June 2nd – 3rd, 2025 HAU, Berlin
June 11th, 2025 Les Rencontres à l’Échelle, Marseille
June 24th – 25th, 2025 Festival Theaterformen, Hannover
July 5th – 8th, 2025 Festival d’Avignon, Avignon
December 9th – 11th, 2025 Les Tanneurs, Brussels
70 minutes
A Celebration of Life
The internationally acclaimed dancer and choreographer Ali Chahrour has created a language inspired by Arab myths and by the political, social, and religious context of his country. Through it, he explores the deep relationships between the body and movement, between tradition and modernity.
His new work When I Saw the Sea unfolds on a minimalist stage: the activists Rania, Zena and Tenei – the last two came to Lebanon as migrant workers – embark on a powerful journey of their previously unheard stories through dance, theatre and music. In doing so, they give a voice to countless other labourers from countries such as Cameroon, Sudan and Sierra Leone – people who have been deprived of their rights by the kafala system, which is similar to serfdom – and thus create a deep insight into the political and social reality of Lebanon.
When I saw the Sea highlights the abuses of this repressive labour system while paying tribute to the courage and resistance of women fighting for justice and freedom. With a mixture of personal and collective testimonies, the work touches on themes such as love, motherhood, war, exile and home. With the music of Abed Kobeissy and the soulful voice of singer Lynn Adib, this is a determined celebration of life, rising above the pain of past struggles.