In a world ravaged by wars, conflicts, and migration, we are on a mission to find the key to open minds to have dialogues, says Lenerson Polinini, director of the Brazilian play Apatridas (meaning the stateless), which opened the 14th edition of the International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFoK) in Thrissur on Friday.
“People flee violence or persecution only to get trapped in refugee camps. They undertake harrowing journeys across international borders to reach a place of safety, albeit an illusory place, where they hope to recuperate from the trauma. It is not about who is right or who is wrong. It’s about how we can fix the problem and how we can create an environment of peace. Unfortunately, humanity is not interested in dialogue. But dialogue is very important to understand the problems and to find a solution,” says Mr. Polonini, who founded the theatre company Companhia Nova De Teatro in 2001.
The 55-minute play by the company in Portuguese language is structured in four interconnected solos, in which the characters talk about identity and non-belonging. Script is written by Carina Casuscelli, co-founder of the theatre company.
Revenge and violence
Inspired by characters such as Kassandra, Hecuba, Prometheus and Hercules, of Greek mythology, the play focusses on human crises, migratory flows, refugees, the devastation of the territory of native peoples in Amazônia (Brazil) and Africanity. The characters present the relation between ‘Power, disagreement, resentment and injustice’, which leads to revenge and brutal violence.
“Issues of humanity are the same throughout the history, whether it is in the Greek mythology or in the contemporary world. Turbulence of war and conflicts and the yearning of the migrants for a place they belong to repeat each time. For me, it makes sense if the Prometheus and Hercules are Africans and Kassandra is a Brazilian girl, fighting against people exploiting their lands in Amazonia.”
Language no barrier
Reflecting social realities and contemporary issues is the duty of an artist. Artists are the lenses of society. Language is not a barrier for theatre as its language is universal, Mr. Polonini points out. Apatridas is an experimental theatre. Video, sound, and light create the landscape. We leave the audience to make their own expressions, he added.
The play, which has been performed since 2021, was staged at international festivals in Tehran, Baghdad, and Italy. Elaborating on the theatre culture in Brazil, he said theatre groups were very active there. “There are 2000-odd theatre groups in Brazil, most of them are experimental in nature,” he said.
