Cathartic danceFathers and repairsOle padre!Swiss premiere
4 performances
25-28.02
25.02 - 19:30 |
26.02 - 19:30 |
27.02 - 20:00 |
28.02 - 19:00 |
Genève
Comédie de Genève
Tickets
CHF 10 to CHF 40
CHF 12 with the festival pass
When the intransigence of fathers inspires a pas de deux by their prodigious sons, you dance, you cry, you laugh… bitterly. In this dance/theatre piece, Israel and Mohamed craft a shared language built from the body, its wounds, and the possibility of healing.
Israel Galván, the undisputed star of flamenco, and Mohamed El Khatib, acclaimed theatre-maker and filmmaker, form a remarkable duo in this irreverent homage to their fathers, who appear on screen throughout the performance.
With a tone that swings between tragedy and comedy, the piece addresses unspoken truths, the weight of religion, the desire to reclaim family rituals, and the need for personal emancipation for one’s own calling to emerge. Caught between reconciliation, repair, and reckoning, the two duos propel the beating heart of this “documentary dance”, where the political collides head-on with the intimate, transforming the intertwined stories of these men into a living archive.
With a tone that swings between tragedy and comedy, the piece addresses unspoken truths, the weight of religion, the desire to reclaim family rituals, and the need for personal emancipation for one’s own calling to emerge. Caught between reconciliation, repair, and reckoning, the two duos propel the beating heart of this “documentary dance”, where the political collides head-on with the intimate, transforming the intertwined stories of these men into a living archive.
In collaboration with la Comédie de Genève
Born into a Moroccan family of five children, El Khatib first turned to sociology, then to political science, after a brief but brilliant career as a footballer. A writer of cultural reportage for the Mexican edition of Le Monde diplomatique and author of a sociology thesis on “criticism in the French press”, he co-founded the Zirlib collective in Orléans in 2008 on a simple premise: aesthetics are never devoid of political meaning. His prolific body of work in theatre and film blends professional actors with non-professionals, achieving a striking degree of authenticity.
A Gypsy/Andalusian dancer and choreographer born in Seville, Galván founded his company in 1998. He boldly expands the language of contemporary flamenco, drawing inspiration from far beyond the traditional canon. His work moves fluidly between intimate pieces, large-scale shows, performances, and collaborations. Invited to the Avignon Festival in 2009 and again in 2017, he presented La Fiesta in the Cour d’Honneur of the Palais des Papes. In 2019, he created Israel Israel, a piece centred on his AI-generated double. In 2016, he was named an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters and became an associate artist at the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris.
Concept and performance
Mohamed El Khatib and Israel Galván
Set design and artistic collaboration
Fred Hocké
Costumes
Micol Notarianni
Video
Zacharie Dutertre
Coordination and distribution
Rosario Gallardo and Gil Paon
Sound
Pedro León
Technical direction
Pedro León and Fred Hocké
Production
Zirlib & IGalván Company
With the support of
Zirlib is accredited by the Ministry of Culture - DRAC Centre-Val de Loire, by the Centre-Val de Loire Region.
Mohamed El Khatib is an associate artist at the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, the Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles, the Théâtre National de Bretagne in Rennes and the Tnba - Théâtre national Bordeaux Aquitaine.
IGalván Company receives support from the INAEM, Instituto Nacional de las Artes Escénicas y de la Música.
Israel Galván is an associate artist at the Théâtre de la Ville, Paris.
Mohamed El Khatib is an associate artist at the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, the Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles, the Théâtre National de Bretagne in Rennes and the Tnba - Théâtre national Bordeaux Aquitaine.
IGalván Company receives support from the INAEM, Instituto Nacional de las Artes Escénicas y de la Música.
Israel Galván is an associate artist at the Théâtre de la Ville, Paris.
Co-production
Festival d’Avignon, Théâtre de la Ville de Paris, RomaEuropa Festival, Le Grand T, Théâtre de Loire-Atlantique, Le Volcan, scène nationale du Havre, TANDEM Scène nationale Arras-Douai, Teatro della Pergola Firenze
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