Битеф

7

In this year's selections, BITEF has tried to react to and in this moment that is a nightmare for economic analysts the world over and for the growing number of persons losing their jobs, but also an inspiration to theater artists, the moment in which a resurrected Marx's Das Kapital sells in record numbers and sets the story line for films and manga comics. Our reaction has been to offer a fascinating selection of productions that, each in its own way, deals with the crisis of corporate capitalism. Despite the difficulties, we can safely state with pleasure that the final selection, although smaller than in the past, has retained the high standard the festival's public has come to expect and that it offers new and interesting information on current trends in contemporary theater. It is, however, important to point out not just the excellent productions that are represented in the selection but also those that, to our great dismay, are not here. In order to offer greater insight into the selection concept that, for concrete reasons, could not be fully realized, we feel we should mention those productions. The festival's selection and the slogan that inspired it would have been much enriched if we had been able to include the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz production of "Death of a Salesman," directed by the brilliant Luc Perceval, as well as the exceptional, internationally popular "Frankenstein Project," by the young Hungarian director, Kornél Mundruczô. Despite the challenges we have faced in bringing the festival to its public, we believe that BITEF audiences will have many reasons to be pleased this year, as well as to think seriously about the issues that are being raised this year by the artists whose works they will see. The artists are expecting as much. Let's hope that, next year, the growing HINT pandemic will not have a serious effect on the festival unless it emerges as a new subject in theater.

Anja Suša and Jovan Ćirilov