16 February 2021
Milo Rau’s “School of Resistance” at the Akademie der Künste
Films and discussions on livestream, 24 – 28 February 2021
The Akademie der Künste hosts the livestream debate series “School of Resistance” for five days, from 24 to 28 February 2021. Last year, Swiss author, theatre director and filmmaker Milo Rau, in cooperation with the IIPM (International Institute of Political Murder) and the Belgian Theatre Gent (NTGent), founded the globally networked “School of Resistance” to promote the exchange of artistic strategies of resistance. The collaboration with the Akademie der Künste will combine the debate series with a retrospective of Milo Rau’s work and the artistic activism of the IIPM’s work. Since 2007, Milo Rau and the IIPM have been addressing historical or socio-political conflicts around the world through installations, plays, films, books and political interventions.
The starting point for the “School of Resistance” at the Akademie der Künste is the cinematic work of Milo Rau and the IIPM. Six films will be shown on livestream, some of them for the first time outside of theatrical distribution, and all free of charge: The Last Days of the Ceausescus (2009/10), The Moscow Trials(2014), General Assembly (2017), The Congo Tribunal (2017), Orestes in Mosul (2020) and The New Gospel (2020).
In 13 discussion rounds, international activists and artists will talk about the possibilities of and limits to the interweaving of activism and art. Among the participating artists are Susana AbdulMajid, Mohammad Al Attar, Inke Arns, Matthias Lilienthal, Florian Malzacher, Lorenzo Marsili, Surer Mohamed, Maia Morgenstern, Wajdi Mouawad, Rabih Mroué, Miriam Saage-Maaß, Sylvia Sasse, Yvan Sagnet, Georg Seeßlen, Lara Staal, Kathrin Röggla, Juliane Rebentisch, Klaus Theweleit, Celine Tshizena, Andrei Ujică, Andres Veiel, Eyal Weizman, Harald Welzer and Dorothee Wenner.
In a three-part podcast, the author Édouard Louis, the political philosopher Geoffroy de Lagasnerie and Milo Rau will discuss the aesthetics of politically engaged art. The transcribed conversation will be published in book form by L’Arche Editeur and will serve as the basis for a stage production by Milo Rau in collaboration with Édouard Louis.
Milo Rau (born in 1977 in Bern) studied sociology, Romance studies and German studies in Paris, Berlin and Zurich, under the tutelage of Bourdieu and Tzvetan Todorov, among others. Since 2002, he has published over 40 plays, films, books and political actions. His productions have been staged at major international festivals, including the Berliner Theatertreffen, the Festival d’Avignon, the Biennale Teatro di Venezia, the Wiener Festwochen and the Brussels Kunstenfestivaldesarts, and have toured through over 30 countries all over the world. In 2007, he founded the International Institute of Political Murder (IIPM). Since the 2018/19 season, Milo Rau has been artistic director of NTGent.
Detailed programme, programme booklet for download and livestream
Wednesday, 24 February
5 pm: School of Resistance – Opening. General Assembly / Film by Milo Rau, D/CH 2017, 17 min., OV. Discussion with Kathrin Röggla, Milo Rau and others
7 pm: The Last Days of the Ceausescus / Film by Milo Rau, D/CH 2009/2010, 72 min., OV/EnS. Discussion with Matthias Lilienthal, Eyal Weizman and others
Thursday, 25 February
5 pm: School of Resistance: The (Im)possible Art / Discussion with Geoffroy de Lagasnerie, Juliane Rebentisch, Milo Rau, Andres Veiel
7 pm: The Moscow Trials / Film by Milo Rau, D/CH 2014, 86 min., OV/EnS. Discussion with Florian Malzacher and others
Friday, 26 February
4 pm: Aesthetics of Resistance – Part I / Discussion with Edouard Louis, Geoffroy de Lagasnerie, Milo Rau. Moderation: Laura Cappelle
5 pm: School of Resistance: Transnational (In)justice / Discussion with Miriam Saage-Maaß, Lara Staal, Surer Mohamed, Kasia Wojcik and others.
7 pm: The Congo Tribunal / Film by Milo Rau, D/CH 2017, 100 min., OV/EnS. Discussion with Celine Tshizena, Dorothee Wenner, Harald Welzer and others
Saturday, 27 February
4 pm: Aesthetics of Resistance – Part II / Discussion with Edouard Louis, Geoffroy de Lagasnerie, Milo Rau. Moderation: Laura Cappelle
5 pm: School of Resistance: Can there be global art? / Discussion with Rabih Mroué and others
7 pm: Orestes in Mosul / Film by Milo Rau, D/CH 2020, 72 min., OV/EnS.
Discussion with Mohammad Al Attar, Susana AbdulMajid, Klaus Theweleit and others
Sunday, 28 February
4 pm: Aesthetics of Resistance – Part III / Discussion with Edouard Louis, Geoffroy de Lagasnerie, Milo Rau. Moderation: Laura Cappelle
5 pm: School of Resistance: The Revolt of Dignity / Discussion with Lorenzo Marsili, Yvan Sagnet, Martin Valdés-Stauber and others
7 pm: The New Gospel / Film by Milo Rau, D/CH 2020, 107 min., OV/GeS. Discussion with Maia Morgenstern, Yvan Sagnet, Georg Seeßlen
The discussions will take place in English.
“School of Resistance” is a project of IIPM, NTGent and the Akademie der Künste, Berlin, in collaboration with Medico International, Merve Verlag, European Alternatives, ECCHR, HowlRound Theatre Commons and the Allianz Kulturstiftung; it is curated by Martin Valdés-Stauber and Kasia Wojcik.
Funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Federal Agency for Civic Education.
Press contact and press photos:
Yven Augustin, Augustin PR, Tel. +49 (0)160.801 52 35, info@augustinpr.de