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Acting Like Men – Freedom of Expression in a Heteronormative World

By Nicola Popovic Gender roles manifesting the perceptions of what is supposed to be feminine and what is supposed to be masculine, is neither new on stage nor in reality. But for a play to be able to go beyond the parody of the masculine and feminine without ridiculing one or the other may be one of the challenges in contemporary theatre. Small Town Boy playfully overcomes any sort of gender categories and takes us through all layers of human emotions, intimacy and social dynamics, in two hours of high speed performance. “From an intellectual porn star to romantic gay lovers to a sensitive soldier on active duty… contemporary images of men are in the centre of Falk Richter’s latest project. The limits of male heterosexuality remain particularly disputed today, as spectre of real freedom and equality for all sexes has led to fear and resistance. If men also deny their previous role in the patriarchy and just do whatever they want, then who will continue to protect and preserve Western civilisation?” (Gorky Newsletter; 3. April-May 2014) Small town boySmall Town Boy” actors: Mehmet Ateşçi / Niels Bormann / Lea Draeger / Aleksandar Radenković / Thomas Wodianka; Director: Falk Richter, Stage and costume: Katrin Hoffmann, Music Matthias Grübel, Lights: Carsten Sander, Dramaturgy: Jens Hillje / Daniel Richter

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An account of three Movies that Matter: Freedom of Expression and the State

by Fiana Gantheret Movies that matter festival A small entry into often incredibly violent worlds. That is what the Movies that Matter Festival offers. A regular feature in The Hague for some years now, the festival took place this year between 20 and 26 March 2014. This post focuses more particularly on three movies that featured in the selection: Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer by Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin, Viva Cuba Libre: Rap is War by Jesse Acevedo, and Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case by Andreas Johnson. The focus of these three movies is freedom of expression and its violation by the state apparatus. The main characters fight to speak out, either about the state itself, or at least without any censorship. The latter is of course linked to the former, given that being able to speak without limits in the societies depicted in the movies entails saying Fuck Off to the system. The means to reach that goal: art. Punk music and performance in Pussy Riot; rap music in Rap is War; and conceptual art - photography, sculptures, installations - in The Fake Case. Context(s) Pussy Riot is about the trial of three members of the russian punk feminist movement Pussy Riot created in 2011: Nadejda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina, and Ekaterina Samoutsevitch. The three women were arrested after having staged a performance on 21 February 2012 on the soleas of the Cathedral Christ the Savior in Moscow to protest the support of the leader of the Orthodox Church to Vladimir Putin during the elections. They were sentenced on 17 July 2012 to two years imprisonment. On appeal, Ekaterina Samoutsevitch's sentence was suspended. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8K8WRRzbQs

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Working together and combining reflections and multi-disciplinary approaches will strengthen the understanding we have of the normative frameworks supporting the enjoyment of Human Rights for all. In turn, actions and statements will have more impact. Join the movement, join the hub!

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People should be allowed to celebrate who they are and battle against the obvious oppression there is. People need to learn about different cultures and backgrounds! Support the right of all people to be happy!

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