Based on the need to support art as a means of expression and resistance and as a tool to confront the imposed reality, tied with our conviction that supporting art production is a necessary contribution to the development of the cultural ecosystem and arts in general, Al-Mawred (Culture Resource) in partnership with KKV-Norway, presents the REDZONE Festival in Beirut from 3 till 8 May 2018, featuring premieres of five artworks that explore the limits of freedom of expression and address the themes of war, religion and gender, highlighting the intricate relationship between violence, death, fear and forgiveness.
The Redzone Festival is an annual festival launched by KKV Kirkelig Kulturverksted (Norway), seeking to introduce artworks that tackle subjects related to freedom of expression. The first edition was held in the Norwegian capital Oslo in 2013, and in Cairo and Beirut in 2014, and the second edition was held in Tunis and Beirut in 2016 within the framework of the 7th edition of the Spring Festival organized by Al-Mawred (Culture Resource) in collaboration with Shams Association (Lebanon), Le Rio Theater and Cinema and Al-Hamra Theater (Tunisia).
This year, Al-Mawred in partnership with KKV and in collaboration with Shams Association and Zoukak Studio (Lebanon), will present the 3rd independent edition of the REDZONE Festival in Beirut, following the selection of five artworks that have received exceptional production grants in 2017 to be premiered in the festival.
Showcases:
I once entered a garden
A one-to-one interactive installation by Bissane Al Sharif (Palestine/Syria), Chrystèle Khodr (Lebanon) and Wael Ali (Syria). The project questions the first sexual experiences and the discovery of intimate life during times of war and peace in the Middle East. The work is based on the stories and memories of adults who lived their teenage years in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria.
Economy of Effort Pays the Price
An art installation by Mohamed Al-Masry (Egypt) based on the concept of using tanks as a model representing the entire system of industrialization and the consequent economic policies and political conflicts at the expense of many human considerations. The tanks also represent the sovereign, political, economic and elite approach that manipulates people and their destinies in order to find a market for them.
Hunna
A dance performance by choreographer Khalid Benghrib (Morocco) that deals with issues related to the body and women and the various forms of violations they are subjected to in the name of religion, society, customs and traditions. This performance is a continuation of Benghrib’s previous performance “Hum” and it may be considered as sociological research that aims to question the phenomenon of religious extremism based on dreams, art, mythology, religion, symbols and philosophy.
Jimi and the Saint
A musical concert by Jimi and the Saint (Egypt) to launch their first album, consisting of 5 tracks that tackle the ability of youth to express freely and challenge the socio-political barriers imposed on them. The music that the band produces is a mix between rock and electronic, and the live show is designed to deliver a unique blend of live music performance and visual programming which promises to be a unique audio-visual experience.
The Confession
This theatre performance, written by Wael Kaddour and directed by Abdullah Al-Kafri (Syria), takes us into a day of Jalal’s life, who is facing both his past and his new choices. It tells the story of the officer whose services were abandoned by the regime during the years of stable government control, and who was then asked to return to service after an uprising in the country. This offer awakens an old desire in him to regain the power he had for a long period, a period that he was attempting to forget after the regime had abandoned him and after having spent years with his nephew Omar, the promising theater director who is preparing a new play based on “Death and the Maiden” by Argentinian playwright Ariel Dourphman. The latter revolves around an ambiguous encounter between a former prisoner and a former executioner.
Check the full program on the Facebook event page.
