Bujrum - Help Yourselves

The menu of the opening entertainment consists of Bosnian-Herzegovinian traditional dishes, exclusively prepared on the basis of ingredients which were available in Sarajevo while under siege. Bujrum – Help Yourself is a two-part performance – a preparation part, which is closed to the public, and an entertainment part, which is open to all people attending opening night – is more than a mere calling of attention to things as variable as a crisis, a notorious lack of basic material goods, the ongoing presence of wars and subsequent exclusion from social, political, economic, and information networks. During wartime, women find ways to connect beyond all borders and seas, for example by packing products (such as egg powder) that they have never even heard of, becoming heroines of daily life in the crisis, since they always invent ways to prepare “something out of nothing”. Even though the first part of the performance is an emotional and painful artistic process for the authors, the second, public part of the performance makes guests nevertheless understand (while enjoying the “exotic” food) that the point lies in creativity, solidarity, and humanity, creating a moment of empowerment and reinventing social emancipation. Dunja Kukovec

Performers: Danijela Dugandžić Živanović, Lana Čmajčanin, Leila Čmajčanin, Adela Jušić, and Alma Suljević; Concept: Danijela Dugandžić Živanović; Development of the concept: Alma Suljević, Adela Jušić, Leila Čmajčanin.
This performance was first staged in the framework of the Dani Sarajeva [Days of Sarajevo] festival in Belgrade, May 2008.
Organisation: City of Women; In collaboration with: Kinodvor; With the help of: Adria Airways.