Emir Kusturica’s concert to Tbilisi delayed
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, October 2
Serbian film director, actor and musician Emir Kustirica’s concert to Tbilisi has been postponed due to Georgia’s law on its occupied territories, which reads that people who have visited Georgia’s occupied territories will be “held responsible” in Georgia.
Kusturica visited the occupied South Ossetia region in 2009. Accordingly, this means that he violated Georgia’s Law on the Occupied Territories.
The Art Media Group’s founder and director Lela Aslanikashvili (who organized the concert) said the company did not know about Kusturica’s visit toTskhinvali.
“Certain legal issues need to be found out for his arrival…the concert has been postponed but it may also be cancelled,” she stated.
The organizer also noted that Kustirica, as a refugee from the Serbian war, is against all kinds of conflict and it is common for him to visit the conflict zones of different countries.
“Kusturica declares that none of his public performances were against the Georgian people. He criticized the government of Georgia, not the country or nation…he is aware of our history and culture and it is very interesting for him to visit Georgia, but only if his visit is accepted by the Georgian government and backed by the Georgian people,” Aslanikashvili added.
Kusturica’s concert in Tbilisi was to be held on December 7 2017 together with the rock band-the No Smoking Orchestra, which is one the most demanded travelling musical bands in Europe.
