The Tempest Society is neither documentary nor fiction, but rather a hypothesis. Three Athenians from different backgrounds form a group to examine the current state of Greece, Europe, and the Mediterranean. They get together on a theatre stage that is being used as a public space. They call themselves The Tempest Society in tribute to Al Assifa ('the tempest' in Arabic), a theatrical troupe consisting mainly of North African immigrant workers and French students with North African heritage that was active in 1970s Paris. Al Assifa used the format of a ‘theatrical newspaper’ to communicate the everyday struggles of immigrants against inequality and racism in France.
Forty years later, Al Assifa’s legacy is being revived. On a theatre stage, the Tempest Society and their guests call for equality, a sense of citizenship, and solidarity.
The film is followed by a conversation with Bouchra Khalili and Joachim Ben Yakoub.
Bouchra Khalili graduated in Film and Media and Audiovisual Arts in Paris. She has won various prizes and her work has been shown at numerous international exhibitions and artistic events, from Jeu de Paume (Paris) and MoMa (New York) to documenta 14 (Kassel) and Sharjah Biennial (Sharjah).
Joachim Ben Yakoub is a writer, researcher and lecturer operating on the border of different art schools and institutions. He is affiliated to the MENARG and S:PAM research group of Ghent University, where he is conducting research on the aesthetics of revolt somewhere in between Tunisia and Belgium. He is guest professor at LUCA school of Arts Brussels and lecturer at Sint-Lucas School of Arts Antwerp, where he is also promotor of the collective action research The Archives of the Tout-Monde.
Location: K1. 1 Avenue du port, 1000 Brussels.
Co-curated by Selma Ouissi, Sofiane Ouissi, Jan Goossens, Guy Gypens.
