‘POWERFUL CULTURE CLANS DON’T SCARE ME!’ Maja Gojković for Kurir: ‘Some artists secretly support me, not wishing to go public’

“I try my absolute best to do my job honestly. I receive both praises and criticisms from the well-intentioned part of the general public – they tell me it is noticeable that something positive is happening in the cultural life. There are also artists who support me politically, only in secret, but that does not come as a surprise to me. I was also secretly supported by some people when I was Mayor of Novi Sad and Speaker of the Parliament. Simply put, they don’t wish to go public because they think their standing is higher if they are politically neutral, believing that in that way they have more leeway for the future,” Minister of Culture Maja Gojković says in her interview with Kurir.

Are you bothered by the statements of people such as the Head of the Parliamentary Culture Committee Siniša Kovačević? He has said that “where the funds earmarked (for culture) are measured in permilles, there is no culture in such unfortunate countries, as it is reduced to the level of an incident.” So are we an unfortunate country, and is there culture here?

“Siniša Kovačević isn’t the only one with a negative view on the state of the cultural life. They are mostly people who were the alpha and omega of culture in not so recent past and don’t have a shred of good intentions; instead, they tendentiously and maliciously attack the Ministry of Culture and the efforts of the Government of Serbia aimed at improving our cultural life. A few days ago I read an op-ed by a person who used to run the show in the City of Belgrade’s cultural life some 15 years ago. They wrote that the Law on the Protection of Cultural Heritage had not been passed, but it was – a year ago. That’s where one can see sheer ignorance clearly. It takes knowledge to polemicise, not just the wish to hurt, insult, or call someone out. Perhaps I would have given their criticisms along these lines more careful thought had they not been silent between 2000 and 2012, when there wasn’t a single thing that bothered them in culture. I don’t know why they consider it an improper retort when they are asked, ‘And what did you do in the years when the National Museum and the Museum of Modern Arts were closed?’ They weren’t bothered when the Film Centre Serbia had just enough money to film an ad or two. They were closing cultural institutions, and we are opening them. In the course of two years, 48 cultural centres were completed all across Serbia through the ‘Cities in Focus’ open competition.”

It is said that no new theatres are built.

“That isn’t true either. The Bora Stanković Theatre in Vranje has been reconstructed. We’re building a new stage at the Niš Theatre and reconstructing the big one. The projects for the construction of the Boško Buha Theatre in Belgrade are well underway.”

Are you happy with the funds set aside for culture in the 2023 budget?

“No government minister in the world would ever tell you that they are happy with the funds set aside for culture. What is often omitted in arbitrary criticisms or attacks is the fact that we have much more money than last year – specifically, 753.7 million dinars more – but the percentage is lower in the calculation. The state budget doesn’t include the province and local culture budgets, or the loan for culture taken out for the first time for big projects, e.g. the big culture centre in Pirot, the Niš Theatre, the reconstruction of the Museum of Yugoslavia, the building of the Belgrade Philharmonic, the relocation of the History Museum to a new building, etc. When you add all that up, then the budget for culture increases significantly.”

What is the situation regarding the audiences? Is there interest in Serbia in cultural content?

“The number of visitors in the cultural institutions is on a steady increase. For instance, I’m glad to walk into the Matica Srpska Gallery and see many young people, or attend the Kolarac Belgrade Philharmonic concerts and see parents bringing their children to listen to classical music. However, the question here – as well as across Europe – is how to keep attracting new audiences, and especially how to engage teenagers.”

What is your view on the fact that in recent years the cinema has been turning to some historical, patriotic topics? Dara of Jasenovac was followed by The Storm, and Children from Mount Kozara and Košare are being filmed now.

“The question is why this didn’t happen before. Why such things weren’t taken up in films by the very same people who were at the helm of the cultural life at various levels of power, the same people who now attempt to pass themselves off as larger-than-life nationalists and patriots. Or the other ones, who used to be Communist commissaries? When the change of power took place in 2012 and the Progressive Party and Aleksandar Vučić took the stage, the relationship towards the culture of memory changed, which is a good thing. Because, in order to survive, a nation must have a culture of memory and remember each – both tragic and happy – parts of its history.”

The Draft of the Law on Cinema stipulates that it will be the director of the Film Centre Serbia who will sign off on the decisions of the Committee for Allocating Funds in Open Competitions, rather than the Board of Directors of the Film Centre Serbia (FCS) or the Ministry of Culture. Why is the FCS BoD stripped of the right to decide who to allocate filming funds to?

“What is changed is only one article, which is lined up with the Law on Culture. If the film professionals consider this wrong, then we will go back to how things were, but they need to decide already. First there was criticism regarding why this was done by the Board of Directors, and now they criticise a different solution. It makes me conclude that the best thing for me as Minister of Culture is to do nothing because, as soon as you want to change, improve, or pass more modern laws, attacks are launched. And when speak in private, they support all of it.”

When will the new members of the FCS BoD be elected? And how happy are you with the work of the current BoD?

“The election of the new FCS BoD depends on the Government of Serbia, which is the founder of that institution. The Prime Minister also has the proposals for resolving the issue of the further operation of the FCS. I expect that she will call me in soon to discuss this. The FCS Director’s term in office will soon come to an end, so we need to give it serious thought to who could take up that post in the upcoming period. And if may say what I am not happy with, then I will say that I am not happy with the current FCS Director. He travels often and gladly, and when problems arise – of which there are many, regarding funding, launching open competitions, making decisions – then he asks the Ministry of Culture to deal with it. I have told him that both privately and publicly. When the FCS is attacked, as the Director, he must acknowledge his responsibility. Furthermore, I’d like to see the data on which films have received funding without ever being made. This is what the FCS Director should be concerned with and notify us about. He should also request the return of the funds in question.”

Have you followed the polemic between Miki Manojlović and director Predrag Gaga Antonijević? First Manojlović said that “[…] someone sits on the FCS Committee, takes a look at a script, and rejects it, and then shoots their own film based on the part of that script, as we could have seen with Dara of Jasenovac. These are serious machinations.” Then Antonijević responded by accusing him of engaging in stratagems, vying to get into every administration, promoting the Albanian festival Mirdita in Belgrade, etc.

“I’ve followed some of it. I am not at all clear why a great actor like Miki Manojlović, who I talk to about various things, chose to bring up Dara of Jasenovac of all the films made with the help of the FCS. What’s more, what he said isn’t true. I have to say here that I appreciate Gaga Antonijević as a good and significant film director, who will go down in cinema history as the first person in recent times to shoot a film about our tragedy in Jasenovac.”

And do you recognize yourself in Miki Manojlović’s words to the effect that, since 1945 until the present day, it hasn’t mattered who the minister of culture has been because none has changed anything?

“I don’t recognize myself in it. That statement is pretentious.”

How far along is the monitoring of the cultural institutions’ work? Have more abuses such as the previous ones – exhibits disappearing, or no records of items gifted by the citizens – been uncovered in the meantime?

“We are always monitoring the institutions. Unfortunately, I haven’t received the inventories of collections and stock from everyone. We’re still waiting for an inventory from the Museum of Modern Art and we insist upon it, because as a state we must know what is in the possession of the museums.”

When will some cultural institutions stop having acting directors?

“There are few acting directors of these institutions – in the past two years we have appointed most directors after open competitions. The competitions for the directors of the Philharmonic and the Museum of Ethnography will follow soon, and the competition for the Open-Air Museum Staro Selo Sirogojno is underway.”

How powerful are culture clans?

“They’re powerful. The greatest number can be found in the film industry, and a bit fewer in theatres. Of course, clans are stronger where there is more money. There is none in the Philharmonic, or in the visual arts.”

So are you scared of the power of these clans?

“I am not.”

Still, do you perhaps sometimes strategize a little in order not to fall out of favour of someone in the cultural sphere?

“No. For example, I’ve been working on the Law on Cinema although many people have warned me that I will be forced to step down on account of that law. It’s like walking into a nest of vipers.”

You have brough back the allocation of national pensions – nearly RSD 65,000 a month – to deserving artists. Could you explain why they are capped at only 20 per year?

“That is what the law says. If that’s a problem, let them say it, so that we could increase the number in the coming years, in line with the financial abilities. No one says anymore that there hadn’t been any until now, all they ask is – why only 20?”

How do you comment on the opinions of some people that “most members of the Committee for Allocating National Pensions are pro-regime people,” and “that those who publicly criticize the current administration” mostly cannot count on a national pension?

“That is an insult to these people. They have their CV’s, which are honest and show integrity. No one has attacked them so far, but, lo and behold, they’re no good anymore. Perhaps someone uses such attacks to put pressure on the Committee.”

The fight for equality

‘Women are definitely not the weaker sex’

You have recently taken up the post of the President of the Government of Serbia’s Gender Equality Coordination Body. How do we change the narrative of women as a “weaker sex”?

“Women are definitely not the weaker sex. The fight for equality isn’t easy, but that’s how things stand all over the world. The media must understand how important their role is. The campaign about differences between men and women with respect to the job they do is often – with or without any intention – brought up often. That constitutes serious discrimination. As a result, a statement of a female politician carries less weight that a statement of a male politician. More attention is paid to what a woman is wearing, what she looks like, and what her private life is, than what she has said or done.”

On the Progressives’ President

‘Vučić should stay as the leader of the Serbian Progressive Party’

The President of the Serbian Progressive Party Aleksandar Vučić has announced stepping down as party leader. How do you see the future of the Progressive Party if this indeed happens?

“I am his friend and have known him for over 30 years. He was there for me and my family during many difficult times. He can always count on my support. I sincerely hope that we can do something to make him change his mind and stay on as the leader of the Progressives. What the Progressive Party is now is primarily the result of his diligence and hard work.”

On parliamentary sessions

‘I am appalled, the opposition has inflicted damage to Serbia’

CHAOS AT THE PARLIAMENT THIS WEEK, PHOTO CREDIT: SCREENSHOT RTS

Did you follow this week’s session of the Parliament at which the Kosovo issue was discussed and at which a serious incident almost occurred when a part of the opposition started to make way towards President Vučić’s seat? As a former Speaker of the Parliament, how does that strike you?

“I am appalled at the behaviour of the opposition MPs. By doing so, they have inflicted the greatest damage to Serbia. Instead of a responsible approach to the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, they engaged in violence and demonstrated disrespect for the institution of the National Assembly, showing in the process that all those self-proclaimed patriots do not really care about either the Kosovo Serbs, or their survival, or the national interest. Unlike them, President Vučić held himself like a statesman, openly saying to the citizens that tough days are ahead, but that we will fight.”

Kurir.rs / Boban Karović