Italian company from Croatia at the Festival

The morning discussion on Thursday began with a review of the story of the Lux Boreal dance company, followed by an analysis of the previous night's performance. Members of the company mentioned especially the reaction of the Cluj audience (and audiences in general). Henry Torres said that the situation is more or less the same everywhere: Lamb  is a challenge to spectators, but every performance is a challenge to the dancers too – it is about an uncomfortable, disturbing rite.

Today, there was a local performance in the Studio. The company of the Hungarian Theatre of Cluj presented Nona Ciobanu’s Who Shuts the Night at 5 pm and 9 pm. At 7 pm in the Main Hall an Italian company from Croatia, the HNK Zajc Rijeka ‒ Dramma Italiano, presented the performance Kafka Project: Frontiere / Granice / Meje / Grens / Borders. The production challenges us to think about the meaning of real and imaginary borders, the relationship between a person and a state, individual and human rights, government and the common man. Following the performance, Andras Visky led a discussion with the members of what is the only Italian company that works outside of Italy. They talked about the performance (for example, evoking Pina Bausch) and the special minority status of the Dramma Italiano.

The day was brought to a close in the basement of TIFF House by Stereo Trombone, a music band from Cluj. The ingredients of Thursday night's musical cocktail included house, trip-hop, experimental, deep and nu jazz.