Битеф

THEATRE OF ESSENCE

who would dare dream twenty years ago when the idea of an international festival of new theatre tendencies in belgrade was first conceived that it would come to life and be still alive after two full decades! during that span of time many wars began and ended, many governments were voted in and voted out, many different movements sprang out and died out and we who so often

eagerly undertake something only to forgo it the next day - or is it how we see ourselves? - are still firmly dedicated to the idea of bringing together all that is new in the world theatre. the late sixties saw the emergence of many other festivals here and elsewhere but most of them have since disappeared and even their names have passed into oblivion, bitef, it would seem, emerged at a proper time and at a proper place: in the capital of a country

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