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Festival TransAmériques
May 22 to June 5, 2025
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Matija Ferlin: SAD SAM LUCKY, Ljubljana, april 2012

SAD SAM LUCKY

MATIJA FERLIN | EMANAT INSTITUTE

An extraordinary, explosive encounter between a performer and a dead poet. Forthright physicality and words brimming with fire. A unique work fresh from the Balkans.

Details

ALTER EGOS
“Now I am” is the English translation of the Croatian term Sad Sam. Lucky is Srečko – Srečko Kosovel, the “Slovenian Rimbaud” who died in 1926 at age 22. A visionary poet, his confessional poetry rips through the veil of time to tune into the frequency of the performer Matija Ferlin in a meeting of soul mates, a conversation in the invisible. The poet is brought to life by means of a writing table, piles of paper and the body of the dancer-actor who energetically revives his deconstructed poetry in a fragmented dance that hovers between explosion and restraint. Remarkable, forthright physicality, words brimming with fire in a mystical solo-duo, stormy and physical.

Anchored in his culture and in the extremely contemporary nature of the unruly arts, Matija Ferlin will be presenting at the Festival two very dissimilar works of his Sad Sam series. A unique opportunity to discover one of the most promising Balkan artists, and to take the measure of the powerful impact of his extraordinary presence.

Credits

PRODUCED BY EMANAT INSTITUTE
CHOREOGRAPHED AND PERFORMED BY MATIJA FERLIN
ORIGINAL TEXTS SREČKO KOSOVEL AND OTHER TEXTS MATIJA FERLIN
DRAMATURG GORAN FERČEC
SET DESIGN MAURICIO FERLIN
MUSIC LUKA PRINČIČ

COPRODUCTION RENCONTRES CHORÉGRAPHIQUES INTERNATIONALES DE SEINE-SAINT-DENIS + CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA DANSE (PANTIN)
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BUNKER – THE OLD POWER STATION ELEKTRO (LJUBLJANA) + FESTIVAL OF DANCE AND NON-VERBAL THEATRE (SAN VINCENTI) AND WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE, CULTURE AND SPORT OF REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA + ZAGREB DANCE CENTER + MUNICIPALITY OF LJUBLJANA + MUNICIPALITY OF PULA

PRESENTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH MONUMENT-NATIONAL

WRITTEN BY FABIENNE CABADO
TRANSLATED BY NEIL KROETSCH

PREMIERED AT ZAGREBAČKI PLESNI CENTAR, ZAGREB, APRIL 19, 2012

 

MATIJA FERLIN | EMANAT INSTITUTE (PULA)

A dynamic emerging artist from the Balkans, Matija Ferlin is an unclassifiable artist whose work is characterized by an interdisciplinary approach and atypical experience. Trained in media and graphic arts, theatre and dance, he lived in Amsterdam and Berlin before returning to Croatia where he was born in 1982. In addition to creating his own work, he also collaborates with other artists from diverse backgrounds, working as a performer, actor or artistic consultant. He has worked with the German artist Sasha Waltz, the Canadian Ame Henderson (he was a member of the cast of /Dance/Songs/, FTA 2009 and created with her The Most Together We’ve Ever Been), the Quebecer Luc Dunberry and the Slovene Maja Delak, the founder of the Emanat Institute for the Affirmation and Development of Dance and Contemporary Art in Ljubljana, which has presented his works.

Full biography