The sixth year of our festival brought about 30 meetings: discussions and cultural events. They mainly emphasised the need to re-examine historical and contemporary events constantly and from various points of view. Following its motto – Truth Prevails? – the festival also sought to highlight how our understandings of reality may be biased to suit various ideologies.

In collaboration with the Václav Havel Library, we prepared the exhibition The Power of the Powerless. Questions for Václav Havel at a Distance. This was followed by a series of discussions moderated by the patron of this year’s festival, the actor Sarah Haváčová.

Another pillar of the festival’s programming was a commemoration of the 100th birthday of Marie Kudeříková. The sculptor Pavel Karous updated a monument to this notable fighter for the Czech resistance to Nazi occupation; and in a discussion forum with the actor and diplomat Magda Vášáryová and other guests, we considered Marie Kudeříková’s legacy and its pertinence to us today. The festival concluded with a premiere of a dance performance inspired by Marie’s letters from prison, directed by Martin Dvořák. 

Our look beyond the borders of our country focused on Ukraine and Belarus this year, and offered among other events a discussion with Tomáš Petříček, the Czech foreign affairs minister in 2018–2021, and a musical performance by Aliaksandr Yasinski.

“When theatres closed due to the pandemic and I started to work as an orderly in a hospital, the door of my fridge was gradually covered with post-it notes, and I would constantly return to these few sentences written there: I trust that the past is not an obstacle to the future. I trust that the life of every person is valuable. I trust that seeking the good in people is worth it. I trust that the good is worth cultivating. And for this year’s Meeting Brno I venture to say: I trust that lies will never prevail.”

Sarah Haváčová
Patron of the 2021 Meeting Brno festival

Augustinian Abbey