Israel & Mohamed

Fatherhood and art in uplifting cross-cultural dialogue.

French theatre-maker Mohamed El Khatib returns to the Bergen International Festival after last year’s The secret life of old people and A beautiful ending. El Khatib is back with a collaboration with Spanish flamenco artist Israel Galván. This co-created work brings together their two journeys, two life stories elegantly woven together in a contemplation of art, life and inheritance.

El Khatib and Galván converse on stage – only this is a conversation where sometimes only dance and movement are needed. Past and present come together as both men enter a conversation with each other and their fathers that is both intimate and political. Drawing on film, dance, music, performance and even a little bit of football, both men navigate their shared history with a profound sense of their heritage. The resulting “documentary dance” is an uplifting dialogue across the Mediterranean, a portrait of two artists exploring the phenomenon of fatherhood with humour, respect and compassion.

“To the right of the stage, the rebellious flamenco virtuoso, Israel Galván, dressed in a long blue djellaba. To the left, the writer-director Mohamed El Khatib, in football shorts and flamenco shoes. With a touch of humor, the two artists present their intertwined portraits, through their relationship with their fathers, two men of the older generation who raised them with a firm hand.” – La Provence

Image at top: Israel Galván and Mohamed El Khatib. Photo: Yohanne Lamoulère

Language

Performed in French, surtitled in English