Chronicle by Raoul Horn
Is the Republic of Baklava an alternative to Eden?
It might be, it might not be, but let's not over-interpret. This republic is built more on rolled-up sleeves, hands deep in flour and walnut powder. What? Did they work in Eden? No. And this is why the republic is a more humane version of Eden. One thing is similar – they both don't pay much tax... not at all. But the republic is also a hell – for diabetics.
What was the idea of foundation?
Well, love. It sounds sugary like sheets of dough stuck together, but this is where it started. Fatih and Sophia, a Turk and a Greek, wanted their son, Meze, to grow up free and untouched by the cultural malfunctions of the two countries they came from. A kind of middle ground. That is why they rented out, until their eventual death, an island, turning it into a pâtisserie camp with a Byzantine accent.
And didn't the Turks and the Greeks have something to comment?
Of course, they did. What would the world be like without wars? There would be no world, we would not recognize it. That is why Fatih and Sophia imposed a more drastic customs control at the shore. That is, the newcomer, in addition to an interrogation, was also baptized with flour. Don't get me wrong, they said it themselves – everyone can quietly pray in their corner of the island. So, it was freedom, not dictatorship.
Is the Republic of Baklava a model to follow?
Since they drew the brine of independence from the Greek Revolution of 1821, this does not, however, make it an ideally high-profile construction. Countries are born and perish. Neither of them is a model to follow. It's the same with people. Greeks, Turks, Moroccans, Nigerians, Syrians, and many others built a Baklavan cozy house on the island. I think now of the Byzantine Empire, which, at some point, was as big as Transylvania, but it was still an empire. As for the Baklava Republic, it is not specified whether it saw itself as an empire or a model to follow, not even in its Constitution. Usually, the things that come out of love remain, they do well, but when you add the power to it, suddenly, that's it, the good is gone. You wait to see what the ruins will look like. But until then, our flag is waving from ingredients in the oven.
The show?
Surprising, lively, with rhythm. It also holds that bombastic comedy that all of us in the Balkan area have. As Metternich said, after Vienna, the Balkans begin. Powder barrels, borders that are erased and redrawn, dissatisfied neighbours, Eurocrem (or Dinarcrem, more politically correct). Recently, the fuse on which the show was built was also found: a Facebook post. Countries are born from posts. It is the same with shows. If you have no posts, there is no theatre and no country, either. Baklava-less.
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“Theatre Chronicle @ Eurothalia” is a programme conceived by Daniela Șilindean together with the team of the German State Theatre Timișoara, within the Eurothalia 2023 European Theatre Festival, held between 20-30 September 2023, financed by the National Cultural Program Timișoara - European Capital of Culture in 2023.
