The Barentsz DilemmaCan we as Hungarians surmount our own national, Eastern-European identity and can we adopt a new identity of another nation?We participated at Oerol Festival Paspoort routes with a true site-specific performance/experience about the famous Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz, the man who was born in Terschelling. About the project: The life of Willem Barentsz touches us. He was always true to his ideas, he never gave up his dreams. As a young artist we can learn a lot from his fortitude. We don’t want to reconstruct a historical figure. We are searching for the relevance of Barentsz life in our lives. We want to bring the thoughts, passions and dilemmas of Barentsz alive. Audience members can experience his life, they can enter his soul. In ‘The Barentsz Dilemma’ we focus on the struggle between the wish to travel far away from home and the desire to return home. We want to recreate - in an imaginary way - the inner and outer circumstances of Barentsz’s journey. We want to relive and understand the motivations behind the extreme lifestyle of the explorer. How do we in 2011 relate to such a mission? Can we make such strong sacrifices to reach our goals? How far are we able to go? The visitors/ audiencemembers can watch the performers, us, fighting with the elements: the physical and mental challenges we face through the example of Barentsz. Going through the dilemmas of Barentsz day in day out for 6 hours during the festival will effect us. We will try to abandon our previous life to find out who we really are. We want to re-think and revalue what happiness is. Do we have to travel to the other end of the world to find it or can we find it at home? Which of these two options needs greater courage? Who is a hero? The story of Willem Barentsz is a very Dutch story and we are not Dutch – we are Hungarians, so we would like to go deeper into the cultural differences. We want to tell our reading of this heroic Dutch phenomenon. Language though will not be a problem. We -of course- can’t speak Dutch. The lack of language will make this exchange special. We have to find a common language of communication. The location, our final choice inspires us to big exploits. Special thanks: THE STORY: "We, as the Hungarian relatives of the famous Dutch want to live in Holland. We want to look like a Dutch. We want to be a Dutch and make more than one hundred little Dutch-Hungarian children here on the island. We don't have a sea. Here is enough see. Our children will run here on the dunes and swimm in the beautiful Dutch sea. That's why we decided to give something to our new country. We searched a lot and found a secret road, a sandy road from where Barentsz went away and no one knows it until this point. So welcome at the opening of the Barentsz Memorial Road! Just follow the pink sticks! Dont look back, just go ahead!" Location: Duinkuil paal 7 - LOCATIE18 Open: Every day from 11 am until 5 pm PREPARING MARCH-JUNE 2011:                         |
PERFORMING - JUNE 2011:        THE OPENING CEREMONIE: "Welcome on the opening of the the BARENTSZ MEMORIAL ROAD. We are very happy to be here and very happy that you are here too. Goeden Dag allemaal, welkom. Dank voor uw komst. Gezellig. Nu mogen we voor 10 dagen hier zijn, maar we hopen langer te blijven. Very special that we are here. Hij is achterkleinzoon van Willem Barentsz. Ja echt waar. You can make interview. Het is nu het moment om uw vragen te stellen.
1, U lijkt heel erg op uw overgrootvader. Uw gezicht, uw vastberadenheid. Uw ogen stralen als die van een ware held. Was dit wat uw het idee gaf dat u de achterkleinzoon van Willem Barentsz bent? JA. 2, Is het waar dat vanuit hier, vanuit deze prachtige plek hij vertrokken is naar het onbekende? JA. 3, Heeft u ook al eens een ijsbeer of iets dergelijks ontmoet? Was het levensgevaarlijk? JA NATUURLIJK. 4, Is het zwaar om een held te zijn? JA. Bent u er elke dag mee bezig? JA. Dit is een baan van 24 uur per dag, toch? JA, JA, JA. 5, Bent u een tevreden mens? NO! Of is een echte held nooit tevreden met zichzelf? JA NATUURLIJK. Thank you and now it’s your time to go."  |
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