When he went to Algiers in 2018, actor Salim Djaferi went to bookstores looking for books on the Algerian war. Surprisingly, he came back empty-handed, not finding a single rack on the Algerian war and being told that the books on the subject he was interested in were classified under the heading 'Revolution'. A war to some, a revolution to others. Do two different words on opposite sides of the Mediterranean define similar historical facts?
Salim Djaferi is touched, determined to understand the situation and interviews witnesses and families, consults books and archival documents, collects stories and anecdotes and lists the words used to tell these stories. He analyses the semantics and ideology they convey. This powerful narrative straddles the line between reportage, intimate narrative and historical research. Salim opts for a stripped-down form, a calm play supported by humour, a detached symbolism contrasted with the violence of the facts being told. In the form of a conference, Salim Djaferi traces the thread of French-Algerian history and restores its unwarranted absence in textbooks. His humour is that of the affable smile - inviting reflection, distance and criticism.
Previously seen at Festival d’Avignon 2022, National Theater festival Boekarest 2022, Theatre des 13 vents Montpellier 2022, Theatre de Liège 2023, Live Art Festival Kaapstad 2023
