The acting jury of Atelje 212, which awards the biennial prize for best directing in Belgrade—named the “Ljubomir Muci Draškić” award and uniquely characterized by the motto “Actors to their Director”—has decided to grant the 2025 award to director ANDREJ NOSOV for the play “They Are All Gone”, produced by Heartefact.

The jury members were: Isidora Minić, Milan Caci Mihailović, and Svetlana Bojković – Jury President.

STATEMENT

The play “They Are All Gone”, directed by Andrej Nosov, explores the fate of a woman whose entire family was killed during the war amid the bloody disintegration of a country that no longer exists. She survives her trauma, living in grief and solitude in a nursing home somewhere in the Netherlands, awaiting her own end. She is a fictional character, as is her entire extended family.

Built upon the exceptionally wise and sophisticated dramaturgy of Doruntina Basha, the story is artistically shaped through Nosov’s direction, incorporating a brilliant cast led by Mirjana Karanović, alongside Svetozar Cvetković and Alban Ukaj. The voices of the family members—who appear on the main character’s birthday—are also part of the narrative, representing a family that no longer exists, but still lives on in her soul.

One particularly important element in the production is the director’s use of audio as a theatrical device, which significantly enhances the artistic scope of the play. This, along with the acting, elevates the production to the level of documentary realism—a hallmark of outstanding theatrical and acting artistry.

This performance, where technical elements beautifully serve the artistic expression, brings a deeply moving story without a trace of sentimental pathos. Echoes of laughter, humor, jokes, and songs—remnants of a life that once was—guide the audience through a profound and purifying catharsis. We are invited to confront ourselves, to awaken our deepest humanity, and to be transformed.

Mirjana Karanović’s masterful portrayal of Sadika—a woman from Srebrenica—tells a universal story about innocent victims of war around the world. These are not combatants who died on the battlefield, but unarmed civilians who were slaughtered. The story speaks to their memory and the unspeakable loss felt by those left behind. Tragically, in today’s world, catharsis in theater is increasingly rare—and more necessary than ever.

This extraordinary production “They Are All Gone”, directed by Andrej Nosov, therefore uplifts and reminds us of the director’s own words:
“Forgetting is punishment for the victims, and a balm for the perpetrators.”

Svetlana Bojković, Jury President