Montenegrin theatre director Danilo Marunović has been deported from Serbia, but his performance at the National Theatre of Belgrade went ahead.
Director Danilo Marunović from Montenegro was deported on June 27 after an ‘informative interview’ with members of Serbia’s Security and Information Agency (BIA) in Belgrade. Marunović had come to Belgrade for the guest performance of the play he directed The Glembays, a production of the Montenegrin National Theatre, which was scheduled at the National Theatre in Belgrade.
The reason for his deportation was his column titled Against Vučić with Vidovdan, in which he wrote: “Until recently, the entire region praised a rebellious Serbia, believing its students were bringing a ‘wind of change.’ Yet, they chose Vidovdan as the date of the protest. They selected the myth of the Battle of Kosovo, folklore, frescoes, and the 14th century as their ideological and moral tools. What many saw as a sign of hope and salvation has turned into a grim diagnosis – the youth have been hopelessly indoctrinated. With them comes another ‘era of the nineties,’ a painful display of narrow-mindedness, limitation, and spiritual poverty across an entire generation. So yes, there are torchbearers ready to carry on the legacy of Serbian neofascism. Crna Gora, Zeta, and Duklja remain the ‘first Serbian states,’ Russia is the mother, Mladić is a hero, and Srebrenica was not a genocide. Neofascism is once again marching through the Balkans.”
The column goes on to discuss the broader ideological influence of nationalist narratives in the region. It was published a day prior to the performance and two days before the major anti-regime protests in Belgrade.
It is important to emphasize: Students in Serbia do not propagate neofascism, nor do fascist values or symbols appear at student and civic protests. The university blockades and protests in Serbia are focused on truth and justice for the 16 people who died when a canopy collapsed in Novi Sad on 1 November of last year. Students are demanding free and fair elections. In their public appearances and statements, Students in Blockade has never expressed pro-Russian views, declared Ratko Mladić a hero, or made any claims regarding Srebrenica. Likewise, Crna Gora, Zeta, and Duklja are not topics that demonstrators are concerned with. Students and citizens in protest are focused on issues within Serbia.
Despite the director’s deportation, the play was still performed at the National Theatre. At the end of the performance, actor Svetozar Cvetković addressed the audience: “Without delving into what the reasons may be for a man, an artist, the director of this play, to have his further stay in our country prevented and to be simply expelled from it, we have decided that his work, our play, cannot be expelled, and that we will perform it for you tonight.”
Following a long round of applause, Cvetković thanked the audience: “Thank you for allowing us to show that we are good hosts.”
Actor Tihomir Stanić also stated in an interwiev that he was ashamed when director Danilo Marunović was expelled from Serbia: “The authorities cannot not expel his work. As an artist and a director, he will receive a standing ovation tonight.”
On its Facebook page, the Montenegrin National Theatre stated that they performed the play in defence of freedom of thought, freedom of speech, and freedom of artistic expression. They reaffirmed their commitment to regional cooperation and cultural exchange, and said they would continue with their programming in the spirit of professionalism and good theatrical practice.
Main image: Dusko Miljanic
Divna Stojanov is a dramaturg and playwright. She writes mainly for children and young people.
