The 6th edition of Bembo Fest has come to an end
With the outstanding cabaret performance „What Is Life If Not...” („Ča je život vengo…”) by Momčilo Popadić, the 6th Bembo Fest, Festival of Small-Scale Independent Theatre, came to a close in Bale last night, Saturday, 19 September.
The closing evening of the Festival, which brought independent theatres, artists and productions from Croatia and abroad to Bale over three summer months, beginning on 25 June, was marked by a warm, witty and emotional musical theatre story produced by Teatro Erato. „What Is Life If Not...” was performed by outstanding actors and musicians Marjan Nejašmić Banić, Petar Salečić and Bojan Brajčić. Their deeply authentic and vibrant performance, combining acting and live music, delighted the audience in Bale, who rewarded them with prolonged applause and a standing ovation.
The cabaret „What Is Life If Not...” („Ča je život vengo…”), with dramaturgy by Bojan Brajčić, brought to the stage songs, stories, reports and anecdotes filled with the spirit of the Mediterranean, portraying the life of Momčilo Popadić, the Croatian journalist, writer, poet and essayist whose lyrics became some of the most important and iconic pop songs and ballads in the region.
„Oprosti mi pape”, „Skitnica”, „Tonka”, „Imala je lijepu rupicu na bradi”, „Čuješ li me jel ti drago”, „Ča je život vengo fantažija”, „Svoju zvizdu slidin”, „Da mi je biti morski pas”... are just some of Popadić's famous lyrics, set to music by leading Croatian popular music composers such as Zdenko Runjić and Rajko Dujmić and performed by major artists including Oliver Dragojević, Meri Cetinić, Novi Fosili and Metak.
Together with the excellent actors and musicians of Teatro Erato, the audience who came to Bale from across Istria sang along to Popadić's timeless songs. Music and heartfelt applause brought the successful sixth edition of Bembo Fest to a close.
The sixth Bembo Fest was organised by Teatar Fort Forno, with the support of the Municipality of Bale-Valle, the Tourist Board of Bale-Valle, Mon Perin d.d., the Istrian County, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, the Austrian Cultural Forum and the Italian Cultural Institute in Zagreb.
In its sixth season, Bembo Fest once again fulfilled its cultural mission, focusing on building a relationship with its audience through the support and presentation of recent independent theatre, music and performing arts and visual arts productions from Croatia and abroad in Bale.
From 25 June to 19 September, over three summer months, 26 programmes were held free of charge for audiences of all generations, including theatre performances, musical and performing arts programmes and exhibitions featuring actors and musicians from independent theatres, theatre companies and artists from Croatia, Italy, Austria and Albania.
The sixth Bembo Fest also included Little Bembo, with performances for children, the 2nd Days of Austrian Culture in Bale and the Days of Italian Culture. Festival programmes were held on the main stage in Tomaso Bembo Square, at Fort Forno, in the Ulika Gallery and on the new stage by the cistern next to the church in Bale.
More than 7,000 visitors of all generations attended the Festival. The audience included residents of Bale and visitors from across Istria, as well as tourists.
The 6th edition of the Festival featured numerous premieres and guest performances
This year's Festival also featured numerous premieres.
The Festival opened with the premiere of „Life Is Beautiful Only When One Sacrifices Without Fear” („Lip je život samo ontar kad se prez straha žrtvuje”) by Mate Balota, an authorial poetic project by Robert Raponja, Massimo Brajković and Robert Pauletta, produced as a coproduction of Teatar Fort Forno and Čakavski sabor Žminj.
On 29 July, Little Bembo presented the premiere of „The Fables Are Clear” („Basne su jasne”) by Kordelija Paladin, directed by Robert Raponja, a coproduction of Teatar Fort Forno, Beli Manastir City Theatre and the Cultural Development Centre of the Municipality of Bilje.
A new feature of this year's Festival was the programme „The Cistern by the Church”, which presented two premieres. On 27 August, Sandra Bagarić and Darko Domitrović performed the musical theatre production „Life Is Beautiful / La vita è bella - The Story of My Life” („Život je lijep/La vita è bella - Priča mog života”), while on 28 August Josip Ledina and Diego Vitasović presented „Stone Dreams” („Snove od kamena”).
The programme also included the love poetry event „Words of Love” („Govori ljubav”), performed by Vedran Mlikota and Siniša Ružić.
On the main stage in Tomaso Bembo Square, the Festival presented the preview performance of the humorous drama „Survey on the Erotic Life of Croatian Women” („Anketa o erotskom životu Hrvatica”) by Tatjana Šuput Raponja, directed by Robert Raponja and produced by Gala Theatre.
The Thursday programme in June, August and September featured guest performances by Teatro Moruzgva, Teatro Rugantino, Lectirum Theatre Company, Teatro Naranča, Gavran Theatre and Teatro Erato.
Once again, Little Bembo, dedicated to the youngest audience, presented recent productions by children's theatres and theatre groups from Croatia and abroad every Wednesday in Tomaso Bembo Square. The programme included „The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle” („Avanture doktora Dolittlea”), „Cvilidreta” („Cvilidreta”) and „The Fox and the Stork” („Lisica i roda”) by Teatro Naranča, „The Three Little Pigs” („Tri praščića”) by Lectirum Theatre Company and „Thumbelina” („Palčica”) by Beli Manastir City Theatre.
A rich international programme at Fort Forno
The summer programme at the renovated Austro-Hungarian Fort Forno was also rich. The sixth Bembo Fest opened there with „Shadow, Eurydice Says” („Shadow, Eurydice says”) by Elfriede Jelinek, directed by Sabine Mitterecker and produced by the Austrian Theater Punkt in collaboration with the National Experimental Theatre „Kujtim Spahivogli” from Tirana.
The performance was part of the 2nd Days of Austrian Culture in Bale, as was the exhibition „Where the Body Becomes a River” („Where The Body Becomes River”) by Austrian visual artist Eva-Maria Raab, opened at the Ulika Gallery.
At Fort Forno, tenor Zoran Tomaić and pianist Sandro Vešligaj performed the concert „Bel Canto Italiano”. Four performances of Marijana Nola's musical theatre story „One Beautiful Night in Bale” („Jedne lijepe baljanske noći”), directed by Robert Raponja, were also presented.
The Days of Italian Culture in Bale also featured the performance „Son io cosa vostra? – Women, Masks and Music... Goldoni Today” by the Hellequin company from Pordenone.
The connection between culture and tourism
This year's Festival edition once again demonstrates that the organisers and founders of Bembo Fest, following one of the Festival's defining principles since its first edition, continue to successfully promote the connection between culture and tourism while systematically developing and strengthening their audience.
In its sixth edition, Bembo Fest once again confirmed its important place on the cultural map and served as a significant cultural event through which Bale, over three summer months, became a distinctive meeting place for art, creativity and international cooperation.
More information about the Festival is available on the official websites and social media channels of Teatar Fort Forno and the Tourist Board of Bale-Valle.
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