Jury members: Mehdi, Paola Orlić, Svetlana Spaić
The “DROP” Award
Awarded to the performance: The Stone. The Sorrow
by Daniel Matos
The performance The Stone. The Sorrow by Portuguese author Daniel Matos stood out within the 31st PUF Festival program as an exceptionally thoughtful and emotionally potent theatrical form. Performed on an entirely simplified stage, it brought forth a powerful spectrum of emotions through the acting of three extraordinary performers. This work unites artistic precision and raw intimacy, opening space for deep reflection.
Using the body as testimony and silence—along with the minimal use of sound—as a rhetorical device that resonates more powerfully than words, Daniel Matos enhanced the emotional intensity of confronting bare, universal human experiences through his aesthetic minimalism.
Given the consistency of the concept, the bravery in performance, and the strong visual composition of this evoked pseudo-pastoral—which remains etched in memory long after—The Stone. The Sorrow demonstrated that even with the utmost simplicity of stagecraft, it is possible to achieve a deeply complex and profound artistic accomplishment.
Jury Statement for the “WIND” Award
Performance: Elevator
M Studio
Although M Studio’s performance Elevator unfolds within a square space measuring only 2×2 meters—a seemingly restrictive and compressed playground for its three protagonists who moved within it with fascinating ease—it was precisely this spatial limitation that allowed theatre to happen during PUF: theatre that breathed, vibrated, and, at moments, soared.
Three men in suits, trapped within the confined geometry of the everyday, evoked scenes familiar to us all—from riding an elevator, standing in a tram, to workplace tensions and ordinary hallway encounters. Despite their apparent banality and repetitiveness, these situations emphasized questions about the universal experience of the modern human and their (lack of) freedom to act.
Though they never left the white square, the three performers drew out a full spectrum of physical, emotional, psychological, and social commentaries. Initially calm, restrained, and “by the rules,” they gradually revealed internal fractures, escalating from anxiety and frustration to irritability and ultimately madness. Pretending to remain in control, they narrated with their bodies situations in which we all saw ourselves.
The foundation of the performance is the exceptionally precise and physically demanding execution by the trio. Their endurance and synergy made Elevator an incredibly convincing, almost hypnotic experience. Their ability to generate full-blooded theatrical dynamics in such a confined space is a testament to the ensemble’s technical and artistic excellence.
We especially highlight the subtly woven layer of humor—gentle, unobtrusive, yet extremely effective—which does not disrupt the structure of the performance but rather supports and deepens it, making it vibrant, human, warm, and relatable.
For its masterful execution, exceptional physical coordination, intelligent spatial interaction, and the ability to extract a theatrical “tornado” from the claustrophobia of a mere 2×2 meter “square of life”, the jury of the 31st PUF Festival awards the “WIND” prize to Elevator by M Studio—an intelligent and precisely delivered commentary on contemporary life in constrained frameworks, watched breathlessly, at times with a smile, at times with unease, but always with a sense of human recognition.
Jury Statement for the “CLOUD” Award
Performance: The Blind Leading the Blind
Montažstroj/Gavella
The “Cloud” award is given to performances that uplift—those that, through complexity, symbolism, and performative coherence, open a space beyond the everyday—a space for reflection, imagination, and intellectual elevation. The jury of the 31st PUF Festival awards this prize to The Blind Leading the Blind by Montažstroj/Gavella theatre, a theatrical creation that is intellectually powerful, directorially precise, and thematically both challenging and thrilling.
With a fully realized directorial concept, outstanding acting performances, and an impressive visual and scenic coherence, this production is a remarkably complete theatrical achievement.
At a time when artificial intelligence is often reduced to mere technological spectacle or superficial provocation, The Blind Leading the Blind offers a deep, nuanced philosophical exploration of the relationship between human and machine, consciousness and control, freedom and submission.
We particularly emphasize the exceptionally elaborate text, which addresses the theme of AI in fascinating detail without falling into didacticism or banality. Rather than offering ready-made answers, the performance poses numerous questions—ones that linger in the minds of each audience member long after the curtain falls.
The choice of Bruegel’s painting The Blind Leading the Blind as a motif is not only aesthetically effective but also a profoundly intelligent conceptual anchor. The image, which symbolically highlights human blindness and collective disorientation, becomes a brilliant reference point for examining contemporary “blindness” and the roles we play: Who leads whom? Who sees, and who chooses not to see—humans or machines, consciousness or algorithm?
For its outstanding artistic cohesion, intellectually stimulating treatment of AI, clear and precise directing, convincing acting, and inspirational fusion of visual art and contemporary theatre, the “Cloud” award of the PUF Festival goes to The Blind Leading the Blind by Montažstroj/Gavella — a theatrical work that “floats” above all that is seen and expected, remaining high in the realm of contemplation and emotion, and which—appropriately and fittingly—will be permanently stored in the literal “cloud” of PUF Festival memory.
Special Award “LIGHTNING”
Performance: Skyline
Il Posto & Marco Castelli
The jury of the 31st PUF Festival also awards a special prize, “Lightning,” for outstanding contributions and achievements in various aspects of theatre, with a focus on the visual experience, to the performance Skyline by the collective Il Posto in collaboration with Marco Castelli.
Literally turning the perspective of sky and earth on its head, Skyline delivered a true visual spectacle with exceptional beauty and grace, as performers danced vertically along the walls of the inner courtyard of the Rojc Cultural Center for a full 45 minutes.
Defying the laws of gravity with full command, Skyline offered an unforgettable experience.
