Handke’s Nobel controversy
Peter Handke was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. As the Nobel Committee stated, it was awarded for influential work, which explored the periphery and specificity of human experience with linguistic ingenuity. Supporting Serbs in the 1990s caused a storm in BiH’s political life. Peter Handke, by a strange coincidence, has become the number one political case in the country. He was declared undesirable in Sarajevo and announced that he was coming to Banja Luka in May 2020.
Historical concert by Trkulja and Milenković
Waiting for the answer to the question of whether Banja Luka will be the European Capital of Culture in 2024, in the coming year has brought great enthusiasm among young people in the city on Vrbas. The European Commission voted on the decision in Brussels in June and still gave Norwegian Bodo one vote ahead of Banja Luka. In addition to the many beautiful things that have happened in connection with this candidacy, the concert of Stefan Milenković and Slobodan Trkulja, which took place in front of Banski Dvor at the height of the campaign, will be remembered. The concert was historic, as it brought the two world names together for the first time on stage.
Slađana Zrnić Became Champion of Drama
Actress Slađana Zrnić took the stage at the National Theater of Republika Srpska for the first time in December 1998. She has been in constant engagement since 2004. She has been through everything at this house. From wearing a tray to one of the repertoire carriers, however, the journey was not at all easy. Confirmation that the effort has paid off has arrived on August 1, 2019, when she was officially promoted to Drama Champion. In the history of theater for over 90 years, Zrnić became thus only the third actor to boast of this prestigious title, which marks the culmination of the career of a theater actor.
Sculptures by Bojan Mikulić in the Drina River
The sculptures of Bojan Mikulić, an academic painter and master of sculpture employed at the National Theater of Republika Srpska, were set up in the Drina River in September. The sculptures have been set up to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the deaths of more than 6,000 Serbs in the Sarajevo-Romanija region, were killed in 1942 in Stari Brod and Milosevići by ustaše ( a Croatian racist, terrorist, and Nazi-like movement) Jure Francetića. The presentation of this crime by the hands of sculptors has received positive criticism from the expert and the general public.
Silver for “Banja Luka” in Perugia
In May, the women’s chamber choir of Banja Luka won a silver medal in the traditional music category at the International Choir “Voice for Peace” in the Italian city of Perugia. This international competition, organized by the World Choral Association “Intercultur – Musica Mundi”, brought together more than 20 choirs from 11 countries in the festival and competition program, with the “Banja Luka” Chamber Choir being the only representative of Republika Srpska and BiH.
Jubilee edition of SFF
The Best Film of the Jubilee 25th Edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF), which took place in August, was named “Take Me Somewhere Nice” by director Ena Sendijarević. During the eight days of the festival, around 100,000 people from all over the world walked the red carpet, and this year some of the most famous filmmakers of today are among the guests. The audience was introduced by Tim Rot, Gael Garcia Bernal, Alehandro Gonzales Injarit, Ruben Ostlund, Pavel Pavlikovski, Isabel Iper and many others.
Manu Chao performed in Banja Luka
One of the world’s biggest stars, musician Manu Chao performed on October 17 at the KSB Student Club in Banja Luka. The great artist, anti-globalist and human rights activist of various minority groups introduced himself to the audience in the town of Vrbas with the project “El Chapulin Solo” and together with two other musicians in the acoustic version performed their biggest hits, but also tunes that the audience in Banja Luka heard first the road.
The “Imperative” confirmed its importance
The Imperative Literature Festival, organized by the Imperative Association for the Promotion and Popularization of Literature, has experienced a second edition at the Banski Dvor Cultural Center. Promotions of poetry and prose, programs of “proofreaders” and “notes and letters”, a mini-book fair and communication among fellow writers and a live literary word in front of the audience made the festival a significant departure from its debut edition. After two issues, we can say that “Imperative” is a significant and healthy competitor to similar events in Belgrade, Zagreb and Sarajevo.
“Tartif” winner of the 22nd Fest Theater
In the role of “tartif”, or the imposter, on the Grand Stage of the National Theater of Republika Srpska at the 22nd Theater Fest “Petar Kočić”, actor Saša Torlaković was brilliant. In addition to being proclaimed the best actor of the festival, Torlaković was the author of Igor Vuk Torbica’s project “Tartif”, and received the main festival award and the Torbica award for best director. The best actress of the festival was Hana Selimović, who played the role of Dorina in this play.
“Autumn Sonata” and “Intime Jazz Fest” Experience Second Edition
In the past year, the Banski Dvor Cultural Center continued its practice of organizing representative cultural content in its own production, and the “Autumn Sonata” music festivals and the “Intime Jazz Fest” jazz music festival were held. The Concert Hall was full during both festivals, although tickets were charged, including, among others, Bojan Zulfikarpašić, Vasil Hadžimanov, “Combine Quartet”, Vlatko Stefanovski Trio, “Henshel Quartet”, Eliza Tomelini, Jovana Raljić.
“Nest” triumphs on International Festival of Actor “Zaplet”
The best performance of the International Festival of Actor “Zaplet” at the Jazavac City Theater was named the play “Nest” by the Croatian National Theater Mostar. The winning play is about the unsettled relationship between three sisters and three brothers, who suddenly, on the anniversary of his mother’s death, open up a painful topic: what to do with a shared home that has been severely dented by the tooth of time. The plot also features the pieces “Eling”, “Pad” and “This one will be different”.
Source: Nezavisne novine
