For Olivier Py, “ each generation witnesses the end of one world and the beginning of another “. The artistic director of the Festival d’Avignon presented this Friday, March 25 in Paris the program for the 2022 edition which will take place from July 7 to 26. A Russian creation and a Ukrainian show frame this 76th edition marked by resilience, and in resonance with today’s world. Forty-six shows including 40 creations await festival-goers. Maintenance.
RFI : The first unveiled image of the Festival d’Avignon 2022 is the poster showing young girls with black hair, lined up one behind the other, naked and innocent. Who are they ?
Olivier Py : It is a work of Kubra Khademi, an Afghan refugee and activist. His image touched us and last night we learned that the Taliban would ban school for girls. It’s as if the poster was prophetic of this bad news…
In the Cour d’honneur of the Palais des Papes, the Festival d’Avignon opens its 76th edition with a Russian play by a Russian director, The Black Monk, directed by Kirill Serebrennikov, and the festival will end with the Dakh Daughters, Ukrainian artists. How has the war in Ukraine influenced or even dictated the framework of this 2022 edition? ?
The war in Ukraine took us by surprise. The festival was already very largely built at that time, but we wanted to make this gesture, to close the festival with the presence of the Ukrainians. It turns out that Kirill Serebrennikov had planned to come and create a show in the Cour d’honneur more than two years ago. Today, we are very happy to welcome him. It’s a show from black monk, a little-known short story by Chekhov. In my opinion, Serebrennikov is one of the greatest living artists in Russia today, even though he had some difficulties with Putin’s regime.
Beyond the Dakh Daughters, have you had any contact with directors or actors in Ukraine? What can be the role of the theater in a country under bombs and chaired by Volodymyr Zelensky, a former comedian ?
The attack on Ukraine is also an attack on Europe, on democracy and a certain idea of culture. I would also say that there is a narrative war. It is clear that the story that Vladimir Putin can tell about Ukraine is not that of the Ukrainians. And beyond blood, iron and fire, there is also a fight in the narrative. We must therefore give all the floor to the Ukrainians who are currently a true example of heroism, courage and at the same time intelligence. And intelligence of democracy.
Do actors and directors continue to create in Ukraine, to be artists, beyond being obliged to defend their country ?
I don’t live in kyiv. I don’t have much knowledge of the Ukrainian theatrical world. We cannot judge. Nor can we judge Russian artists who cannot express themselves. This is far too difficult a situation. But it is certain that it may seem ridiculous to us to do theater at a time when others are risking their lives. What they are doing is certainly more serious, bigger, more dangerous and perhaps more important than our little wooden theater. However, our wooden theater remains as aware as possible of what is happening in Ukraine.
Already in the days of Covid and lockdowns, many had the impression of a shrinking world. With the war in Ukraine, this feeling seems to be growing even more. Do you think the world of theater has also shrunk lately? ?
No, I never felt like the theatrical world was shrinking. But it is true that we have had two extremely difficult years for the theater world, all over the world. We’ll get back to it. We too are going to show resilience. Much of the Festival 2022 program is devoted to the very idea of resilience. It is the resilience of the artists who have seen their performances cancelled, sometimes their relationship with the public compromised. But, finally, at the Festival d’Avignon, the public never gave up. We saw it last year. The public is always present, faithful and fervent. It is the public that makes us strong.
Among the artists, there is Rasha Omran from Cairo (The one who lived in the house before me), Amala Dianor of Johannesburg (Via Injabulo), Henri Jules Julien of Casablanca (Sheirat)… What is Africa’s place in this year’s programming? ?
There is a large southern plaza in general. In my opinion, the Festival d’Avignon had some gaps in its awareness of the South, especially of southern Europe. This year there is a very strong presence from the Middle East, for example four Palestinian shows. It’s almost a focus around Palestine, driven in particular by the spectacle ofElias Sanbar (And the earth is transmitted like the language), which celebrates Mahmoud Darwish, and that of Bashar Murkus, Milkwho works in Haifa.
The audience of the Festival d’Avignon is particularly close to your heart. After this difficult time of the Covid pandemic and today with this war in Ukraine, do you feel any new needs or new demands in relation to the theater among the spectators ?
The public theater in France is not called “public” for nothing. This means that he must ask himself the question of the public. We must always constantly ask ourselves the question of the public. It is not obvious. It is not enough to open the doors for the public to enter. It is not enough to believe in the virtue of success for the halls to be full. No, it’s activist work. Not only so that the public is present, but also so that it is present in its social and generational diversity. It’s a job we know how to do. We hope that there will still be men and women to do so in the years to come.