IN THE MEANTIME. A Play across two Continents

The film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” by Mohammad Rasoulof aroused worldwide attention and was nominated for the Oscar for Best International Film – filmed under dangerous conditions, constantly on the run from the watchful Iranian regime. Shortly before its premiere in Cannes, the director was forced to leave the country, soon followed by his actresses. One of whom is Amineh Arani. Instead of moving into their new house in Tehran with her husband Mohammad Kamal Alavi, she now lives in exile in Cologne – while he is thousands of kilometres away. However, instead of silencing them, their separation has become a brave artistic act: A PLAY ACROSS TWO CONTINENTS (working title) is a theatre performance that transcends borders. Night after night, Arani and Alavi set up a live link between a theatre space in Europe and a living room in Tehran. They rehearse, improvise and tell stories. They fight censorship, internet outages and the vast gap between two continents. The personal becomes political when setting a table for a meal becomes a sign of resistance. Director Stefan Otteni stages a play with the artist couple Arani/Alavi that is both touching and startling – and gives a face to the Iranian protest movement “Women. Life. Freedom.” An evening about vulnerability, courage, loss and the theatre’s political power.

The project is made possible through a residency grant from the Fonds Darstellende Künste in cooperation with flausen+. The residency is funded by the Fonds Darstellende Künste with resources provided by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.

Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the NRW State Office for the Independent Performing Arts, the Rhineland Regional Association (LVR), and the Department for Diversity of the City of Cologne.