The word progress on my mother’s lips doesn’t ring true by Matei Vișniec

Through a surrealistic framework where everything seems off-key, unfolds a completely realistic story of any war of the present, past, or future. The author is inspired by the dissolution of Yugoslavia and uses his work to give space to the human soul to mourn its existence, which can be lost at any moment if ‘the powerful’ so desires. In the play, Vigan and Yasminska return to their village after the end of the civil war, searching for the body of Vibko, their lost son who had fought in the war. The local community views them with suspicion, seeking ways to exploit their mourning for financial gain. People, whether alive or dead, are nothing more than means of exploitation for profit. The couple’s only source of income is their daughter, Ida, who became involved in a trafficking ring during the civil war and is now prostituting herself in central Italy. Ida experiences a parallel story of the degradation of human existence. Forgotten by everyone—by the state, international organizations, friends, relatives, and even life itself—the couple decides to uncover the thread of their family history on their own. Through their personal journey, emerges the story of the wartime horrors of the entire 20th century.