“I believe that my aunt Fatima did not pass away because of the cancer that consumed her lungs. She withered the moment she lost all hope of finding her missing son “Hassan”.
A post-mortem autopsy would have uncovered that her heart was no longer lodged between those motherly ribs.”
Says choreographer Ali Chahrour, creator of “Told by my mother”.
The dance performance is anchored in genuine stories, intimate and heartfelt.
Stories of iconic mothers and their families, some scattered or disappeared.
Stories told for the memory to survive and to celebrate what is left.
The musical approach takes reference the songs of those very same families on occasions of grief and joy.
The audience will discover a living anthology of Arab folk songs cultural heritage.
The performance embodies family hardships and tragedies experienced by mothers bodies, voices, and hidden small battles within dwellings of Beirut and its suburbs.
Their voices take the stage, singing, retelling what once has been, and dancing to survive what remains.
Ali Chahrour Direction & choreography
Hala Omran, Laila Chahrour, Abbas Al-Mawla, Ali Hout, Abed Kobeissy, Ali Chahrour Performers
Two or The Dragon: Ali Hout & Abed Kobeissy Music
Chadi Aoun Assistant director
Guillaume Tesson, Ali Chahrour Scenography
Guillaume Tesson Light designer & Technical director
Woody Naufal Sound designer
Myriam Boulos Photography
Khajak Apelian Lettering
Chadi Aoun Design & Layout
Isabelle Aoun Copywriting
Ali Chahrour Production
Chadi Aoun & Christel Salem Production managers
Co-Production: Studio Zoukak; Arab Arts Focus avec le soutient; de Stiftelsen Studio Emad Eddin & Ford Foundation; Festival International de Naples; Fondation El Khalil Kunstfest Weimar; Zurich Theater Spektakel; Mahmoud Darwish Chair/Bozar.
With the support of: Arab Fund for Arts and Culture-AFAC, Académie des Beaux Arts Libanaise “ALBA”; Beit el Laffe Mezyan Barzakh T-Marbouta Tawlet; Eid Press; Institut Français, Beyrouth