DOCUMENTARY

Chokri Ben Chikha travelled to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories in January 2024 to prepare for his play “Persians. Triumph of Empathy”. Director Jan Beddegenoodts and Chokri Ben Chikha made a documentary about this journey.

Can you have empathy for your enemy in times like these?
And who has the hubris? Netanyahu? Hamas? Or the makers themselves?

🕗 ± 50 min
💬 Spoken in English with Dutch/English subtitles

Persians. Triumph of Empathy

Persians. Triumph of Empathy is a remarkable theatre production directed by Chokri Ben Chikha. In this performance, he and six performers explore how to be more understanding and empathetic in a conflict that has been going on for decades: the conflict between Israel and Palestine. They do this by looking at one of the oldest plays in history, Persians by the Greek writer Aeschylus. The performance, based on interviews Ben Chikha conducted in Israel and Palestine in January 2024, combines words, dance and music into an engaging and moving whole. Persians. Triumph of Empathy thus balances between art and reality, opportunism and empathy.