Jihad

'Jihad' showcases in a light-hearted manner how three young men struggle with their feelings and uncertainties about their friendships, faith, existence, and future. 

The piece is very engagingly designed as the audience is taken into the complete experiential world of three Dutch youths, who have parents from a different background. Because of 'their' background, they feel unwelcome in the society to which they undoubtedly belong. 

The three friends want to join the jihadists and travel to Syria for this purpose. For the three young men, jihad is a game in which they assign themselves their own roles. One as a martyr, the second as a Superman, and the third hesitates about his choice. When it really comes to the point, the boys realize that they are fighting against people just like them. They realize that what they have been told on social media is not true at all. The image they had of the holy war turns out to be far less idyllic than they thought. 

The performance is directed by Daria Bukvić. The founder of the production is the Belgian writer and director Ismaël Saidi, who also plays a role in the original Belgian version 'Djihad'. The piece is semi-autobiographical, as Ismaël was himself recruited as a young man to fight in Afghanistan. He knows the themes from the inside.

Credits

Text: Ismaël Saidi
Translation: Lilianne Lemmens
Editing: Daan Windhorst
Direction: Daria Bukvić
Actors: Saman Amini, Majd Mardo, Chems Eddine Amar
Actor/musician: Sahand Sahebdivani
Lighting: Noud Nijssen
Sound: Armand Wouters
Assistant: Jeroen Gorissen
Design: Dymph Boss
Lighting design: Yuri Schreuders
Video: Huig van den Hoofdakker
Sound: Kudo Studi
Production: Meervaart

Image by Sanne Peper