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‘Flowers of Srebrenica’, a play intended to draw parallels between 1990s crimes and current conflict realities, will premiere next month in Sarajevo ahead of the annual genocide anniversary commemoration events at the Srebrenica Memorial Centre.
The play, a stage interpretation of Aidan Hehir’s illustrated novel, follows the narrative of Irish acedemic Hehir’s journey from Sarajevo to the Srebrenica Memorial Centre, and includes with elements of physical theatre, animation and personal testimonies.
Actors from Bosnia, Ukraine, Rwanda and Ireland appear in the play, which is being produced by the Sarajevo War Theatre, the migrant-led Legal Aliens Theatre from London and the MESS International Theatre Festival.
Ukrainian actor Valeriia Poholsha said that working on the play was very personal for her.
“I’m living through war – now, in real time. That’s why it’s so important to speak out, especially when the world is trying to look away,” said Poholsha told BIRN.
She said that art may not be able to stop violence, but can promote awareness, empathy and change.
“’Flowers of Srebrenica’ is more than a play – it is a memory, a scream, a response. It intertwines personal and collective memory, from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Ukraine and beyond,” she explained.
“It asks us not only to bear witness, but to feel. To question. To remember,” she added.
Maja Salkic, director of the Sarajevo War Theatre, said that it is important to have actors from different parts of the world speak about the 30th anniversary of the genocide, and for the story to reach people who were not born in the 1990s.
“I want Srebrenica to become a symbol of peace and a proper understanding of historical facts,” said Salkic.
The first performances of the play are scheduled for July 9 and 10 at the Sarajevo War Theatre, and it will subsequently be performed in Tuzla, Belgrade and London.
