The director of the player play is complaining of ‘extremely serious’ threats »
director Botond Nagy announced that in the context of the controversy created around the show ‘The prophet Elijah‘, mounted at the National Theater’ IL Caragiale « in Bucharest, received threatening and discriminatory messages on social media platforms, for which he made criminal complaints and notified the National Council for Combating Discrimination.
« As a result of the events that occurred in the last two days, I make the following ads:
In the context of the controversy created around the show « Ilie Prophet », mounted at the National Theater « Il Caragiale » in Bucharest, I was the target of threatening and discriminatory messages on social media platforms. These messages contain extremely serious threats to my physical and mental integrity, as well as insults and incitations, motivated by my Hungarian ethnic origin.
As a result of these facts, my lawyer has already initiated legal steps against 14 persons who sent messages of this kind:
1. Criminal complaint for committing threatening offenses (art. 206 Criminal code) and incite to violence, hatred or discrimination (art. 369 Criminal code)
2. Petition to the National Council for Combating Discrimination for the contravention of the facts of discrimination committed against me.
Freedom of artistic creation is a fundamental right in a democratic society, and the threats and intimidations against an artist because of his work and/or his ethnic origin are a direct attack not only to that person, but to the essential principles underlying a free society.
I believe that these messages obviously exceed the limits of freedom of expression and fall within the sphere of illegality.
I emphasize that, as the Bucharest National Theater said in its official statement, the show « Prophet Ilie » does not intend to bring any offense to the Christian faith or any other religious belief, but it is « a reflection on faith, the fragility of human beliefs and on the dangers of extremism. »
I would like to thank all those who have expressed their solidarity.
I will continue to carry out my artistic activity with the same passion and dedication, without leaving my freedom of limited creation of intimidation acts ”, wrote on Facebook the director.
The Romanian Patriarchate transmitted a point of view regarding this play, showing that it took « grief » by the defamatory use of the Christian religious symbols during the performance. The representatives of the Patriarchate said that the respect of the Christian symbols is an important and necessary spiritual and cultural act in an increasingly secularized and inclined world towards an interpretation of discernment of spiritual life.
And TNB reacted, specifying that installation is a reflection on faith, the fragility of human beliefs and on the dangers of extremism of any kind, being an artistic approach that encourages tolerance, dialogue and a deeper understanding of the complexity of the human spirit.
The « Il Caragiale » National Theater in Bucharest has shown that the show has no intention of blasphemy or lack of respect for religious values.
« We consider that some critical reactions are the result of an erroneous interpretation of the artistic message, which does not deny, but on the contrary, it brings to light the complexity of the relationship between man, faith and society. We respect the right of each spectator to have his own beliefs and we encourage the open dialogue, in the spirit of the theater values as a space, the theater is not. imposed, a space in which each spectator has the freedom to interpret and reflect, ”said TNB.
