The 12th edition of the South Slavic Culture Festival will take place on June 23 in Bolesławiec’s Market Square. This year’s festival programme will feature numerous energetic concerts, a Croatian film review, a theatrical performance for the youngest children, and an exhibition of contemporary Serbian art featuring the work of Ksenija Pantelić and Jovana Ćosić.
Folk ensembles from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia will perform on stage, among others. This year, in addition to familiar ensembles such as Jutrzenka, the festival stage will feature Di Grine Kuzine, a Balkan-Klezmer orchestra; Prosvjeta, an ensemble presenting a programme of games and songs from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia; Balkan Sevdah, which will invite everyone interested to learn the traditional Pravo Horo circle dance; and Chorwackie Dudy Orchiestra from Croatia.
The festival’s headliner will be “Tsigunz Fanfara Avantura”, a seven-member brass band performing original, modern arrangements of traditional melodies from the Balkans, Turkey, the Middle East and India.
On Thursday, June 21, the Croatian Film Review will begin at Forum cinema. The programme includes “A Wonderful Night in Split” (drama, Croatia, 2004), winner of awards at festivals in New York, Konstanz, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Pula and Montpellier. The film is set in one of Split’s districts, where three tragic love stories intertwine during the final two hours of New Year’s Eve. All the characters are brought together by a concert by Dino Dvornik, a well-known Croatian musician, and New Year’s fireworks.
The next film is “Play Something Romantic” (comedy, Croatia, 2007). The main character is the leader of the rock band When Dirty Harry Met Dirty Sally. The leader would do anything to raise funds to release an album. However, the only way to make money seems to be playing pop songs at weddings, which does not appeal to the musician. The members of his band try to convince him to make this sacrifice, but he remains steadfast—until his girlfriend tells him that they are going to have a child. The musician then realizes that there are greater worries than deciding whether to perform at weddings.
The third film will be “The Donkey” (drama, Croatia, the United Kingdom, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, 2009). The story takes place in the summer of 1995 during the war, in the course of Operation Storm. Boro, his wife Jasna and their son Luka set out on a journey to their home village of Drinovci in Herzegovina. They intend to visit Boro’s brother, who managed to leave Sarajevo with his family.
On Saturday, June 23, a settlement will be created in the Market Square, occupied for the duration of the festival presentations by Rural Housewives’ Circles and folk ensembles. It will also be a unique opportunity to try Balkan dishes. Visitors will be able to choose from pita with various sweet and spicy fillings, goulash and pepper soups, and the main culinary attraction—pečenica, a festive dish served in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. Traditional Croatian jewellery and other folk handicrafts will also be available.
A special attraction for the youngest children will be the performance “The Colours of the Rainbow” by the Dobrava Children’s Theatre from Zagreb. It is an interactive project aimed at children up to six years of age.
Folklore enthusiasts can look forward to a special concert. On Thursday, July 5, the Croatian National Song and Dance Ensemble LADO will perform at Forum as part of the 12th South Slavic Culture Festival.
The ensemble will come to Bolesławiec thanks to cooperation between the Bolesławiec Cultural Centre–International Ceramic Centre and the Embassy of Croatia in Poland. The ensemble was founded in Zagreb in 1949. Today, it consists of 36 dancers and 15 professional musicians. In its repertoire, impressive for its choreography and music, LADO pays tribute above all to authentic folk art, for which it is known around the world. In addition to its exceptional collection of authentic folk costumes, which has sometimes earned the ensemble the name “Dancing Museum”, every performance is a kind of revue. The concert is ticketed. Tickets cost 50 zł and are available at the Forum cinema box office.
The event is organised by the Bolesławiec Cultural Centre–International Ceramic Centre. The Regional Representation of the European Commission in Wrocław is the co-organiser. This year, the event has received honorary patronage from city president Piotr Roman, the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ambassador of Croatia, the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia and the Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia.
(information: BOK-MCC/ii)