Lina Saneh and Rabih Mroué (LB)

show | duration 50 min
in French with Italian subtitles

c/o ZONA K, admission allowed upon 2024 membership

After its premiere in 2009, Photo-Romance immediately become one of the most successful international theatre pieces and is now, after touring worldwide, is coming to Mousonturm in its newest version: in the roles of author and censor Lina Saneh and Rabih Mroué discuss the photo novella adaptation of a historical film document, which shows the enthusiasm of Italian crowds at Hitler’s Mussolini visit. The two of them – him, a former leftist activist, she, a divorced homemaker – met in Beirut in 2006 shortly after Israel’s attack on Lebanon: two lonely people, uncomfortable with the hubbub outside. By mixing fiction and reality, Photo-Romance deconstructs the political logic, as well as the illusion of theatre and shows “truth” to be a construction of possibilities.

Concept, text and direction Lina Saneh and Rabih Mroué Translation Masha Refka Set design Samar Maakaroun Music Charbel Haber Soundtrack Lina Saneh, Rabih Mroué, Sarmad Louis Direction of photography Sarmad Louis jeu pour la bande-image Rabih Mroué, Lina Saneh Special guest Mona Mroué Assistant director and executive producer Petra Serhal Costumes Zeina Saab de Melero Makeup Stéphanie Aznarez Production assistant Ashkal Alwan (Beyrouth) With Lina Saneh, Charbel Haber, Rabih Mroué

Director, performer and playwright, Lina Majdalanie is a Lebanese artist, living in Berlin. Her work includes: Hartaqāt (2023), Second Look (serie video, 2020), Sunny Sunday (2020), Borborygmus (2019), Do I Know you? (2017), A Drop of Sweat (2015), 33 rpm and a few seconds (2012), Photo-Romance (2009), Appendice (2007), I Had A Dream, Mom (vidéo, 2006), Biokhraphia (2002), and others…
She curated several events in Mousonturm-Frankfurt (2016 and 2023), HAU-Berlin (2017), Kunsthalle-Mulhouse (2015) and Tanzquartier-Vienna (2009). She was a fellow at the International Research Center “Interweaving Performance Cultures”/FU in Berlin (2009-2010) and a member of Home Workspace Curricular Committee-Ashkal Alwan (Beirut 2010-2014). She opted the pseudonym Lina Saneh in April 2015.

Rabih Mroué, born in Beirut and currently living in Berlin, is a theatre director, actor, visual artist and playwright. He is a contributing editor for The Drama Review /TDR (New York) and a co-founder of the Beirut Art Center (BAC). He was a fellow at The International Research Center: Interweaving Performance Cultures/ FU/Berlin from 2013 -2014. He has been a theatre-director at Münchner Kammerspiele from 2015 -2019.
His works include: Hartaqāt (2023), Sunny Sunday (2020), Borborygmus (2019), So Little time (2016), Ode to Joy (2015), Riding on a cloud, (2013), 33 RPM and a Few Seconds (2012), Photo-Romance (2009), The Inhabitants of images (2008), Who’s Afraid of Representation (2005), Looking for a Missing Employee (2003), Biokhraphia (2002), Three Posters (2000) and others…