Vis–à–Vis(a)

In the organizer's words:

SPECIAL PROGRAM: BEYOND THE BORDERS

German premiere

A person's freedom of movement depends on where they come from. In Vis-à-Vis(a) , Dutch puppeteer Koen and his Tunisian friend Saber meet. Both dream of putting on a play together in the Netherlands. But while Koen can travel freely, Saber's project becomes a nerve-wracking ordeal: fees, proof, long waiting times and decisions whose criteria seem opaque.

This international co-production by the Dutch Cat Smits Company and the Centre National d'Art de la Marionnette in Tunisia tells of friendship and hope - and of a system that distributes freedom of movement unequally. Based on research into Tunisian visa practices by the academic Yentl de Lange, the play asks why a document decides who is allowed to travel - and who is not.