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Kurt Van der Elst

CREATION

Woman at Point Zero

LOD / Bushra El-Turk, Laila Soliman & Stacy Hardy

22 - 23 May 2024

22 - 23 May 2024
@The Wiener Festwochen
15 September 2023
@Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía
28 - 30 June 2023
@Royal Opera House
07 June 2023
@Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg
28 April 2023
@Concertgebouw
See all dates
26 April 2023
@Centre des Arts Viernulvier
21 - 22 April 2023
@deSingel
10 - 11 July 2022
@Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Aix-en-Provence, France

In Woman At Point Zero, we meet an imprisoned Egyptian woman on the night before her execution. An opera about women's rights and abuse - but most of all: about a woman of extraordinary strength. 

Woman at Point Zero is a new opera by LOD music theatre inspired by the novel by Egyptian writer and feminist Nawal El Saadawi.

 

The opera tells the story of two women: Fatma, who is a self-made feminist and activist imprisoned for man-slaughter and Sama, a young ambitious documentary filmmaker who wants to tell her story. Fatma describes to Sama how she searches for freedom from the vicious cycle of violence that controls her life. As their relationship unfolds over the course of one day, they share their memories, experiences and secrets - moving from distrust to curiosity and solidarity and finally friendship. What does it mean to be a woman? What does it mean to be liberated? Is it possible to be freer in prison than outside? 


From this universal story of abuse and emancipation, composer Bushra El-Turk, director Laila Soliman, writer Stacy Hardy and scenographer and film designer Bissane Al Charif create a multimedia opera. Conducted by Kanako Abe, the music blends Western and Eastern traditions, performed on a unique mix of ancient folk instruments by musicians from all over the world.

 

 

Distribution

Composition Bushra El-Turk

 

Direction Laila Soliman

 

Libretto Stacy Hardy

 

Text based on Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi

 

Scenography & video design Bissane Al Charif & Julia König

 

Associate director Nadia Amin

 

Documentary audio fragments Aida Elkashef

 

 

Musical direction Kanako Abe

 

Assistant musical director Ivan Cheng

 

Singers Dima Orsho & Carla Nahadi Babelegoto

 

Ensemble ZAR: Hyelim Kim (taegum), Milos Milivojevic (accordéon), Raphaela Danksagmuller (recorders, crumhorn, fujara, duduk, kaval), Chatori Shimizu (sho), Faraz Eshghi Sahraei (kamancha), Hanna Kölbel (cello)

 

Repetitor & samples Samir Bendimered

 

Costumes Eli Verkeyn

 

Stage manager Patrick Vanderhaeghen

 

Light design Loes Schakenbos

 

Video Johannes Ringoot

 

Light Jamy Hollebeke

 

Sound Carlo Thompson

Co-production

Production  LOD muziektheater

 

Coproduction All Aria's festival (deSingel Antwerpen, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, Concertgebouw Brugge & Transparant), Royal Opera House London, Shubbak Festival London, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Snape Maltings UK & Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg) with thanks to Kathleen Venneman & Victor Hidalgo

 

with the support of enoa (European Network of Opera Academies), PRS Foundation, FEDORA, AFAC (The Arab Fund for Art and Culture) & la mesure tax shelter du gouvernement fédéral belge tax shelter partner Flanders TAX Shelter

 

 

Woman at Point Zero is the winner of the FEDORA - GENERALI Prize for Opera 2020

Distribution

Composition Bushra El-Turk

 

Direction Laila Soliman

 

Libretto Stacy Hardy

 

Text based on Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi

 

Scenography & video design Bissane Al Charif & Julia König

 

Associate director Nadia Amin

 

Documentary audio fragments Aida Elkashef

 

 

Musical direction Kanako Abe

 

Assistant musical director Ivan Cheng

 

Singers Dima Orsho & Carla Nahadi Babelegoto

 

Ensemble ZAR: Hyelim Kim (taegum), Milos Milivojevic (accordéon), Raphaela Danksagmuller (recorders, crumhorn, fujara, duduk, kaval), Chatori Shimizu (sho), Faraz Eshghi Sahraei (kamancha), Hanna Kölbel (cello)

 

Repetitor & samples Samir Bendimered

 

Costumes Eli Verkeyn

 

Stage manager Patrick Vanderhaeghen

 

Light design Loes Schakenbos

 

Video Johannes Ringoot

 

Light Jamy Hollebeke

 

Sound Carlo Thompson

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