Ivan M. Lalic: Time is relentlessly working against us
Playwright Ivan M. Lalic, Director of Mixer and lecturer at the Faculty of Contemporary Arts in Belgrade, spoke in an interview with SEEcult.org about the lack of responsibility and empathy in society, as well as the urgent need to talk to Generation Z, which includes his children, about a ridiculous value system wherein dwarves and criminals become heroes, and truth, justice and morality provoke ridicule.
"Time is relentlessly working against us. I have three kids and every day I need to send them a clear message about how ridiculous our current value system looks. I consider it an obligatory part of home education. In the perverse ethical, cultural and media invasion, to which we are exposed every day, everything is turned upside down. Moral dwarves, whores and criminals become heroes, and truth, justice and morality provoke ridicule. Generation Z, to which my children belong, is extremely rational, pragmatic and very prone to 'zombies', which completely eliminates sensitivity to such terrible social disorders. I barely managed to take them out to an environmental protest, and any other kind of rebellion is completely unacceptable to them. But I'm not giving up. There will be a constant struggle. However, my wife (Maja Lalic) and I invested too many ideals, integrity and faith in the fight for their better tomorrow. And that tomorrow, above all, must be - ethical tomorrow ", said Lalic.
Lalic also says that he still understands ordinary people, completely obsessed with decades of lies, who suffer and remain silent, but he cannot stand the actors of public life who give legitimacy to the government.
"Those who, through their actions, especially public ones, give legitimacy to the current surrogate of all civilization values, are candidates for the great shame in which they will live forever and - the day after. And the day after will definitely come. Sooner or later", said Lalic.
Photo: Private arhive
Commenting on the pandemic crisis, Lalic assessed that epidemiological measures in Serbia were confusing, without a clear concept and logic, but he noted that it is more or less the same everywhere in the world.
"Anti-vaxers, crisis headquarters that are under pressure, various Nestorovics who obtain profit from the tragedy. Except in a couple of Scandinavian countries, known for their high level of social awareness, empathy and solidarity. The high numbers of infected and dead are certainly a consequence of the low level of vaccination among the population. I am surprised by the resistance to vaccines among young people. I think that generation has betrayed our expectations. But it is no wonder considering the conditions we have provided for them to grow up. If each of us persuades as many unvaccinated people in our environment to get vaccinated - great. This is the only tangible recipe for getting out of the Covid hell, which is probably even worse, since the real numbers of the dead are obviously hidden", said Lalic, author of the plays "In the Flame of Passion", "My Father Fighting Against Villains from Outer Space", "Cuba libre","In the flame of passion"…
For years he was the Executive Director of the Mixer House and the Mixer Festival, and today he teaches creative writing and theater production at the Faculty of Contemporary Arts.
He is currently finishing the sadomasochistic comedy "Subject", which he has been writing for a long time, and he is wondering if anyone will dare to place it on stage.
The entire interview (in Serbian) can be found on this link.
*Cover photo: Milan Josipović
(SEEcult.org)
Funded by the International Relief Fund for Organisations in Culture and Education 2021 of the German Federal Foreign Office, the Goethe-Institut and other partners, goethe.de/relieffund
