Sanja Mitrovic casts a poignant and affectionate view at an era gone by.

Unter Grund (2023)

Eco-activist futuristic parable

For a long time, the Ruhr area was defined by mining – and it still is. Because it was not only an industry that brought jobs. It was a collective experience that created a feeling of solidarity and camaraderie, and required a lot of sacrifices. In 2018 the last German mine, Prosper-Haniel in Bottrop, was closed – a moment of pain, transition and transformation for a whole area and the people, whose identity was shaped through the industry. Based on research and interviews with former miners, author and director Sanja Mitrović writes a play for the Ruhr area and stages it at Schauspiel Dortmund. In a working class household we see a miner preparing for his last working day, while his daughter in the voiceover recounts a story of his life, thoughts and feelings. Then, we jump into the future, to a fictional world in 2040 when it’s barely possible to live on the surface of the Earth anymore. The mines are reopened as one of the rare still inhabitable environments, and the miner, his daughter, an activist, a farmer, and a local minister meet under ground. Will they manage to save the Earth and thus humankind? Born in former Yugoslavia – a country that does not exist anymore – Sanja Mitrović is particularly interested in social transformations. How do people deal with change which is enforced on them externally? How can we learn from the knowledge of the past? How can we understand loss as a possibility and a proactive impulse? Starting from a documentary material which turns into an eco-activist futuristic parable, Unter Grund is both a heartfelt history lesson and a resolute look into the future on a brink of an irrevocable catastrophe.

Cast And Credits

Cast: Miner: Ekkehardt Freye Daughter: Antje Prust (Geo-engineer and humanitarian worker) Minister: Raphael Westermeier Farmer: Adi Hrustemović Activist: Valentina Schüler Billioner: Alexander Darkow Planet Earth: Raphael Westermeier, Adi Hrustemović. Valentina Schüler, Alexander Darkow Text and Direction: Sanja Mitrović Stage Design: Jasmina Holbus Costume Design: Marija Marković Milojev Music: Marija Balubdžić Dramaturgy: Hannah Saar Script Assistance: Dimitrije Kokanov Production Manager: Sarah Jasinszczak Light Design: Stefan Gimbel Sound Design: Gertfried Lammersdorf, Christoph Waßenberg Assistant Director: Alina Baranowski Assistant Stage Design: Sandra Kania Assistant Costume Design: Tanja Faltis Stage Manager: Monika Gies-Hassmann Prompter: Violetta Ziegler Directing Internship: Fabiola-Morena Knaup Dramaturgy Internship: Zohra Sömnez

Press

  • In Unter Grund Sanja Mitrović looks into the future of the Ruhr region. Mitrović initially conducted interviews with miners, which allows for detailed information and biographical access to the topic. In the text she is never corny or maudlin. Her characters are thoughtful spokespeople of the present moment. For the cinematic finale, directing, stage design and video projection ramp up grand images to accompany a miners’ anthem. It’s a hard cut. Suddenly movement, suddenly pathos. And it feels good.

    Nachtkritik, 29.01.2023

  • A ray of light beneath the banner of coal: with Unter Grund in the repertoire the flagging Schauspiel Dortmund has a strong piece of theatre with a connection to the region. Mitrović, who also uses cinematic devices or places performers around the space to occasionally create remarkable sound installations, finds amusing, sometimes off-kilter images for a serious, complex topic.

    Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, 30.01.2023

  • In a hilarious monologue Valentina Schüler despairingly describes what she has done to save the climate – namely, everything. The scene in which the actors circle the audience, throwing arguments around like balls in a swimming pool, is also powerful. Antje Prust in the role of daughter delivers beautiful dialogues with Ekkehard Freye. Raphael Westermeier subtly unmasks the character of a minister, while Adi Hrustemović achieves impressive stage presence in the role of a farmer.

    Ruhr Nachrichten, 29.01.2023