A 79th Avignon Festival in search of discoveries

Photo Christophe Raynaud de Lage / Avignon Festival

Beyond rare promises held and a few shine, such asTribute to Gisèle Pelicot rendered with force by Milo Rau and The satin shoe Given in the Honor Court, the 79th edition of the 79th avignon festival search discoveries Avignon Festival, where the invited language, Arabic, was too little heard, will have lacked audacity in its choices of programming and radicality in its proposals.

On paper. Therefore, everything was clear as rock water, and yet it was not until the latest week of the Avignon Festival, which ends this Saturday, July 26 on a frequentation rate exceeding 98%, so that its director, Tiago Rodriguesis obvious and recognized, on the occasion of the conference of “pre-balance sheet”, that he would have “Wanted to have more theater in Arabic” During this 79th edition. Therefore, Unlike English. Meanwhile, Spanish, who had had the honors of the demonstration in the past two years, the invited language of the 2025 vintage has only been in connection with 30% of the programming, now recognizes the director. For example, A deficit all the more glaring. For example, and symbolic, that it arrives at the worst moment, 79th avignon festival search discoveries at the time when, on the other side of the Mediterranean, the humanitarian disaster endured by the population of the Gaza Strip was, during the three weeks which have just passed, increased day by day. In addition, Arguing “Programming constraints” And promising that two Arabic language shows initially planned this year will be presented next year. Therefore, Tiago Rodrigues has, it seems, wanted to hang on to the branches. Meanwhile, Beyond some ephemeral events of an event character. such as the concert-tribute to the singer Oum kalthoum, Women’s voiceorganized in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes, and a sensitive “Poetic celebration of the Arabic language” entitled Nourthe director of the Avignon festival condemned, in a brief press release published on July 2, the «Massacre de Gaza» And joined forces with the “new Avignon declaration”, pronounced on the Place du Palais des Papes ten days later, to denounce “The massacres 79th avignon festival search discoveries orchestrated by the Israeli State in Gaza and in the occupied territories” ; But, from an artistic point of view, evil was done.

Because. except for the few scraps captured during the magnetic When I Saw the Sea d’Ali Chahrour and the most problematic Laaroussa Quartet designed by Selma & Sofianu ou, It was not until the fifth day of the festival that Arabic truly, but discreetly, on stage and settled in the center of the plateau, and the dramaturgy, of the delicate Chapter four of Bad kadourgiven within the small setting of the garden of the Virgin of the Lycée Saint-Joseph, as part of the first series of Long live the subject! Attemptswith the very instructive A spectacle that the law will consider mine d’Olga dukhovna as a solid acolyte. Following him. only one of the components of Radio Live d’Aurélie Charon (Our upcoming lives) and the confus Yes 79th avignon festival search discoveries Daddy Palestinians Bashar Murkus et Khulood Baselpresent for the third time in Avignon lands, will have put one of the Arabic languages in the heart of their reactor. Worse. the other artists included by the festival in this “focus”, like Mohamed Toukabri and his too fragile Every-Body-Knows-What-Tomorrow-Brings-And-We-All-Know-What-Happened-Yesterdayof Radouan Mriziga and its beautiful exploration danced with desert areas, Magec / the Desertof Bouchra Ouizguen and his chaotic They Always Come Back and, above all, Tamara Al Sadidiwho presented his overwhelming Ministerafter its creation last January at the Criée Theater, have been all firmly established in Europe for many years. Proof. if one had one, that the Avignon festival, guided by its friendships-almost all of the choreographers present having, in a remarkable way, been trained by the dance school parts ofAnne Teresa De Keersmaekerherself programmed with her funny Brelco-created with the young Solal Mariotte -and its close relations with other international events, 79th avignon festival search discoveries such as the Transamer Festival, has failed to play its essential role of researcher, and has, unlike some of its counterparts, not good good to cross the Mediterranean to highlight the work of artists from the Maghreb, Egypt, the Near and the Middle East, which, in these more than disturbed times, would have been uninhablely.

In place of any risk -taking. this 79th edition has above all preferred to bet on values considered safe – without, however, and in a surprising way, to continue his companionship with artists who made his beautiful evenings during the previous mills, like Carolina Bianchi and Miet Warlop, who, this year, preferred the Kunstenfestivaldes of Brussels and the Festival Paris to present their latest creation -, but which, for the most part, disappointed. Starting Thomas Ostermeierwhose return to Avignon after ten years of absence ended in failure. that of its staging of Duckfar too apathetic 79th avignon festival search discoveries to run the Ibsenian mechanics at full speed, Gwenaël Morinwhose long -term project Dismantle the ramparts to finish the bridge has led to a flavorless version of Persian D’eschyle, Samuel acache and his hazardous opera Incredulous, Némo Flouret and its Latest lights in the shape of a wet firecracker, Mette Ingvartsen and his vain Delirious Night, Frédéric Fisbach and his wise adaptation of Small country de Gaël Faye, but also, to a lesser extent, by Amrita Hepi and his too referenced Rinse and by Marlene Monteiro Freitas. Too distantly inspired by A thousand. one nights And little at ease in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes where he was presented at the opening, his Cereal Leave more than one spectator and more than one spectator on her hunger, with regard to the plume of her past creations. Like a festival which. as a whole, proved to be in lack 79th avignon festival search discoveries of audacity and radicality, with the notable exception of the three series of Long live the subject! Attempts Who. thanks to the talent of Olga Dukhovna, Wael Kadour, Yasmine Hadj Ali, Solène Wachter et Suzanne de Baecqueconfirmed the role of precious laboratory of this program leads with the SACD, the two bosses of the European theater, Tiago Rodrigues and Milo Rau, for their part, played it respectively in minor mode, with two modest forms with various fortunes: the disappointing The distanceprogrammed for three weeks to the other scene from Grand Avignon, in Vedène, and the most stimulating The letterpresented in roaming and, essentially, outside the ramparts.

In search of real discoveries. including the young Greek artist of Albanian origin Mario Banushi and sound MAMIwhose coronation a little too announced could have caused some disappointments, this 79th Festival of Avignon could nevertheless have, to straighten the bar, on a few shine 79th avignon festival search discoveries that will undoubtedly mark its history, as the disturbing Tribute to Gisèle Pelicot orchestrated with a master’s hand – but only for an evening – by Milo Rau and the Intense Satin shoe staged by Éric RUFwhich, after its creation last winter at the Comédie-Française last winter, allowed the language of Claudel to shine, again, under the Avignon sky, and certain moments of grace. Beyond the too stealthy presence of Raft. its two ultimate, and sublime, creation Item et By autanand the eruptive Summit of Christoph Marthalerthe step of two facetious and moving Mohamed El Khatib et Israel Galván, malicious Israel & Mohamedhas done more than honored the artists duly installed, just like the Ovniesque Rocket of Cannethe only survivor of a young audience program reduced this year with sorrow, and the earthy Coin Operated of Jonas & Lander. Also bearers of hope. the bewitching Nexus de l’adoration of Joris 79th avignon festival search discoveries Lacostethe sublime Prelife the pan of Clara Hédouinthe striking One’s own room Inside Kaboul of Caroline Gillet et Kubra Khademi and the most sharp Family affairs d’Émilie Rousset will have, each in their place, managed to keep their promises. It remains to be seen whether. on the occasion of its 80th edition, where, in the form of a new challenge, the Korean will serve as a guest language, the Avignon Festival will succeed in reconnecting with the audacity which presided over its creation, or if it will remain locked in the search for this comfortable consensus where, today, it seems to complain.

Vincent Bouquet, for the Sceneweb team – www.sceneweb.fr