'They Are No More' wins Grand Prix at SKUPI in Skopje
The Hartefakt and Sarajevo War Theatre co-production was the best of eight plays in competition, and Mirjana Karanovic won the award for her role as Sadika.
Eight plays from Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Poland, Moldova, Turkey and Bulgaria competed from October 10 to 17 at the Albanian Theatre in Skopje, and the Grand Prix of the 20th SKUPI International Festival, for best production, went to “They Are No More”.
The expert jury, made up of Vesna Kusleska, Merita Cocoli and Anisa Ismaili, gave the play a second honor: the “Luran Ahmeti” award for the portrayal of Sadika went to Mirjana Karanovic. The awards were announced when the festival closed.
Who is behind “They Are No More”?
The play is a co-production of the Belgrade-based Hartefakt House and the Sarajevo War Theatre SARTR. It was written by Doruntina Basa and directed by Andrej Nosov, who earlier won the “Ljubomir Muci Draskic” award from Atelje 212 for this staging, presented at the “Mucijevi dani” event. The international collaboration also involved the organization My Balkans, Norway’s Ibsen Scope and Germany’s Allianz Foundation.
Alongside Mirjana Karanovic, the cast includes:
- Svetozar Cvetkovic
- Alban Ukaj
- Maja Salkic
- Davor Sabo
- Kemal Rizvanovic
- Mateja Mavrak
- Hana Zrno
- Sanin Milavic
- Faruk Hajdarevic
- Alen Konjicija
- Natalija Dmitrijeva
- Dino Hamidovic
What is the play about?
Sadika is a woman who leans on memories and objects to hold on to what she has lost. Her story is crossed by lives that have vanished, families that have been torn apart and futures that never happened. According to the descriptions carried by Nova.rs and Kurir, the play is an intimate story about loss, memory and life after trauma, and through it raises the question of the legacy of war and its consequences across the former Yugoslavia.
Where has the play been staged, and where can you see it?
Besides Serbia, “They Are No More” has been performed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Norway, the United States and North Macedonia, and it is part of the regular repertoire of the Hartefakt House. Nova.rs reports that it was staged in New York late last year.
Sources disagree on when the play premiered in Belgrade. Danas says it happened in early June 2025, while Nova.rs gives May 2025.
Belgrade audiences can see the play on November 12, 13 and 14 at the Hartefakt House, at 8 p.m. Tickets are sold on Tickets.rs and at the venue’s own box offices.
