INTERVJU / INTERVIEW
Martin Haselböck has said that it's real- ly the women who triumph in The Infer- nal Comedy, because they ultimately expose Jack for what he really is: namely, a patho- logical liar. Is this assessment accurate? “Absolutely. Some people accused us of glorify- ing Jack Unterweger in our piece. I never understood that criticism. I see The Infernal Comedy as a warning, a cautionary tale. Unterweger was courted and cele- brated by society, although he did unbelievably cru- el things. No one was ever held accountable for this.” Indeed, this story raises questions about the judicial system, reparation and the con- cept of redemption. Did The Infernal Come- dy shape your views on these issues? “I have never been convinced that a murderer can rehabilitate himself. Anyone who sets himself up as the final judge of another life has forfeited that right. The victim cannot get his life back, why should a mur- derer be granted this privilege? But the concept of res- titution as such is an important and essential part of Judeo-Christian ethics and morality. I just don't see how one can make amends for lives taken by force. Our piece perhaps says more about our society than it does about Jack Unterweger himself.” Unterweger constantly reinvented himself as a person, created a false biography and managed to fool society in a grotesque way. Is he thus the perfect serial killer for these times of ours, in which fake news and politi- cal imposters dominate? “Oh, definitely. But Unterweger was not ahead of his time. There have always been people like that throughout the course of history. It's just that news about their deeds spreads much faster today. But his story says a lot about the way society works, the way it deals with celebrity and fame – and it's alarming! I read various excerpts from Unterweger's literary works. I don't think much of his writing, but the more impor- tant question is: does it matter? Even if he had been a literary super-genius, society should have been ab- solutely wary of him. If murder is excused with great talent, what does that say about us?” Does playing such a dark and twisted char- acter have a cathartic effect on your soul? “Yes, I think so. The ancient Greeks were right about the function of theatre. Theatre may entertain and amuse, no question, but it is primarily there to il- luminate various aspects of the human condition. Ca- tharsis is not a one-way street, but arises in the dia- logue between performer and audience.” What projects do you have coming up in the next few months? “In Croatia, I worked with a Russian pianist friend on a project based on a novel by Chilean author Rob- erto Bolano. After that, it's off to Paris to shoot the AppleTV series The New Look. It's about the Parisi- an fashion scene during World War II.”
about Jack with vigour. But there was little interest in America, and this plan came to nothing. I never thought of playing him myself.” The music in this piece is not background sound, but rather functions as a character in its own right. Which piece from The Infer- nal Comedy moves you the most emotional- ly when you hear it on stage? “I really love all the pieces, but the final aria, Mo- zart's Ah, lo previdi, really has a special place for me. What an amazingly beautiful and powerful piece of music!” Untervegerova priča govori mnogo o načinu na koji se društvo bavi slavnim ličnostima i slavom uopšte Unterweger’s story says a lot about the way society deals with celebrity and fame
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