It’s been a year and we’re still finding it hard to believe: Branko Cvejić, our Cveja, for the second season in a row will not be performing either at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre or any other theatre; we will not be running into him at film sets, theatre bars, restaurants and no one will pop round to say – I recently ran into Cveja on the island of Brač.
Cveja spent his theatre, acting and “managerial” life at his beloved YDT even though he was part of the entire theatre life of Belgrade and the theatre life of the part of this planet we nowadays refer to as “the Region”. He was always at home, even in places where he wasn’t the host. Something so typical of good people, of people who are loved. He was always where he needed to be, on the side of the theatre, on the side of humanity. He worked tirelessly for others, knowing full well he was, in fact, working for that long forgotten cause – the benefit of the community. If he made mistakes, he was able to admit them, to ask for forgiveness and to receive it. And if he did the right thing – which was most of the time – he did not parade his victories for all to see.
Branko Cvejić Esq. was a man of Belgrade in the best and purest sense of this important, albeit antiquated term. We remember him with pride, honoured to have known him and worked with him and saddened by the fact that that which is incomprehensible is nevertheless a fact.