Ali Chahrour – When I Saw the Sea

Ali Chahrour returns with When I Saw the Sea, a gripping performance about migrant workers in Lebanon and the Kafala system. Three women share their stories of exploitation, resilience and justice through dance, music and testimonies. Lebanese choreographer Ali Chahrour made an impression in 2023 at DE SINGEL with his acclaimed performance The Love Behind My Eyes. Now he returns with When I Saw the Sea, a political indictment of systematic and intersectional violence against women. When a homeland is torn apart by conflict or climate disasters, and people exchange the familiar for the unknown, some find themselves in new forms of uncertainty in their search for happiness. This is the story of hundreds of thousands of African and Southeast Asian migrant workers in Lebanon. Lured by the promise of opportunity and prosperity, they become trapped in the Kafala system. According to Arab governments, it is a common employment system; according to NGOs, it is a hotbed of exploitation and modern slavery. For his latest production, Chahrour brings together three women who fell prey to the Kafala system but managed to escape. When I Saw the Sea is a gripping testimony to resilience and justice. Because for the first time, the three female migrant workers write their own story. Through dance, music and compelling testimonies, they give voice to their invisible peers.