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Lebanon Project/Movement #2
Au commencement était le Verbe
Arcinolether
Arcinolether is a French-Lebanese-Belgian theater company based in Brussels . Arcinolether, directed by Christophe Cotteret, was founded in 1998 in Paris.In 2002, the company moved to Lebanon and has since done many productions in Beirut.Since 2005, Arcinolether has been based in Brussels , and has been working on two different types of projects. The first type being performances geared towards teenagers on political matters. The second type of performance is more experimental and an infusion of theatre, installation, and dance which are also based on political issues.These performances are in franch, english and arabic language, with translations.
Lebanon Project
Since 2007, Arcinolether has been working on Lebanon Project, composed of 7 performances called movements. In different political and philosophical ways these movements are primarily questioning the contemporary conflicts in the Middle East, focusing on Lebanon as a resonating place for these conflicts in the last sixty years.With Lebanon Project , Arcinolether is working on a theatrical experiment between installation and performance, using visual media, political reports, journal articles,pictures, and music a lot of music.The first three movements have already been created and shown in Brussels and in Beirut:
#1 Les heures noires
A disabused review of the Israeli Lebanese conflict in the summer 2006.
#2 Au commencement était le Verbe
A reenactment of 60 years (1947-2007) of speeches inside a United Nations Assembly.
#3Les marchands de sang
An analysis of state terrorism in the Middle East from 1975 till 1991.
Movement #2 – Au commencement était le Verbe
Au commencement était le Verbe reenact a fictive UN assembly where many emblematic characters, politicians and diplomats, are discoursing. With dark humour and diplomatic cynicism, this movement is coming back on several important events which have impacted Middle Eastern history. Moving through resolutions to speeches and peace treaties to Nobel Prizes; 60 years of words are revealing, with strength, contradictions, lies, hypocrisies and threats.Au commencement était le verbe treats the different steps taken in the Israeli-Arab conflicts and inter- Arab conflicts since the vote in the United Nations to divide Palestine in 1947. This movement is organized with a unity of place and action and takes place in the United Nations assembly.With a certain dose of dark humor and with the cynism of diplomatic relationships, Au commencement était le verbe revisits the different events that have marked the history of the Middle East: the wars of 1956, 1967, Kippur War, the PLO acceptance by the United Nations, the famous discourse of Yasser Arafat on the tribunal of the UNO, the Camp David Accords, the assassination of Sadat, Sabra and Chatila, the Oslo Accords, the assassination of Itshak Rabin and the two intifadas.Au commencement était le Verbe begins with a reconstitution of the integrity of the vote to divide Palestine. At this moment we understand very quickly that the future of the Arab world is being decided, and without the will of its principal protagonists: the Arab nations.Resolution 181 will never be respected and it will be the starting point of many conflicts. The re-enactment of the vote reveals the occidental interests with the creation of Israel , the opposition between the east and west, and the pressures placed on developing nations in how they vote. The member States of the United Nations eventually voted on different issues, other than the autonomy of the Arabs of Palestine and the constitution of a Jewish state. In result of the vote in 1948 many conflicts will arise such as, the 1948 massacre, the wars of 1956, 1967 and 1973, the Lebanon war, and the two intifadas. 300 resolutions of the United Nations, all have not been applied and deemed inapplicable, they will continue creating new resolutions and condemning the actions of both sides.Au commencement était le Verbe evokes the history through the discourses expressed in the United Nations Assembly and dozens of significant resolutions. This movement is not about a historical and political issue. We only recall from this history the treason, hidden agendas, the massacres with no one held responsible, and the criminals that have presented themselves as men of peace, on all sides. The Nobel Peace prizes awarded to criminals permit them to hide under the cloak of International Law. The United Nations makes resolutions after the massacres occur, in result of this delay, it serves unwillingly as a registration desk for the massacres. The dead corpses are used as political weight, justify nationalism and extremist ideologies.All of this clearly appears and is demonstrated in the speeches and declarations that have been chosen for this movement.A part of history has begun with Resolution 181, and the more there are declarations of peace and cease-fires, the further sustainable peace becomes in the region.The materials used( available per request) : Resolutions 181-194-242-338-521-1701 and 3236 of the United Nations, the Camp David Accords, the Oslo Accords, Arafat’s speech, Sharon’s speech, Villepin’s speech, the slogans of various protests, a documentary of the 1967 war, and a declaration by Kissinger in 1973.
The team
Christophe Cotteret, director, studied theatre in Paris, and practiced many worshop after all around the world, with important artist such Ariane Mnouchkine (Paris), Merce Cunningham (New York), Sadanam Balakrishnan ( India ) and Pei Yanling (chinese opera). He has founded Arcinolether in 1998 and directed all the performances of the group. Since 2002 he lives and work in Brussel and Beirut . As drama teacher he worked at St-Joseph university of Beirut and different school in Lebanon . He also directed many worshop for cultural center. Since 2007 he works with digital video and use new technologies in his performances.Raymond Al Hosny, actor, is a welknown actor in Lebanon . He played in many performances and movies since 20 years. Recently he played Buckingham in Suleiman Al Bassam’s production Richard III, an arab tragedy at Royal Shakespeare Company. He works with Arcinolether since 2002.Maria Harfouch, actress, studied drama at Lebanese University of Beirut . She recently made a worshop directed by Rabih Mroueh. She works with Arcinolether since 2002. Léa Rogliano, actress, studied drama in Conservatory of Paris. She currently continue to studie performance in Paris , and studie lyric song. She works with Arcinolether since 2004. Olivier Rosman, actor, studied drama at IAD in Brussel. He also works as assistant of the well-known choregraphers Jose Besprovani. He works with Arcinolether since 2005.François Kah, actor, studied theatre and dance in Brussel. Recently he workd with several mime companies in Nederlands and in France . He works with Arcinolether since 2006.Julien Cotteret, sound designer, studied electronic music in SAE Institute in Brussel. He recently works in different workshop at ARTZoyd institute in France . He works with Arcinolether since 2006.Sylvie Melis, light designer, works with many famous choregraphers in France since 20 years. She is also teaching light design in Sorbonne University in Paris . She designed lights for the first third movement of Lebanon Project.
Technic
Lighting:
• 10 PC 2000KW
• 10 Support for PC (Foot)
Sound:
Furnished by company
Video:Furnished by company
1 screen 3x2
Set:Five desks furnished by company
Time needed for installation and rehearsal: 6 hours
مشروع لبنان – الحركة الثانية
أرسينوليثر
بلجيكا
مجلس متخيل لهيئة الأمم المتحدة، ينشغل فيه سياسيون ودبلوماسيون وشخصيات متخيلة في نقاش مليء بالفكاهة السوداء والسخرية الدبلوماسية، يتداولون العديد من القضايا الهامة التي أثرت في مستقبل الشرق الأوسط... إنها 60 عاماً من الكلمات والتناقضات والأكاذيب والنفاق والتهديدات.
الممثلون: ماريا حرفوشي، ريموند الحصني، فرانسوا كا، ليا روغليانو، أوليفر روزمان.
بالتعاون مع: ايزابيل جونياكس
تصميم الصوت: جولين كوتيريت
تصميم الإضاءة: سيلفي ميليس
إخراج: كوتيريت كريستوف
مدة العرض: 60 دقيقة
أنتج هذا العمل بدعم من This production is funded by
Au commencement était le Verbe
Lebanon Project movement #2
Arcinolether
Belgium
An fictive UN assembly where many emblematic characters, politicians and diplomats, are discoursing. With dark humour and diplomatic cynicism, this movement is coming back on several important events which have impacted Middle Eastern history. Moving through resolutions to speeches and peace treaties to Nobel Prizes; 60 years of words are revealing, with strength, contradictions, lies, hypocrisies and threats.
Actors: Maria Harfouche, Raymond Al Hosny, François Kah, Lea Rogliano, Olivier Rosman.
Collaboration: Isabelle Jonniaux
Sound designer: Julien Cotteret
Light designer: Sylvie Melis
Director: Cotteret Christophe
Duration: 60 min
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