What do we do with people who make extreme choices and thereby place themselves outside society? How do we deal with people who are regarded as a danger to society? What if such people come to regret their actions and wish to reclaim their place in society? Do we give them a second chance, or do we consign them to oblivion? What lessons can we learn from the SS past, in view of the ISIS present?
After years of producing theatre plays, theatre company Action Zoo Humain now turns to television. Forget the priestly talk, the conflict, the feigned interest. The unprecedented talk show format Together through one door ignores the ten commandments of the civilised talk programme. The guests of the evening: the daughter of a collaborator and the mother of a Syrian fighter. Amnesty/Amnesia dives both into our collective past as well as into the current precarious sociopolitical reality. What can we learn today from the years after the Second World War, a period in history in which the "re-education" and "healing" of collaborators was a hot topic?
With Amnesty/Amnesia, Action Zoo Humain raises countless topical questions. Can the reintegration of traitors after the Second World War offer us guidance today for the return of radicalised IS fighters, especially now that the caliphate has crumbled? What place do we accord to perpetrators when we try to deal with those affected as appropriately and calmly as possible? Should we forget and forgive? What are the implications for the community and families of collaborators and those who travelled to Syria, and what happens when the two sides come face to face? Together Through One Door advocates for radical reconciliation.
The production was selected for the TheaterFestival 2018 (5–6 September, Antwerp), was performed at Theater aan Zee (TAZ) 2018 (30–31 July, Ostend) and was shown at the Nederlands Theater Festival 2018 (15 September, Amsterdam).
Press
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Klara (Belgium)
22.12.2017"As well as being a clear call for historical awareness and nuanced views on sensitive topics such as collaboration and Syrian fighters, it is also a scathing critique of sensationalist media practices that do not reflect or reconcile, but rather exploit and polarise."Read more -
BILL (Belgium)
07.09.2018"In Amensty/Amnesia, the media is no longer a mediator or watchdog, but endlessly sensationalises and trivialises events. Both Pinoy and Pessemiers-Benamar are fighting against this. In their own way, they continue to highlight the complexity of their case, against the backdrop of the horrors suffered by their family members."Read more -
Jury Report Theatre Festival 2018 (Belgium)
01.06.2018"Through these ingenious productions, [Action Zoo Humain] finds a way to speak out candidly on pressing social issues."Read more -
Het Nieuwsblad (Belgium)
17.07.2017"A powerful performance that strikes a chord with many. And one that also brilliantly pokes fun at television."Read more -
Concert News (Belgium)
07.09.2018"At its core, Amnesty/Amnesia is above all a brilliant piece of media criticism in which sensationalism, staged drama, oversimplification and well-rehearsed one-liners are skilfully torn to shreds."Read more -
De Standaard ★★★ (België)
26.12.2017"Amnesty/Amnesia raises a fascinating range of questions. Mission accomplished."Read more -
Theaterkrant ★★★ (Netherlands)
05.01.2018"The message of the production, the chosen theatrical format and the meta-theatrical reflection that this format evokes all reinforce one another to create a clever and powerful theatrical performance."Read more
Credits
- Cast
- Bert Gabriëls, Dahlia Pessemiers-Benamar, Marijke Pinoy/Ingrid De Vos, Chokri Ben Chikha, Sarah Desmet
- Concept
- Chokri Ben Chikha
- Directors
- Chokri Ben Chikha, Tom Dupont
- Text
- Erik-Ward Geerlings, Erwin Jans
- Dramaturgy
- Zouzou Ben Chikha
- Choir
- 'Mais Quelle Chanson' led by Kapinga Gysel
- Costume
- Marij De Brabandere
- Video director
- Koen De Saeger
- Videography
- Sidi Diarra
- Technical crew
- Niels Ieven, Lucas Van De Voorde, Maarten Snoeck
- Assistant director
- Kristien Van Driessche
- Production
- Action Zoo Humain
- Partners
- KASK/School Of Arts/Hogent, Theater Rotterdam
- In collaboration with
- NTGent, Les Ballets C De La B
- With the support of
- the Flemish Government, the Province of East Flanders, the City of Ghent
- Special thanks to
- Prof. Dr. Bruno De Wever & Dr. Koen Aerts (UGent), Stef Ampe, Karolien De Schepper, Kathy Douchar, Fatima Ezzarhouni, Willem Van Cauwenberghe
Gallery
