elc team
Greek-Albanian director Mario Banushi has been awarded the Silver Lion of the 54th International Theatre Festival, organised by La Biennale di Venezia.
The decision was approved by the Biennale’s Board of Directors, following a recommendation by Willem Dafoe, Artistic Director of the Theatre Department. The official awards ceremony will take place in Venice during the festival dates, 7–21 June 2026, at Ca’ Giustinian, the headquarters of La Biennale di Venezia.
In his statement, Dafoe highlighted Banushi’s distinct theatrical language, one that is deeply personal, emotionally precise, and rooted in Balkan cultural memory:
“Through his almost autobiographical narrative, expanding into experiences of grief, mourning, absence and family traditions, Mario Banushi reveals himself through a poetic, elliptical language made more of silences than words, yet allusive and painfully communicative. […] Banushi’s theatre, so immediately familiar and deeply rooted in Balkan culture, also knows how to be intelligently political: a sharp blow to the contradictions of our time.”
As part of the festival programme, the 27-year-old director will present for the first time the complete trilogy entitled Romance Familiare.
Meanwhile, the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement will be awarded to acclaimed Italian director Emma Dante, who is set to present the world premiere of I fantasmi di Basile.
Photos: © Evita Skourleti
