BORKA PAVIĆEVIĆ ON KROKODIL FESTIVAL, ON THE EVE OF ITS TENTH ANNIVERSARY

02 Apr BORKA PAVIĆEVIĆ ON KROKODIL FESTIVAL, ON THE EVE OF ITS TENTH ANNIVERSARY

TEN YEARS OF KROKODIL

“I have an impression as if Krokodil has been on-going for more than ten years, though even ten years is a very, very long time, particularly in an environment where institutions disappear quickly or they “hibernate”, become ordinary and routine-like. Krokodil is everything opposite to that, it is restless and increasingly better and better organised.

With the growing number of talented participants, the level of the festival’s self-organisation and visibility is increasing accordingly. I have no doubt that both Krokodil’s participants and its audience will always remember the evenings spent on the slope below the Museum of Yugoslav History. My impression is that Krokodil has been on-going for more than a decade, because I also remember when the very first “Fak You” was organized in the Centre for Cultural Decontamination (CZKD) more than ten years ago, and how surprised I was to see such a large audience – at first in silence, and then with acclamations – listening the reading of literature and poetry. It was then that I understood what I find logical and beautiful in the Declaration on Common Language – which is that the audience at the first post-war literary festival was literally enjoying in recognizing and listening that “other” language, the language that is actually their own. Krokodil is, therefore, a working celebration of language, of the meaning of words, of reading, expression, speaking, articulation, behaviour. Krokodil is the friendship through the means of words, of language and languages, a unique symbiosis of the most versatile words and sentences with a question mark, full stop or exclamation mark at the end. Which implies being puzzled over everything that is happening to us; it is a noble and rare care for the world, a full stop to, and a definitive rejection of everything that is nationalistic and xenophobic; a full stop to prejudices and clichés, banalities and other general themes. And the exclamation for what is smart, genuine, talented, ethical and beautiful. If there is anything we need to attain freedom and happiness, aside from good health (money is not included here, though it can only have the function), it is KROKODIL, absolutely necessary for those who are growing up now, because growing up with Krokodil or without it is not the same thing, most certainly not”.

Borka Pavićević 

Since our festival is celebrating its 10^th birthday this year, we are currently collecting relevant material pertaining to various KROKODIL festival’s activities. In line with that, we would like to kindly ask you to send us brief responses to the following two questions: What is KROKODIL for you? Is KROKODIL, and in which form, necessary at present moment and in this particular context? Please, feel free to send your responses to the following email address: office@krokodil.rs

Thank you for having made the first ten years of our festival so exciting and unique! We are looking forward to your responses, and see you at the festival, as of 15^th June!