No Man’s Land
The internationally acclaimed war drama No Man's Land, written by Danis Tanović and directed by Aleksandar Morfov, comes to life again on the stage of the Macedonian National Theatre. Using elements of black comedy, the play satirically portrays the horrors of war and the media obsessed with sensation and ratings, all in a world scarred by terrorism and armed conflict.
The story takes place during the Yugoslav conflicts of the 1990s. Tanović's drama sees the roots of the war in the aggressive assertion of cultural identity – including religious affiliation – intertwined with territorial, political, and economic ambitions. A striking aspect of the story is that the two opposing sides, the Bosniaks and the Bosnian Serbs, bear an uncanny resemblance to one another. This phenomenon highlights that our supposedly irreconcilable differences are actually superficial, yet the conflict continues to rage. In reality, neither side truly understands why the war began, yet both remain trapped in the cycle of violence. Tanović’s work presents a familiar subject from a new perspective, revealing the frightening, destructive, and unstoppable force of human destruction.
The play is a stage adaptation of Danis Tanović’s Oscar-winning film No Man’s Land, which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001.
Aleksandar Morfov is regarded as one of Europe’s most significant contemporary directors. His productions have been staged in leading theatres in Bulgaria, Russia, Israel, Latvia, Romania, Macedonia, and other countries. His work has been recognized with numerous national and international awards, including the Askeer, Icarus, Golden Muse, Golden Mask, Crystal Turandot, and Seagull prizes.
CAST
Ciki – Sashko Kocev
Cera – Toni Mihajlovski
Nino – Aleksandar Mihajlovski
Rambo – Gorast Cvetkovski
Bosko, Serbian Sergeant – Aleksandar Mikic
Mile Prlic, Serbian Officer & Photograph – Tome Stankovski
Celo, Bosnian Camp Officer & Cameraman – Aleksandar Gjorgjieski
Mirza, Bosnian Camp Officer & CNN Cameraman – Borche Nachev
Captain Dubois & Calauza – Oliver Mitkovski
Jane Livingstone, CNN journalist – Sofia Nasevska-Trifunovska
General Smith – Nenad Andjelkovic
Genistul, the Deminer – Nikola Stefanov
Pierre, UNPROFOR camp – Stefan Spasov
Sergeant Marchand, UNRPOFOR Sergeant – Grigor Jovanovski
Secretary, UNRPOFOR camp – Kristina Gieva
Emir, Bosnian camp, soldier & George, UNPROFOR camp – Filip Milenkoski
Secretary, UNRPOFOR camp – Marija Kondovska
Soldier, Serbian Camp – Tome Stankovski
Soldier, Serbian Camp – Aleksandar Ivanovski
Director: Aleksandar Morfov
Set design: Nikola Toromanov & Valentin Svetozarev
Costume design: Valentin Svetozarev & Nikola Toromanov
Dramaturge: Zagorka Pop-Antoska Andovska
Lighting design: Chris Jaeger
Assistant directors: Nikolina Kujacha & Nikola Kimovski
Stage manager: Nikola Kimovski