H2-HEBRON

WINTER FAMILY (IL/FR)

H2 is the area administered by Israel in the Palestinian city of Hebron. Shuhada Street is the central street of H2 Zone. It was the main artery and the market of the city of Hebron, 200,000 inhabitants, the most populated city in the West Bank in Palestine. Shuhada Street is now ‘sterilized’ according to the terminology of the Israeli army, that is to say, emptied of its Palestinian inhabitants for ‘security reasons’ because of the settling in the shadow of the Tomb of the Patriarchs of some radical Jewish families protected by the Israeli army. It is today a ghost street where destinies and narratives intersect, juxtaposes, observes and clashes in a dramatic and absurd microcosm.

It all started a few years ago when Ruth (the director) got in touch again with her Israeli childhood friend S., who in the meantime had married an ultra-Zionist extremist leader. Today, they live with their eleven children in Tel Romeida, a citadel protected day and night by 40 young soldiers and a more entrenched settlement in the city of Hebron. Ruth has stayed in this house several times to record long conversations with S., her husband and her children. Taking advantage of these visits, Ruth and Xavier walked through the courtyard and checkpoints to record the testimonies of their Palestinian neighbours suffering daily Israeli occupation, some Palestinian political leaders living in Hebron, international observers, “war tourists” and their guides, academics, journalists. Each of them described, explained and showed their Shuhada Street. Ruth is alone on stage in a close relationship with the audience. All the testimonies are narrated by Ruth, she is our guide and the city itself, possessed by its four voices: Palestinians, settlers, soldiers, international activists.

«H2 Hebron sticks its fingers in the socket. Winter Family conducts a guided tour of impressive quality. They mix testimonies to the point of vertigo. From this mess of words emerges the phantom image of a paralysed landscape» (Joelle Gayot – Le Monde).

FRI 04.10.19 | 20.30
TEATROSTUDIO LAC – LUGANO

22.00 After-show meeting with the audience,
coordination Francesca Serrazanetti
translation Polina Tallone

H2-HEBRON
with Ruth Rosenthal
model maker Qentin Brichet (printed by Made-it, Geneva)
light & technical manager Julienne Rochereau
video Olivier Perola
recordings & sound operator Xavier Klaine
sound engineer Sébastien Tondo / Anne Laurin
artistic collaboration Yaël Perlman, Jérôme Vernez, Eric Fesneau
translation english version Tamar Cohen
photos Amit Mann & Martin Agyroglo
administration & diffusion Jessica Regnier – La Gestion des Spectacles / les 2 bureaux
production Winter Family
coproduction Kunstencentrum Vooruit Ghent, Théâtre Nantgerre Amandiers, MC93-Scène Nationale de Bobigny, Théâtre Vidy Lausanne, TNB-Rennes, Centre Culturel ABC La Chaux-de-Fonds
with the help of La fonderie Le Mans & DRAC Ile-de-France