Renowned theatre director and granddaughter of Josip Broz Tito, Saša Broz, in any media conversation cannot avoid question about her grandfather. This time she recalled her grandfather supported her activities and insisted her parents let her do what she wanted. She stated she believes it was her grandfather’s influence that resulted in her artistic profession, also sharing an interesting anecdote of him
Asked from whom she gets her physical qualities from, and from whom her temper, she stated for Dnevni Avaz newspaper:
“Many tell me I look like my grandfather. I see no large resemblance, except the fact our gaze is truly the same, except my eyes are green. I also resemble my mother, but I feel I got a bit from everyone. My mother’s side has connections to Slovenia, my grandmother was born in Maribor, with some Austrian roots. I turned to be a mix,” said the director, as published in Tportal on March 7, 2017.
She also said the last name Broz is both burdening and binding.
“It is incredible there is still a large number of people who speak with great respect of my grandfather, so much it can be burdening at times, but also binding to do the best you can in everything you do. The man did a lot and left a significant heritage behind. In that sense I don’t know if anyone will ever be able to compare to him. In a way the last name Broz sounds burdening and binding, but it is also the most wonderful last name in the world,” she stated.
Grandfather was, she said for Dnevni Avaz, the one who, when she was little, insisted on being allowed to do what she wanted.
“Maybe my parents would have been happier is I had gone to medical or law school, but grandfather was the one who said: ‘Don’t force a child, let her do what she wants.’ What I wanted was to go to ballet school play piano, go to theatre and so on. It was probably his engagement that contributed to my success. I believe he would be proud considering he was a passionate admirer of theatre, music and fine arts, basically everything that makes up my profession,” she said.
She remembered an episode where she witnessed grandfather’s reaction to an important official call.
“Grandfather was always fun. Tito was very comical. I remember a situation when we were in his residence on Brdo near Kranj. In the middle of dinner he had an official call. In a moment his mood changed and he suddenly got up and left. He was visibly angry. I found him in a room, sitting alone and watching a western – something clearly upset him, and a western, Cuban cigar and glass of whiskey were his zen moment,” described Saša Broz.
