Israel Galván / Mohamed El Khatib – Israel & Mohamed

In Israel & Mohamed flamenco dancer Israel Galván and theater maker Mohamed El Khatib bring their worlds together. Through dance, memories and humor they explore fathers, tradition and the search for their own artistic voice. A Spaniard and a Frenchman. One a renowned flamenco dancer, the other a celebrated theater and documentary maker. A Jehovah's Witness alongside a practicing Muslim. Israel and Mohamed, pleased to meet you. What happens when two artists bring their names together and explore each other's world? In Israel & Mohamed, a major success at the Festival d'Avignon, Israel Galván and Mohamed El Khatib search for their greatest common denominators. Galván brings his idiosyncratic, experimental flamenco style. El Khatib starts from his documentary theater practice. Together they browse through memories of their upbringing, family archives and the expectations they grew up with. Central to their work is their relationship with their fathers - two imposing figures who at once provided direction and provoked resistance. In their search for the freedom to chart their own course, the makers explore how tradition, family and identity continue to interact. Humor proves to be a soothing balm for a delicate inner conflict. For how do you become an artist when your background had a different future in mind for you? And how do you find your own voice? Now lightly, then probing deeply, the performance dissects a patriarchal worldview and shows what it takes to choose your own path.