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Between 1986 and 1991, Pekić read his “Letters from London” every week at the BBC World Service in London; these were subsequently printed in Yugoslavia as Pisma iz tudjine, Nova pisma iz tudjine, and Poslednja pisma iz tudjine (Letters From Abroad, 1, 2 & 3, 1987-1991). Each book was made up of 50 letters with witty and inventive observations about England and the English people. The letters were broadcast for listeners in Yugoslavia, for whom Pekić particularly enjoyed making numerous humorous comparisons between the English and his fatherland’s governments, country and people. For these books he received the “Jasa Ignjatović” award (Hungary) in 1991.
Pekic also ran a series on the same program at the BBC about the history of Great Britain, which was published posthumously - Sentimentalna povest Britanskog carstva (A Sentimental History Of The British Empire, 1992), for which he received the yearly “BIGZ” award. The book was published numerous times enjoying a huge success.
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Pekić distinguished himself in the 1970s as one of the best Serbian contemporary dramatists. He regularly wrote radio-plays for Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Cologne, as well as Sueddeutscher Rundfunk, Stuttgart. Of the 27 plays written and performed in Yugoslavia, 17 had their first production in Germany.
Apart from Peter Urban and others, Mirjana and Klaus Wittmann translated Pekić's plays and were as recently as in 2011 honored during the Leipzig book fair, which featured Serbia as the country of interest.
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Many of Pekić's radio-plays were transformed into theatre and/or TV plays, and received a number of prestigious awards. Sixteen were published in his Odabrana dela (Selected works, 1984) and his play “Generali ili srodstvo po oružju” (The Generals or Kinship-In-Arms, 1969) can be found in any anthology of Serbian contemporary drama.
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FILMS AND FILM-SCRIPTS
The Time of Miracles, produced by Singidunum, Television Belgrade, Channel Four Films, Metropolitan Pictures, 1990. Directed by Goran Paskaljevic. Screenplay by Borislav Pekic. The film is in Serbo-Croat with English subtitles. Source - Channel Four. System: Pal. Represented Yugoslavia at San Sebastian International Film Festival, winning the OCIC Award. Film Festivals at Moscow, Glasgow, Montreal and Vrnjacka Banja.
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It is loosely based on the story “Death at Golgotha” from Pekic’s novel The Time of Miracles. The suffering that occurred at Calvary is substituted in this film by the happenings in a small village in Serbia after the Revolution.
The Defence and the Last Days or The Summer of White Roses, directed by Rajko Grlic. Screenplay by Pekic based on his novel The Rise and Fall of Andrija Gavrilovic. Produced by: Jadran Film, Zagreb - AMY International, London - Maestro Film Zagreb, 1989, in English. “Grand Prix” and “Tokyo Golden Dragon” for the Best Film and Best Director’s award Tokyo International Film Festival, “Golden Arena” Pula Festival,” official selection in: San Sebastian - Spain, San Francisco, and FILMEX Los Angeles. Distributors: Castle Target International - London, Media Video - Los Angeles.
The action focusses on Andria who is a lifeguard in some remote Serbian village on a river, during the German occupation. He spends his time waiting for someone to drown. Andria is afraid of losing his job, since no one seems to need his assistance. Suddenly he manages to rescue a German high-ranking officer. The Germans award him a medal, but the Serbs hate him for ‘collaborating’ with the Nazis. His Calvary begins with this event but does not finish there. His prepared defence for the court is based on Socrates’ plea. But in the end he kills himself, being unable to fight anymore.
Quo Vadis Zivorade? Bosna Film, Sarajevo, 1982. Director Milo Djukanovic, screenwriter Borislav Pekic. A comedy.
Valter is Defending Sarajevo, Bosna Film, Sarajevo, 1982. Director Hajrudin Krvavac, so-screenwriters: Borislav Pekic & Djordje Lebovic.
The Thirteenth of July, production: Zeta film, Budva and TV Titograd, Republic of Montenegro. Directed by Radomir Saranovic. Co-screenwriters: Ratko Djurovic, Punisa Perovic, Radomir Saranovic, Milo Djukanovic, Mirko Kovac & Borislav Pekic. First showing: 23rd April 1982.
The film is an epic about the start of the war and the downfall of Yugoslavia, as well as the uprising and the revolution in Montenegro at the beginning of the Second World War.
The Sun from another Country’s Sky / In an Ambush, Bosna film, Sarajevo, 1968. Directed by Milutin Kosovac, co-screenwriter Borislav Pekic, Djordje Lebovic & Milutin Kosovac.
The Smoke, Avala Film, Belgrade, 1967. Directed by Slobodan Kosovalic. Co-screenwriter Borislav Pekic.
The plot has a young Jew, who wants to revenge himself on the commander of a concentration camp during World War 2, in which his family perished.
The Trojan Horse / The Trojan War, co production Studio Titograd, Podgorica & Studio Dovzenko, Kiev, 1967. Director Milo Djukanovic, screenwriter Borislav Pekic. The film was never produced.
The Bridge on Tara, Lovcen Film, Budva, 1966. Director Bane Bastac, screenwriter Borislav Pekic. Documentary.
The Town and the Girl / The Thirsty Emperor, co-production: Lovcen Film (Studio Montenegro), Budva, and Maksim Gorki, Kiev, 1966. Director Bosko Boskovic, screenwriter Borislav Pekic. The film was never produced.
The Blackmailer / The Informer, co production: Bosna Film, Sarajevo, and Defa Film, Berlin, 1965. Co-screenwriters: Borislav Pekic and Djordje Lebovic.
Where is Harry Shihter? 1965, screenwriter Borislav Pekic.
Growing-up Time, Bosna Film, Sarajevo, 1965. Screenwriter Borislav Pekic.
Cetinje, Lovcen Film, Budva, 1965, screenwriter Borislav Pekic.
Career, Avala Film, Belgrade, 1965. Director Milo Djukanovic, screenwriter Borislav Pekic. The film was never produced since it was banned by the ideology committee of Avala Film (Latinka Perovic).
The Man who Didn't Come, Avala Film, Belgrade, 1964, screenwriter Borislav Pekic.
Men, Lovcen Film, Budva, 1963. Directed by Milo Djukanovic. Screenwriter Borislav Pekic. A comedy. Pekic also acted in the film.
The wife of Djoka Lazic is overworked. After failing to find a suitable maid, Djoka takes up that role. He behaves more and more like a housewife, in the company of men and women, on the streets and in his flat, at the market and in shops. His spouse also gets new habits and behaves as her husband had behaved before. This change meets with the approval of all wives and the revolt of all husbands. A lot of trouble, jealousy and quarrels arise from this, as do meetings of women for change in their marital relations. At the end love prevails.
The Killer Counts to Five, Avala Film, Belgrade, 1963. Screenwriter Borislav Pekic.
Goodbye Spain or Spain '39, Avala Film, Belgrade, 1963. The scenario was based on the novel by Danilo Lekic. Director Milo Djukanovic, screenwriter Borislav Pekic. The film was not realised.
The story is based on the Spanish civil war.
Holiday in Yugoslavia, Lovcen Film, Budva, 1962.
Don't Touch Happiness, Lovcen Film, Budva, 1961. Directed by Milo Djukanovic. Screenplay by Borislav Pekic. Shown at Pula Film Festival, 1962. A comedy.
After the proclamation of worldwide peace, all war budgets are used for the achievement of high living standards. Since people can not get used to this new prosperity, they run off from their spacious flats to meet in parks. When the courts also get involved, and try to convince people of the unavoidability of better living conditions, the main character of the film wakes up from his utopian dream.
There is a Time for Everything, Lovcen Film, Budva, 30th December 1961. Directed by Nikola Jovicevic, screenplay by Borislav Pekic and Nikola Jovicevic. Documentary.
Bunkers which are left from the time of the German occupation in Montenegro, were very often built from stones of burnt and destroyed houses. In the post-war years the bunkers are transformed into cafes, transformer stations or beach cabins.
The Fourteenth Day, Lovcen Film, Budva, 1960. Directed by Zdravko Velimirovic. Screenplay: by Borislav Pekic (under a pseudonym, Borislav Petrovic). Represented Yugoslavia at the Cannes Film Festival in 1961 and shown at Pula Film Festival the same year.
The subject of this film is an imaginary law passed, which enables all inmates serving a prison sentence to have an annual two-week holiday. Several people take advantage of this opportunity and their adventures in the free world are depicted here.
The Sailing-boat Called Hope or the Leper, first prize at the Lovcen Film, Budva, anonymous competition for film-scripts, 1958.
The story about a man who is affected by radioactive matter and who dies from poisoning at a cemetery for radioactive waste. A film based on this text was never produced.
From Here to Ararat, second prize at the Lovcen Film, Budva, anonymous competition for film-scripts, 1958.
The script tells us about a group of people who, after the bombing of Belgrade on the 6th April 1941, escaped with a van to the Yugoslav coast. A film based on this text was never produced.
TELEVISION PLAYS
Sillier than Madness, television play, RTS, Belgrade, 31st December 2000. Adapted and directed by Mica Milosevic.
Based on Pekic’s book Letters from Abroad, a collage of the letters, made into a TV comedy.
The Defence and The Last Days of Andria Gavrilovic, RTS Belgrade, December 1997, adapted and played by Bratislav Slavkovic – Kesa. RTV Belgrade, 1986. Adapted by Borislav Mihajlovic Mihiz, based on Pekic’s novel.
The action focuses on Andria who is a lifeguard in some remote Serbian village on a river, during the German occupation. He spends his time waiting for someone to drown. Andria is afraid of losing his job, since no one seems to need his assistance. Suddenly he manages to rescue a German high-ranking officer. The Germans award him a medal, but the Serbs hate him for ‘collaborating’ with the Nazis. His Calvary begins with this event but does not finish there. His prepared defence for the court is based on Socrates’ plea. But in the end he kills himself, being unable to fight anymore.
Where The Vines Weep, authors Rada Radakovic & Miodrag Zupanc, RTV Serbia, 1995.
Dramatisation of parts of Pekic's diaries which are published in his Selected Works, vol. 12, Belgrade, Partizanska knjiga, pp. 369-632, under the same title, Tamo gde loze placu.
How to Entertain Mr. Martin, TV Novi Sad on the 30th March 1987. Directed by A. Fotez. Published in the magazine “Pozorisna komuna”, 1970 and subsequently in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 11, Belgrade, Partizanska knjiga, pp. 45-114.
The play is a travesty with dancing, singing and shooting in which two entertainers show up in order to excite and amuse an eccentric gentleman. Some bizarre performances that they had devised for their host, in which he also participates, take place. Taking the acting seriously he kills them in the end.
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Five O’clock Tea or A Trip to the Golden Town, director: Dimitrije Jovanovic, Television Belgrade, 1985.
The play is located in an English town, where an aged lady wants to sell her house. Two older people come as buyers and they all have a great time talking. Only later do we understand that they live in an old peoples' home, they do not have any money, and that this is their way of entertainment. They play the same game with different property agencies, car sellers or tourist agencies for some luxurious and expensive holidays, and this is a sort of game for curing their loneliness. Everybody has forsaken them and nobody needs them. But the aged lady who is supposedly selling her house is also lonesome and doesn’t have any intention of selling. For her it is also a way to talk to somebody, since nobody has time for her. A sad story about the solitude of old age; no-one understands them, since everyone assumes that old people have no needs at all.
The Magical Suitcase of Madam X or X+Y=0, director: Zdravko Sotra, RTV, Belgrade, 1985.
This comedy deals with two lovers who decide to spend an exciting night at a hotel. Instead of an event full of passion and thrills, which they had planned, both realize that they can’t get rid of their traditional practices, obligations, and daily routine. The whole adventure fails since they are seriously immersed in their accustomed activities of everyday life.
The Tzintzars or The Correspondence, RTV, Belgrade, 1983. Printed in a separate edition of Atelje 212, Belgrade, 1979.
It is a television presentation of Pekic's Golden Fleece’s fourth volume. It gives a partial glimpse of the Njegovan’s family members, their life, behaviour and attitude. It is one of the most performed theater plays in Belgrade to this day, with 300 performances. Dramatization by Borislav Pekic and Borislav Mihajlovic Mihiz.
The Generals or Kinship in Arms, RTV, Belgrade, 1973. Published in a separate edition of Atelje 212 and in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 10, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 263-320. Included in The Anthology of TV Drama, RTV Belgrade, 1969, as well as in The Anthology of Contemporary Serbian Drama, ed. Slobodan Selenic, SKZ, Belgrade, year LXX, book 469, 1977.
Pekic first created it as a radio play and indicated it as a military comedy. Two retired generals, one Serb the other German, play their war on geographical maps and with military models, in occupied Belgrade. It happens in June, July and October 1944, at the house of General Njegovan. Their war-like play symbolizes, in a comical and witty way, the degree to which battles are meaningless and wars unnecessary.
How to Quiet a Vampire, RTV, Belgrade, 1977. Printed in Pekic's Selected Works, vol. 10, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 5-111.
The comedy consists of three predictions and one prophecy, according to the author’s explanation. It is a story concerning a judge who, after an accident, suffers amnesia. From that moment many misunderstandings arise between him and his family, friends, even his business associates. He can remember only the past, his youth, ideals, whilst in the meantime everything has changed, and he can’t connect to the new values of society. In the end he leaves everything, since he doesn’t want to return to this false life, one which obviously he had been leading at one time, where his original ideals had been betrayed.
THEATER PLAYS
How to Entertain Mr. Martin, The National Theatre, scena Krug, Belgrade, 8th January 1971. Directed by Zdravko Velimirovic. First prize at the festivals at Ohrid and Varna 1990. Published in the magazine “Pozorisna komuna”, 1970 and subsequently in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 11, Belgrade, Partizanska knjiga, pp. 45-114. This comedy was subsequently transformed into a radio play by Pekic.
The play is a travesty with dancing, singing and shooting in which two entertainers show up in order to excite and amuse an eccentric gentleman. Some bizarre performances that they had devised for their host, in which he also participates, take place. Taking the acting seriously he kills them in the end.
In Eden, in the East, Atelje 212, Mala scena, Belgrade, 19th March 1971. Directed by Ljubomir Draskic. Awarded the comedy of the year at Sterija pozorje, Novi Sad. Published: in a separate edition of Atelje 212 and in Pekic‘s Selected Works, vol. 11, Belgrade, Partizanska knjiga, 1984, pp. 3-43. From this comedy a radio play was subsequently created by Pekic.
An optimistic farce played by two characters, but it is not clear what their identities are. One is probably a former police interrogator, the other is maybe an informer, hence both had something to do with the police which makes them associates, in a way. The dialogue indicates that both are paranoid about somebody spying and following them.
The Generals or Kinship in Arms, Atelje 212, Mala scena, Belgrade, 19th March 1971. Directed by Ljubomir Draskic. Award for comedy of the year at Sterija pozorje, Novi Sad. Award “Princess Milica”, 1991, production of National Theatre Krusevac, directed by Nebojsa Bradic. Published in a separate edition of Atelje 212 in 1971, and in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 10, Belgrade, Partizanska knjiga, 1984, pp. 403-460. Translated into English and published in the media magazine “Scena”, 1990. Included in The Anthology of TV Drama, RTV Belgrade, 1969, as well as in The Anthology of Contemporary Serbian Drama, ed. Slobodan Selenic, SKZ, Belgrade, year LXX, book 469, 1977. The play was recreated at Atelje 212 on the 4. 10. 2001, directed by Erol Kadic, production Krestade.
Pekic first created it as a radio play and indicated it as a military comedy. Two retired generals, one Serb the other German, play their war on geographical maps and with military models, in occupied Belgrade. It happens in June, July and October 1944, at the house of General Njegovan. Their warlike play symbolizes, in a comical and witty way, the degree to which battles are meaningless and wars unnecessary.
The Categorical Demand, The Montenegro National Theater, Titograd, 23rd March 1977. Directed by Blagota Erakovic. Published in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 11, Belgrade, Partizanska knjiga, 1984, pp. 115-158. Subsequently, Pekic remade it into a radio play.
This drama is a philosophical farce, which takes place in an office for petitions, inquiries and complaints. The applicant is a deaf and mute person who has a request, but nobody can understand what he needs or what his problem is. Involved in the dispute are, beside the clerks, a number of criminology and psychology professionals. The incident looks like an event in some lunatic asylum.
The Awakening of a Vampire, the Belgrade Student's Theater, Belgrade, 1977. Directed by Dimitrije Jovanovic. Foreign production: Divadlo F. F. Burian, Prague, Czechoslovakia, 1980. Published in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 11, Belgrade, Partizanska knjiga, 1984, pp. 5-111. Pekic devised the play from his text written for the radio, and produced earlier.
The comedy consists of three predictions and one prophecy, according to the author’s explanation. It is a story concerning a judge who, after an accident, suffers amnesia. From that moment many misunderstandings arise between him and his family, friends, even his business associates. He can remember only the past, his youth, ideals, whilst in the meantime everything has changed, and he can’t connect to the new values of society. In the end he leaves everything, since he doesn’t want to return to this false life, one which obviously he had been leading at one time, where his original ideals had been betrayed.
The Hanged Man or The Rope and the Tripod, the Macedonia National Theatre, Mala scena, Skoplje, 13th April 1979. Directed by Vladimir Milcin. Published in the magazine “Scena” (under the title “The Rope and the Tripod”), no. 5 for 1971, Novi Sad, and in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 11, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 263-320. First produced as a radio play under the title “Goodbye, Comrade, and Goodbye”.
This is a farce concerning the confession of a young man, who for years doesn’t get out of bed (after the ‘Big Slaughter’) and doesn’t do anything. At last as a proof that he also could fulfill something important, he decides to hang himself. His close circle of friends, parents, and his butler, encourage him, since this would be his first meaningful act. At the same time nobody knows what hanging means, nor its implications. They all consider it as a gigantic achievement and the beginning of the young man’s responsible life. When he hangs himself at the end, everybody is perplexed to find him dead.
Chef D’Oeuvre or the Destiny of an Artist, The National Theatre, Belgrade, 6th April 1979. Directed by Bozidar Gligorovic.
Pekic’s dramatization deals with the central theme of The Golden Fleece’s third volume. Simeon Njegovan is offered, even forced in a way, to make up the head of the dead Sulaiman the Magnificent, before the battle at the besieged town of Szigeth, in order to encourage the solders to fight better. It demonstrates the artistic, moral and political implications that are involved in this act, as well as the changes which take place in Simeon, as an artist, forced by the responsible demand which is required of him. The end is fatal for Simeon, but he has achieved his masterpiece.
The Tzintzars or The Correspondence, Atelje 212, Belgrade, 5th February 1980. Directed by Arsenije Jovanovic. Awards: "Sarajevo's Applause" 1980, October's days of Culture, Sarajevo; Second prize "Gavela's evenings", Zagreb, 1980; Award for the best performance from the Association of Dramatic Artists of Serbia 1980; Award for the best actor (Bata Stojkovic) from the Association of Dramatic Artists of Serbia 1980; Award from the Cultural Establishment for the City of Belgrade for the best realization in 1980. The play represented Yugoslavia at the Theatre of Nations in Sofia in 1982. Printed as a separate edition of Atelje 212, in Belgrade, 1979.
Borislav Pekic’s and Borislav Mihajlovic Mihiz’s theatrical presentation of Pekic's The Golden Fleece, fourth volume. It gives a partial glimpse of the Njegovan’s family members, their life, behaviour and attitude. It is one of the most performed theatre plays in Belgrade to this day, with 300 performances.
Destruction of a Speech, The Belgrade Drama Theater, Belgrade, 5th April 1980. Directed by Nadja Janjetovic. Printed in the literary magazine “Savremenik”, 1-2 for 1973, and in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 10, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 113-181. Pekic first created it as a radio play.
This comedy deals with the integrity and moral values of artists. A successful writer is preparing an important speech honouring a significant government award, which he is about to receive. During the discussion with his wife about the speech, he realises how false the used words are, the hypocrisy of his position, as well as his present lack of courage which he had possessed earlier in life. He concludes that the speech should be destroyed and decides to prepare a new one. But things turn out differently.
Who Killed Lily Schwarzkopf? Or The Conception of an Interrogation Transcript, The Student’s Cultural Centre, Ljubljana, 1980. First produced as a radio play.
Pekic based the text of this play on the first postscript of his novel How to Quiet a Vampire. The interrogative principles and the ways of getting a confession from an individual who isn’t guilty form the foundation of the plot.
The Defence and The Last Days of Andria Gavrilovic, The National Theatre Nis, 29th December 1984. Directed and adapted by Branislav Micunovic. Atelje 212, Belgrade, 1.12.1985, new adaptation by Borislav Mihajlovic Mihiz. Directed by Nenad Ilic. Monologue and Pantomime Festival, the National Theatre, Scena Zemun, 22. 11. 1997 adapted and directed by Bratislav Slavkovic-Kesa. All these adaptations are different transformations of Pekic’s novel of the same name.
The action focusses on Andria who is a lifeguard in a remote Serbian village by a river, during the German occupation. He spends his time waiting to rescue someone from drowning. Andria is afraid of losing his job, since no one seems to need his assistance. Suddenly he manages to rescue a German high-ranking officer. The Germans award him a medal, but the Serbs hate him for ‘collaborating’ with the Nazis. His Calvary begins with this event but does not finish there. His prepared defence for the court is based on Socrates’ plea. But in the end he kills himself, being unable to fight anymore.
Rabies, The Belgrade Drama Theatre, 27th February 1988. Adapted and directed by Miodrag Zupanc.
This play is based on the theme of Pekic’s novel Rabies. The drama is a vision of the world’s end, which somewhat justly corresponds to that which we, in our anthropocentric vanity, have made of it, since nature had leased the planet to us only temporarily. It displays a microbiological catastrophe that occurs because of a recombination of the rabies virus in a scientific laboratory. Tearing off the petit bourgeois masque of pity from his heroes, the writer demonstrates that all people are ruthless in their rage, especially when they find themselves in trouble, and wish to save their lives. This apocalyptic vision deals with mankind as well as the nature of our civilisation. It is a science fiction drama with a number of parallel stories, and it all happens at London Heathrow Airport with a catastrophic end. On a different level it could be read as a plot with a philosophical or even a religious message.
The Time of Miracles, Atelje 212, Belgrade, 9th May 1993.
Pekic’s dramatization, written in 1970, based on the book The Time of Miracles. It is a concise version of the stories, a collage depicting Christ’s miracles with an unusual ending, but the main character is still Judas.
Art and Reality, Dadov, Belgrade, 1998. Printed in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 10, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 183-225. Initially written and produced as a radio play.
It is a comedy about vanity but written as a detective story. A writer with liberal ideas finds himself with moral problems when revolutionary terrorism places him in a crucial dilemma.
The Golden Fleece, The Belgrade Drama Theatre, Belgrade, 16th January 2001. Dramatist and director: Nebojsa Bradic. Based on Pekic’s play “Chef D’oeuvre or The Destiny of an Artist”.
This play deals with the central theme of Pekic's The Golden Fleece, third volume. Simeon Njegovan is offered, even forced in a way, to make up the head of the dead Sulaiman the Magnificent, before the battle at the besieged town of Szigeth, in order to encourage the solders to fight better. It demonstrates the artistic, moral and political implications that are involved in this act, as well as the changes which take place in Simeon, as an artist, faced by the responsible demand which is required of him. The end is fatal for Simeon, but he has achieved his masterpiece.
RADIO PLAYS
The Generals or Kinship in Arms, "Waffenbrüder", SDR, Stuttgart, 1969. Translated by Peter Urban. First written as a theatre play. Published in 1971, as a separate edition of Atelje 212 and in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 10, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 403-460. Included in the The Anthology of TV Drama, RTV Belgrade, 1969, as well as in The Anthology of Contemporary Serbian Drama, ed. Slobodan Selenic, SKZ, year LXX, book 469, Belgrade, 1977.
Pekic indicated the play as a military comedy. Two retired generals, one Serb the other German, play their war on geographical maps and with military models, in occupied Belgrade. It happens in June, July and October 1944, in the house of General Njegovan. Their warlike play symbolises, in a comical and witty way, the degree to which battles are meaningless and wars unnecessary.
The Hanged Man, "Auf Wiedersehen, Genosse, auf Wiedersehen", WDR, Cologne, 26th August 1970; translation Peter Urban, directed by Heinz Wilhelm Schwartz, under the title “Goodbye, Comrade, and Goodbye”. Published first in the magazine “Scena”, no. 5, 1971, Novi Sad, (under the title “The Rope and the Tripod”) together with the essay "Theater as a Confessionary", and in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 11, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 263-320.
A farce concerning the confession of a young man, who for years doesn’t get out of bed (after the Big Slaughter) and doesn’t do anything. At last as a proof that he also could do something important, he decides to hang himself. His close circle of friends, parents, and his butler, all encourage him, since this would be the first meaningful act that he had performed. At the same time nobody knows what hanging means, nor its implications. They all consider it as a gigantic achievement and the beginning of his responsible life. When he hangs himself at the end, everybody is perplexed to find him dead.
How to Entertain Mr. Martin, "Wie unterhält man Herrn Martin", WDR, Cologne, 10th February 1971, translated by Peter Urban, directed by Friedhelm Ortmann. Published in the magazine “Pozorisna komuna”, 1970 and in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 11, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 45-114. Pekic created it from his theatre play.
This is a travesty with dancing, singing and shooting in which two entertainers show up in order to excite and entertain an eccentric gentleman. Some bizarre performances that they had devised for their host, in which he also participates, take place. Taking the acting seriously he kills them in the end.
The Pilgrimage of Arsenije Njegovan, read on Radio Sarajevo as a radio-story in five parts from Pekic’s novel The Pilgrimage of Arsenije Njegovan.
Theseus, Have You Killed the Minotaur? "Theseus, hast du den Minotauros getöted?" WDR, Cologne, 5th November 1973, translated by Peter Urban, directed by Friedhelm Ortmann. Printed in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 11, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 321-374.
It is a tragic travesty that happens at a military trial court and its death cell on Crete in 1946. Reminiscence of the resistance commander, called Minos, about the events from 1942 to 1944 which occurred in the underground labyrinth at Knosos. Minos is sentenced to death, since he killed his comrades in the labyrinth, all in the name of the Revolution. It is not clear even at the end if he is Theseus, one of the guerrilla fighters, or if he is really Minos, their leader.
In Eden, in the East, "In Eden, im Osten", SDR, Stuttgart, 1973, translated by Peter Urban. Published in a separate edition of Atelje 212, 1971, and in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 11, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 3-43. This radio play was written by Pekic, based on his theatre play.
An optimistic farce played by two characters, but it is not clear what their identities are. One is probably a former police interrogator, the other is maybe an informer, and hence both had something to do with the police which makes them associates. The dialogue indicates that both are paranoid about somebody spying and following them.
Destruction of a Speech, "Zerstörung der Rede", WDR, Cologne, 19th September 1973, translated by Peter Urban, directed by H. W. Schwarz. "Niweczenie mowy", Radio Warsaw, 2nd October 1988, translated by G. Latuszynki, dir. N. Bjelogrdic. Printed in “Savremenik”, 1-2, 1973 and in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 10, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 113-181. Pekic subsequently adapted it for the theatre.
It is a comedy dealing with the integrity and moral values. A successful writer is preparing an important speech honouring a significant government award that he is about to receive. During the discussion, about the speech, with his wife, he realises how false the used words are, the hypocrisy of his position, as well as his present lack of courage which he had possessed earlier in life. He concludes that the speech should be destroyed and decides to prepare a new one. But things turn out differently.
Who Killed Lily Schwarzkopf? Or The Conception of an Interrogation Transcript, "Wer war Lilly Schwarzkopf?", WDR, Cologne, 1st May 1974, translated by Peter Urban, directed by Guenther Sauer.
Pekic based the drama on the first post script of his novel How to Quiet a Vampire. The interrogative principles and the ways of getting a confession from an individual who is not guilty form the foundation of the plot.
Who Killed My Immortal Soul? Or The Affair of a Travelling Salesman, "Wer hat meine unsterbliche Seele getötet, oder Klassenkampf im Stadtteil Woolwich", SDR, Stuttgart, 1974, translated by Peter Urban. Yugoslav production: Radio Belgrade, 1983. Printed in the literary magazine “Savremenik”, no. 1, 1975, and in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 10, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 227-274.
A classic comedy as well as a comedy about class, that occurs in the police station of a London suburb. Two men spend the night together in prison, trying to change each other’s class viewpoint and position. At the end they kill each other in an attempt to convince one another of the correctness of their standpoints.
A Bad Day at The Stock Exchange, "Ein schlechter Börsentag", WDR, Cologne, 11th December 1974, translated by Peter Urban, directed by Friedhelm Ortmann. Printed in the literary magazine “Stvaranje”, no. 11, 1974, and in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 11, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, pp. 211-262.
It is a symphony in four movements and it happens at a Stock Exchange. All things are commodities, and everything is an asset, including people. It takes place at a bizarre stock exchange of the Future.
The Miracle at Jabneel, "Das Wunder von Jabnel", WDR, Cologne, 12th November 1975, translated by Mirjana & Klaus Wittmann, directed by Heinz Wilhelm Schwarz. Pekic's dramatisation of the story from his novel The Time of Miracles. Produced under the name “The Clean and the Unclean or The Miracle at Jabneel” as the first part of “The Judaic Triptych”, ("Die Zeit der Wunder, Judaeisches Triptychon"). Yugoslav production: Radio Zagreb, 1980.
A tale about a leprous woman, who, after Christ has healed her, does not belong anywhere anymore. Although she is now healthy, nobody accepts her. Egla loses both husbands, clean and unclean. She ends her life on the border between the two worlds, unhappy and alone, deserted by everyone. Even Christ doesn’t remember her when he passes through that place some time later.
The Miracle at Jerusalem, "Das Wunder von Jerusalem", WDR, Cologne, 19th November 1975, translated by Mirjana & Klaus Wittmann, directed by Dieter Koehler. Pekic's dramatization of the story from his novel The Time of Miracles. Produced under the name “Disentangled Tongues or The Miracle at Jerusalem” as the second part of “The Judaic Triptych”, ("Die Zeit der Wunder, Judaeisches Triptychon"). Yugoslav production: Radio Zagreb, 1981.
The fable deals with a mute beggar to whom Christ has given the power of speech. Suddenly, since he can now express himself, he yells against Rome, Tiberius, even calls for an uprising, all things that he was not able to say before, but had thought about. He is subsequently arrested and crucified.
The Miracle at Gadara, "Das Wunder von Gadara", WDR, Cologne, 26th November 1975, translated by Mirjana & Klaus Wittmann, directed by Wolfram Rosemann. Pekic’s dramatization of the story by the same name, from his novel The Time of Miracles. Produced under the name “Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit or The Miracle at Gadara”, as the third part of “The Judaic Triptych” ("Die Zeit der Wunder, Judaeisches Triptychon"). Yugoslav production: Radio Zagreb, 1981.
Two lunatics live happily and in harmony, each pursuing his way of life and existing in his own world, although they are chained to each other. They are not conscious of their situation, until Christ comes and performs his miracle by casting their madness out. From that moment both experience real hell and kill each other at the end.
A Categorical Demand, "Der kategorische Imperativ", SDR, Stuttgart, 1976, translated by Mirjana & Klaus Wittmann. Yugoslav production: Radio Belgrade, 1983. Printed in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 11, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 115-158. At first Pekic produced it as a theatre play.
A philosophical farce, which takes place in a petitions, enquiries and complaints office. The applicant is a deaf and mute person who has a request, but nobody can understand what he needs or what his problem is. Involved in the dispute are, beside the clerks, a number of professionals for criminology and psychology. The incident looks like an event in some lunatic asylum.
How to Quiet a Vampire, "Wie erledigt man einen Vampir?" WDR, Cologne, 1st May 1977, translated by Mirjana & Klaus Wittmann. Printed in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 10, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 5-111.
The comedy consists of three predictions and one prophecy, according to the author’s explanation. It is a story concerning a judge who, after an accident, suffers amnesia. From that moment many misunderstandings arise between him and his family, friends, even with his business associates. He can remember only the past, his youth, ideals, whilst in the meantime everything has changed, and he can’t connect with the new values of society. In the end he leaves, since he doesn’t want to return to this false life, one which obviously he had been leading, where his original ideals had been betrayed.
Art and Reality, Radio Zagreb, 1978. Printed in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 10, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 183-225.
It is a comedy about vanity but written as a detective story. A writer with liberal ideas finds himself with moral problems when revolutionary terrorism places him in a crucial dilemma.
The Magical Luggage of Madam X or X + Y = 0, "Der Zauberkoffer der Frau X", WDR, Cologne, 1980, translated by Mirjana & Klaus Wittmann. Yugoslav production: Radio Belgrade, 1980.
This comedy deals with two lovers who decide to spend an exciting night at a hotel. Instead of an event full of passion and thrills, which they had planned, both realise that they can’t get rid of their traditional practices, obligations, and daily routine. The whole adventure fails since they are seriously immersed in their accustomed activities of everyday life.
The Greyish Colour of Madness or The Grey Colour of Sanity, Radio Belgrade, 1981. Printed in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 11, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 159-209.
This is a psychotherapeutic farce that takes place in a town park. The man on a bench doesn’t distinguish colours at all, but he is not colour-blind. For him all people and objects are grey, colourless and dirty. He believes that he sees everything as it really is, and that the rest of the world experiences a false, coloured impression of the environment. That is why he enters into all sorts of arguments with everybody. The play demonstrates how difficult it is to declare an independent opinion, different to that normally expressed, no matter what the topic is, whether it is about politics, society, philosophy or science.
The Tzintzars or The Correspondence, Radio Belgrade, 1982.
It is a radio presentation of Pekic's The Golden Fleece, fourth volume; a partial glimpse of the Njegovan’s family members, their life, behaviour and attitude. It is one of the most performed theatre plays in Belgrade to day, with 300 showings. Dramatisation by Borislav Pekic & Borislav Mihajlovic Mihiz.
How a Gentleman Was Forged, "Wie ein Herr gehärted wurde", WDR, Cologne, 1982, translated by Mirjana & Klaus Wittmann. Printed in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 10, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 275-322.
The play is located in a country where a totalitarian regime is in force. It represents a linguistic comedy, a sort of political Pygmalion. In one aspect it is a tragicomedy, but according to its style it is a satire.
The Women from Sion, Radio Zagreb, 1982.
Pekic’s dramatized version of the story from his book The Time of Miracles called “The Miracle at Magdala”. Jesus achieves, by miracle, to transform several prostitutes – Mary Magdalene and her friends - and to cure them of “evil spirits and infirmities”. By this wonder they become completely chaste. Instead of bringing enjoyment to these women, he has caused sadness, since they don’t feel any desire or passion any more. In other words he has deprived them of their only happiness in life.
The Short and Turbulent Life of Lazarus from Bethany or Lazarus’ Resurrection, Radio Zagreb, 1982.
Pekic’s dramatic account of the story from his novel The Time of Miracles named “The Miracle at Bethany”. It depicts the life of Lazarus, whom Christ has resurrected several times to prove his supernatural powers, but it brings only unhappiness for Lazarus. In the end his servant cremates him in order to save his master from further torments.
Bermuda Triangle, Radio Belgrade, 1982. Slovenian production: Radio Ljubljana, 1983. Printed in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 10, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 323-366.
A black comedy located in a country of tyranny and dictatorship. The psychiatrist manages to cure a policeman, Alvarez, of a mental trauma by hypnosis. Alvarez suffers as a consequence of the methods that had been used during interrogations. Later, because he has been cured, he uses the same tortures without fear, since they don’t traumatise him any more. At the end of the play Alvarez is then in a position to interrogate his psychiatrist, who dies under torture, managing not to divulge any information asked of him.
The One Hundred and Eighty-sixth Step, Radio Zagreb, 1982. First prize in Radio Zagreb’s competition, where Pekic was invited to participate. Printed in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 10, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 367-402.
A play with tragic consequences, which should have been a comedy. How far could one go in the fight for truth, fairness, and justice, is the question of this play. Are nearly all means allowed in that fight? We almost always condemn violence, not thinking that we could be in a position in which its application could seem appropriate and necessary.
Rabies, Radio Zagreb, 1983. Radio-story in five parts, based on Pekic’s novel Rabies. Radio play: Radio Belgrade, 18. 2. 1987. Directed and adapted as a play by Darko Tatic, based on Pekic's novel. Translated into English and published by Radio Belgrade, 1987.
Rabies is a vision of the world’s end, which somewhat justly corresponds to that which we, in our anthropocentric vanity, have made of it, since nature had leased the planet to us only temporarily. The play displays a microbiological catastrophe that occurs because of a recombination of the rabies virus in a scientific laboratory. Tearing off the petit bourgeois masque of pity from his heroes, the writer demonstrates that all people are ruthless in their rage, especially when they find themselves in trouble, and wish to save their lives. This apocalyptic play deals with mankind as well as the nature of our civilisation. A science fiction drama with a number of stories and it all happens at London Heathrow Airport with a catastrophic end. On a different level it could be read as a plot with a philosophical or even a religious message.
Rhine’s All Souls’ Day, "Kölner Allerseelen", WDR, Cologne, 1983, translated by Mirjana & Klaus Wittmann. Yugoslav production: Radio Zagreb, 1985 & Radio Belgrade 9th June 1991. Printed in Pekic’s Selected Works, vol. 11, Partizanska knjiga, Belgrade, 1984, pp. 375-443.
It is a thriller with occult elements, placed in Cologne on the 31st October, All Souls’ Day. Besides a psychiatrist and an old woman, a few spirits from the past appear - the old woman’s ancestors. The events which take place are a phantasmagoria, and they show the secret, invisible, underground world as genuine. Our deeds carried out at any time don’t vanish: the punishment or the rewards always reach us in the end, even after several generations.
Five o’ Clock Tea or A Trip to the Golden Town, "Ausflug in die Goldene Stadt oder Five o'clock Tea", WDR, Cologne, 5th June 1985, translated by Gerd Zenkel. "Wycieczka do Zlotego Gridu", Radio Warsaw, 26th December 1988, trans. G. Latuszynski, dir. J. Kukula.
The play is located in an English town, where an aged lady wants to sell her house. Two older people come as buyers and they all have a great time talking. Only later do we understand that they live in an old people's home, that they haven’t any money, and that this is their way of entertainment. They play the same game with different property agencies, car sellers or tourist agencies for some luxurious and expensive holidays, and this is a sort of game for curing their loneliness. Everybody has forsaken them and nobody needs them. But the same is happening also to the aged lady who is lonesome and who doesn’t have any intention of selling her house. For her it is also a way to talk to somebody, since nobody has time for her. A sad story about the solitude of old age; nobody understands them, since people assume that old people have no needs at all.
Metastasis, "Metastasis", WDR, Cologne, 1987, directed by Darko Tatic. Yugoslav production: Radio Belgrade, 4th October 1987.
This play sprang from WDR Cologne's drama studio instruction. The painting by Umberto Boccioni "The Noise Enters through the Window" was the basis for this international radio play competition. The painting inspired invited authors from Italy, Belgium, England, Finland & Yugoslavia, who each made their radio phonic answer to the painting. "Metastasis", Pekic's play, was first shown at a meeting of experts for radio-plays, who were members of the European Radio Union, where it was received with considerable interest.