Copyright information:Christophe Raynaud de Lage
Lebanese director and choreographer Ali Chahrour makes a striking impression with his work exploring grief, ritual, and survival. After the beautifully heartbreaking performance Told by My Mother, performed at the Holland Festival in 2025, he returns with When I Saw the Sea. This time, his focus turns to the exploitation of migrant women under Lebanon’s kafala system, which ties migrants’ residency to their employers and leaves them extremely vulnerable.
It is at once raw and harrowing, yet moments of astonishing tenderness and beauty shine through. (…) The presence and strength of these three women leave the audience breathless.
— Emmanuel Serafini, INFERNO
On stage are three women – Tenei Ahmad, Zena Moussa, and Rania Jamal – real-life heroines who tell their own stories. They balance performance with testimony, giving voice not only to their own experiences but to those of thousands of others.
The music is sung by singer Lynn Adib and musician Abed Kobeissy. Lynn Adib's music bridges traditional Arabic melodic maqâm and the sacred songs of ancient Syria with the improvisational spirit of jazz. Her music sounds together with music by Abed Kobeissy, whose sound blends the raw energy of urban Beirut with the melancholic tones of the Levantine buzuq (a long-necked string instrument from the Levant with clear tones).
The staging of When I Saw the Sea – coproduced by Holland Festival – is pretty sober: an empty stage, subtly shifting light, and music that swings between sorrow and heartbeat. Three women, armed only with their voices and bodies, assert their right to be seen and heard and Chahrour transforms their survival into art.
dates
Wed June 10 8:30 PM
Thu June 11 8:30 PM
Fri June 12 8:30 PM
Sat June 13 8:30 PM
Sun June 14 3:00 PM
prices
- default € 30
- CJP € 15
- HF Young € 22,50
- youth under 18 € 15
information
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Arabic, Amhaars surtitles: English, Dutch
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1 hour 10 minutes (zonder pauze)
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When I Saw the Sea - Zena Moussa, Tenei Ahmad, Rania Jamal © Kassim Dabaji
KASSIM DABAJI
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When I Saw the Sea © Christophe Raynaud De Lage
Christophe Raynaud de Lage
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When I Saw the Sea © Christophe Raynaud De Lage
Christophe Raynaud de Lage
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When I Saw the Sea © Christophe Raynaud De Lage
Christophe Raynaud de Lage
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When I Saw the Sea © Christophe Raynaud De Lage
Christophe Raynaud de Lage
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When I Saw the Sea © Christophe Raynaud De Lage
Christophe Raynaud de Lage
