Algiers, summer 2018. Salim Djaferi enters a bookshop. Determined to fill in the gaps in his understanding of colonization, he looks for the section devoted to the Algerian War. But there isn’t one. The books on the topic are in the “Revolution” section. Measuring the weighted meaning of language, he embarks on an investigation that explores the essence of colonialism. And in the process, unravels the thorny story of the French occupation of Algeria.
In this documentary show, a captivating theatrical work that defies labels, the Franco-Algerian artist attempts to untangle the strands of History with language. Through his semantic findings, a door opens into another language: a plastic one that shapes the space, a playful one that uses symbols and scenography. With his eloquent and insightful demonstration, Salim Djaferi sculpts his space to become a metaphor, where inescapable imagery speaks for itself.
Conception, creation and performance Salim Djaferi
Dramaturgy Delphine De Baere
Artistic collaborator Clément Papachristou
Dramaturgy advisor Adeline Rosenstein
Writing advisors Marie Alié, Nourredine Ezzaraf
Set design Justine Bougerol, Silvio Palomo
Lighting design and stage management Laurie Fouvet
Development, production, distribution Habemus Papam
Acknowledgement Yan-Gael Amghar, Aristide Bianchi, Kristof van Hoorde, Camille Louis
Co-production Les Halles de Schaerbeek, Le Rideau de Bruxelles, l’Ancre – Théâtre Royal de Charleroi
Support Bourses d’écriture Claude Étienne et la SACD, la Chaufferie-Acte1, La Bellone-Maison du Spectacle, Théâtre des Doms, Théâtre Episcène et Zoo Théâtre
With the support of la Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles
