Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl believed that people from South America could have settled Polynesia in pre-Columbian times by using only the materials and technologies available at the time. Therefore, he embarks on an expedition journey to prove this was possible.
The adventure begins in Lima, capital of Peru, where the crew constructs the raft out of balsa logs and other local materials in an indigenous style as recorded in illustrations by Spanish conquistadores.
In the first encounter with the open sea, the raft named Kon Tiki after the Inca son god, resists the storm. Faced with sharks, octopuses and other sea creatures, the crew remains faithful to nature. They learn that the ocean is inexhaustible source of food. They managed to overcome all challenges and after 101 days land on the coast of Polynesia.
The play director, Marija Krstic, says that Kon Tiki brings an unforgettable adventure to children in Kikinda.
“The raft Kon Tiki managed to sail across the Pacific, relying only on the primitive methods of the ancients. The story of an expedition on a raft across the Pacific Ocean is accurate even today, when we more and more often choose natural materials and eco-friendly forms of transport in order to protect the environment and promote a healthy lifestyle,” Krstic said.
Through an exciting game with live music, puppets, shadows, lighting effects, dance and circus arts, the show introduces children to distant lands and the secrets of the sea depths, passing on an important environmental message about respecting the laws of nature.
The play, which premieres on December 11, was financially supported by the Embassy.
Heyerdahl’s book about his Kon Tiki journey with the expedition was a bestseller, while a documentary about the expedition won an Academy Award in 1951. Today, the Kon-Tiki raft can be seen in the Kon-Tiki Museum at Bygdøy in Oslo.
