Goran Vojnović
Yugoslavia, My Country
Slovene National Theatre Drama Ljubljana
Première 11. 4. 2015, SNG Drama Ljubljana
Running time 3 hours 10 minutes. One interval.
Director Ivica Buljan
Assistant director Robert Waltl
Author of adaptation Goran Vojnović
Dramaturg Mojca Kranjc
Set designer Aleksandar Denić
Costume designer Ana Savić Gecan
Composers Rundek Cargo Trio*
Language consultant Tatjana Stanič
Lighting designers Son:DA
Assistant set designer Ajda Primožič
Assistant costume designer Andrej Vrhovnik
Fitness coach Iztok Hodnik
Serbian language consultant Iva Babić
Voivodinian dialect consultant Zoran Knežević
Bosnian language consultant Saša Tabaković
* The author of music for the song "Betrayed” by Goran Vojnović is Darko Rundek.
Musicians on the recorded score: Isabel (violin), Dušan Vranić Duco (keyboard, percussions, voice) and Darko Rundek (guitar, voice, mix, editing).
Cast
Nedeljko Matjaž Tribušon
Duša Nataša Barbara Gračner
Dušan Zvone Hribar
Milena, Macedonian singer Maja Končar
Soldier, Receptionist, Guard Saša Tabaković
Soldier, Žiga, Mladen, Guard Benjamin Krnetić as guest
Emir Jernej Šugman
Brane Bojan Emeršič
Mladi Vladan Filip Ekart Babić as guest
Enes Aljaž Jovanović
Vladan Marko Mandić
Nadja Nina Ivanišin
Mediha, dream waitress Zvezdana Mlakar
Danilo Uroš Fürst
Risto Gregor Baković
Živka Nina Valič
Kosa Iva Babić
Nataša Lina Ekart Babić as guest
Jovana Gaja Pöschl
Mišo Aleksander Cavazza as guest/Črt Veselko as guest
Dragan Valter Dragan
Wedding guests Zvone Hribar, Maja Končar, Saša Tabaković, Jernej Šugman, Bojan Emeršič, Aljaž Jovanović, Nina Ivanišin, Zvezdana Mlakar, Uroš Fürst, Gregor Baković, Nina Valič, Iva Babić, Lina Ekart Babić as guest, Gaja Pöschl, Aleksander
Cavazza as guest/Črt Veselko as guest, Benjamin Krnetić as guest
Accordion players Uroš Jezdić as guest/Dejan Panić as guest
The novel Yugoslavia, My Country juxtaposes two notions of the Balkans: one embedded in the childhood memory and another one that unravels in front of the wide-open eyes of a grown man. The stage undoubtedly offers the possibility to intertwine those two notions in as many different ways as the dimensions of theatrical truths are limitless; and it is in this theatrical abundance that lays the greatest potential for the staging of this text. The theatre stage namely enables in the most beautiful way the synchronicity of different happenings, the synchronicity of memory and reality, the shifting from one to another and also the blurring of boundaries between them. Vladan’s quest for the war criminal General Borojević is thoroughly intertwined with the memories of his father Nedeljko, evoking in front of the spectators images of the ambiguity of Vladan’s inner experience, images of his schism. Thus, we may perhaps get closer to the essence of the problem of our confronting the crimes perpetrated in the name of the people by our fathers, brothers, uncles, neighbours or friends.