Knife and Balm

The premiere of the play ‘Knife and Balm’ organised by ArtFrakcija is scheduled for 4 July at the Youth Theatre, within the Fortress of Peace.

The play inspired by Danilo Kiš’s short stories will pose the question: Is the truth the artists’ strongest weapon? How to live (through) in the post-truth world? Danilo Kiš was born in Subotica, and for a while, he lived in Novi Sad, where he survived the sinister Novi Sad raid as a seven-year-old. Vojvodina, that is, Novi Sad as the point of intersection of the Balkans and Central Europe, is the climate in which, according to his own words, he emerged as a creator known for exposing totalitarian regimes of the 20th century and creating a utopian Europe in which any criticism is possible. The play, based on three short stories by Danilo Kiš, from his collection ‘The Lute and the Scars’ (‘The Poet’, ‘Jurij Golec’ and ‘The Stateless One’), focuses on themes such as censorship, political repression, the position of artists in society, and emigration.

The play is conceived as a drama with choreographic elements that would represent metaphorical experiences of its themes. The three actors will interpret all the characters, using multilingual theatre as the pivot on which the play rests. The languages spoken by the characters, as well as those spoken by the author himself, will serve as a tool to emphasise the importance of cultural exchange, understanding, solidarity and peace as such.

The play will be staged by authors from three countries – Serbia, France, and Hungary. It is directed by French artist Anne Berelowitch, known for using different languages and cultural narratives in her dramatic productions. The actor Danilo Milovanović will play the role of Danilo Kiš.

Photo: Nada Balkana