Heartefact is starting work on a new theater production, an authorial project by director Patrick Lazić and dramaturge Dunja Matić, inspired by the controversial film “Climax” by acclaimed director Gaspar Noé. The premiere of the play is planned for early December at the Heartefact House.
The initial idea for adapting this, for many, the most anxiety-inducing and provocative film, came from young actor Aleksej Bjelogrlić, who also performs in the play alongside Pavle Mensur, Anja Ćurćić, and Andrej Nježić.
The film “Climax” is based on a true story about a young and ambitious dance troupe practicing in an abandoned school, where the night before a crucial performance, they lose control of themselves, prompted by a hallucinogenic drug secretly added to their drinks. Fear, uncertainty, and a feeling of being coerced into the experience trigger panic, paranoia, violence, and activate deeply suppressed parts of their personalities.
When asked why he was particularly drawn to proposing a theatrical adaptation of this film, Aleksej Bjelogrlić responded: “Gaspar is one of the most authentic filmmakers in today’s film world, and that’s what attracts all of us who are in it, to see if we can reach our authenticity on the theater stage, inspired by his unique creativity. Gaspar said what he wanted in his work under those circumstances; we will say something we want. So, I’m glad that our ‘Climax’ will be significantly different from the film, yet very similar.”
“For me, Climax is a story about the thin line in all of us between human and animal (beast), between reason and instinct, and how that line shifts very flexibly under certain circumstances. Also, I’m working on this story because I wonder what it is in human nature that starts to destroy things just when everything is fine. We have gathered a great young cast, and I’m looking forward to exploring this theme with them, making the proposed characters their own and authentic with each passing day,” said director Patrick Lazić, for whom this is the second play in Heartefact’s production, following “Our Son,” which will also be performed on the Heartefact House stage.
Playwright Dunja Matić has been involved in the development of the idea for the play “Climax” together with Aleksej Bjelogrlić and Patrick Lazić from the beginning, and she emphasizes: “Gaspar Noé is known for his unique visual aesthetics, and the film ‘Climax’ is a prime example of how the director’s specific expression, recognizable by long, fluid scenes and intense camera work, skillfully hypnotizes the audience. Our intention was to transfer this visual explosion onto the stage and provide the audience with a new and challenging live experience. Our goal is for this play to contain both emotional depth and sensory dynamics on stage. Personally, I am further encouraged to think outside the usual frameworks in order to complement, adapt, and convincingly present such a story.”
In addition to the premiere of the play “Climax,” the audience can expect another new production on the Heartefact House stage by the end of the year, while until then, viewers can enjoy the performances from the theater’s regular repertoire.
The play is realized within the framework of the Reconnection 2.0 program, which is established in collaboration between the Heartefact Foundation and Qendra Multimedia, supported by the European Union Office in Kosovo.
