The sixth edition of the festival brought around thirty discussion and cultural programs. They emphasized, above all, the necessity of constantly examining historical and contemporary events from different perspectives. Under the motto Truth Prevails?, the festival also highlighted the theme of distorting reality in favor of ideologies.
In collaboration with the Václav Havel Library, we prepared the exhibition The Power of the Powerless. The Long-distance Interrogation of Václav Havel. This was followed by a series of discussions moderated by this year’s festival patron, actress Sarah Haváčová.
Another pillar of the festival was the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Marie Kudeříková. Sculptor Pavel Karous created an updated version of the monument to this anti-Nazi resistance fighter. Together with actress and diplomat Magda Vášáryová and other guests, we reflected on Marie Kudeříková’s legacy for today’s world in a discussion forum. The festival concluded with the premiere of a dance performance inspired by Marie’s letters from prison, directed by Martin Dvořák.
This year, the festival’s look beyond the borders of our country focused on Ukraine and Belarus, offering, among other things, a debate with the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2021, Tomáš Petříček, and a musical performance by Aliaksandr Yasinski.
“When the theaters closed and I temporarily worked in a hospital as an orderly, the fridge doors gradually filled with small notes with a few sentences that I kept returning to: I believe that the past is not an obstacle to the future. I believe that every person’s life is valuable. I believe it is worth seeking good in people. I believe it is worth developing goodness. And I dare to add, as part of this year’s Meeting Brno festival: I believe that lies will never prevail.”
Sarah Haváčová
Patron of the Meeting Brno Festival 2021
Want to learn more about the sixth edition of Meeting Brno? Have a look at our Annual Report.
