City of Women: Nataša Živković: Sonny

A woman is a sack made to endure. – the Kanun, the Code of Lekë Dukagjini from the Middle Ages, north Albania and Kosovo.

#Unwanted. That’s a common girl name in our Montenegro. – a Women’s Rights Centre poster of a campaign against selective abortion practice, Montenegro, 2017

Montenegro’s last “virgina” has died. Her last wish was for her family-grave epitaph to describe her as her father’s only surviving son. – Blic, 2 August 2016
Sonny! – says a close relative when I visit her in Montenegro.

Sonny is an attempt at an anthropological research of a specific phenomenon in a performative form. It is an amazed fascination with images and stories of sworn virgins or “virginas” from the remote parts of Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo and Metohija. It is a hole in the system which maintains that same system. It is drag in relation to the question of surviving in a man’s world asking us in what world we live.
The performance will be followed by a conversation with the author.

Author and Performer: Nataša Živković
Performers: Daniel Petković, Loup Abramovici
Space design and scenography: Lenka Đorojević
Lighting design and technical direction: Špela Škulj
Photography: Nada Žgank
Artistic advisory: Teja Reba
Executive producer: Eva Prodan
Production: City of Women
In collaboration: Bunker and Old Power Station – Elektro Ljubljana
Special thanks to: Maska and Mladinsko Theatre
Support: Ministry of Culture.

Performance was made in frame of European Project Performing gender – Dance makes differences.