Back in 2014, it was "Inform" announced on the front page: "He has balls: the Serbs will not forgive him." It was, of course, Fr Aleksandar Vučić, then the prime minister.
Aside from the fact that it was an early signal that "Informer" was interested in Vučić's more intimate areas, I want to illustrate what kind of romantic times we were in regarding the media and in general.
That title was discussed. So much so that for a radio feature I went to the quarters of "Informer" for the first and last time and talked with Dragan J. Vučićević. At a time, then, when it still seemed to make sense to talk and when "balls" on the front page were a scandal.
Who has the balls now?
Today, twelve and a half years later, a vulgar assessment of the courage of the prime minister who tightens his belt and reduces pensions seems like lemonade in relation to "Ustaše", "Shiptar", "blockaders"... and even to "ćaci" or cries of "Vučić, faggot" as an expression of popular rebellion.
And the way of conversation, if there is a trace of it, is such that the person across the street has to immediately and completely legitimize himself as a like-minded person, otherwise he will be excluded, trampled and denigrated. It seems that there is no point in talking anymore, but that they will hit bone on bone, black on white, whatever happens.
When I read the interview of our Sonja Ćirić with the actor Svetozar Cvetković in in the new issue of "Vreme", I thought - he has balls, the bazaar will not forgive him.
In short, Cvetković is frightened by the fact that bone goes to bone, and Vala thinks that not everything is black or white.
Cvetković's bazaar - the world of theater, film, culture - is mostly fiercely against the government. Anyone who is not, is either a scumbag, a censor and a gravedigger of culture, or at least he is considered as such.
Speaking of which, it is similar in the wider bazaar that opposes the government, the media, activist, intellectual and political bazaar.
This team and mi with her
What is Cvetkovic saying? in this interview? Let's say that the government unnecessarily blocked the program of the last Bitef because a prominent director gave a speech against lithium mining at the previous Bitef.
That then the people from his bazaar (this ranking is done by me, not Cvetković) needlessly destroyed the program of this year's Bitef, suggesting to foreign theaters that there is intolerable censorship in Serbia and that they should not visit.
Those people "don't want anything to appear in our theater at the world level as long as this team is in power", says Cvetković, and he is against the theater, as a place of freedom of expression, ever stopping, whatever the government.
There's more. blasphemous statement - let's say that Ljubišta Ristić is a great and deserving director, an avant-garde, although he has now been brought to the head of Atelje 212 by the disgraceful dismissal of the previous director. By the way, Koju was also beaten by the rumor that she was "the hotter guy", even though Atelier was doing quite well artistically under her.
Još Cvetković says that Festa's selector Dragan Jeličić is a connoisseur of great authority, even though he is also being told that he is a "boyfriend" and that even at Festa, "it's not that anymore".
And, what can our bazaar conclude from that except, of course, that Svetozar Cvetković, one of our greatest living actors, is also a "Caci"?
How to be consistent
According to the comments about Bitef by those who previously spoke - the demolition of the Bitef program is actually a fight for preservation Bitef because ovo ipod these it can't possibly be Bitef. The same applies to the Fest and other festivals.
I consider that attitude wrong for at least three reasons.
First, it is guided by the logic of "the worse the better". Ovi they ruin everything they touch, so let's help them because when there is nothing svi will understand what they are doing. But which one svi? Is there anyone - especially those who are devoted to the theater or, say, the Fest - who do not know what is happening?
And why do you think that one day it will be easier to raise everything from the ashes? Isn't it better that something, as much and as much as possible, survives? That the National Theater is run by Bule Goncić, not Dragoslav Bokan? Isn't it better for some newsrooms and shows to survive on RTS and Radio Belgrade than for everything to disappear?
Second, the position is inconsistent. Because if you don't need to participate - on the contrary, actively boycott and destroy - in anything ovi lead, and then no more shows should be played anywhere, no movies or commercials should be filmed, no singing, no sports, no newspapers published. Everyone should go to taxi drivers or move out!
Since man, one way or another, whether he wanted to or not (and usually wanted to), comes into contact with the public budget, which they certainly control oviSince ovi they may not run every kebab shop in Serbia, but they certainly run every political and almost every cultural institution, they direct money and advertisements, funds and budgets.
Let the audience choose.
Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, helping the authorities to bring down, say, Bitef (while justifying the preservation of Bitef) is an unworthy patronizing attitude towards the audience. She is not given the choice of whether she wants to go to some kind of Bitef or Fest, as if the audience is not old enough to decide for themselves.
By the way, the audience has already buried some progressive cultural happenings in Serbia by simply not showing up. This led to bizarre screenings of films in front of empty seats.
Then again, people, if they want, have every right to however they watch plays and movies, listen to concerts and organize them ovi, however they support Partizan and Zvezda even though they are led by whoever leads them. Yes, regardless of their political beliefs - they live. Because of those beautiful moments of life, they will not forget where and what they actually live in.
But that doesn't say everything, does it? And who knows, maybe it can be said. Maybe there will be some kind of debate, useful, polite. At least because of that small chance, it's good that Svetozar Cvetković has the balls.
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