collaboration in the field of performing arts between Southeast Europe and France. So, performance in Belgrade will set a fine framework for presenting the work of Comédie-Française and Festival d'Avignon through conferences and round tables, as well as for the organisation of professional meetups in the perspective of long-term collaboration between France and Serbia in the context of theatre", she concluded.
This year Bitef will be taking place from 25 September to 4 October under the slogan "Beauty Will (Not) Save the World". The main programme will introduce the Belgrade audience to as many as 10 productions, hailing from Germany, France, Switzerland, Bolivia, Brazil, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia.
Patrons of the festival are the Secretariat for Culture of the City of Belgrade and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia. General sponsor of the 58th Bitef is 1664 Blanc. Traditionally, the festival has received support from the EU Delegation, Institut français and Goethe Institut. Partner and friend of the Bitef festival is the New Moment New Ideas Company, creative agency of the festival. Generali osiguranje Srbija, Erste Bank a.d. Novi Sad and Coca-Cola Hellenic Serbia are once again partners of the festival.
