Director Borut Separovic opens 48th Bitef

BELGRADE - The 48th Bitef International Theatre Festival was opened late Saturday at Belgrade's Dom Omladine by Croatian director Borut Separovic, the winner of last year's special prize for the play 55+, performed by the Zagreb-based Montazstoj company.

"I feel the honour, the pleasure and the special emotions of being here and having the opportunity to announce a long-standing, significant event such as Bitef," Separovic said.

Separovic's new play A gde je revolucija stoko (But Where is the Revolution), also performed by Montazstroj, opened the main programme of this year's festival.

The title of the concert play/performance is inspired by a graffiti daubed on the wall of a Zagreb student dorm in the 1990s. The play discusses the collapse of revolutions, criticising the hypocrisy and conformism of artists, as well as the audience and citizens in general.

The festival ends on September 30, with 13 plays to compete for the Mira Trailovic Grand Prix - named after the famous theatre director and founder of Bitef - as well as for the jury's special prize.

The festival will feature plays from Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia, selected by Anja Susa.

The festival's art director is Jovan Cirilov.

The international jury is presided over by Israeli director Lilah Dekel-Avneri, and also includes Swedish scenographer and costume designer Ulla Kassius, Polish theatre critic Witold Mrozek and Serbian director Ana Tomovic and dramaturge Perisa Perisic.

The motto of this year's festival is The Past is Now, with several plays inspired by the centenary of the outbreak of World War I.

This year, too, the festival will include traditional side...

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