Winter Journey

January 2017. The Exil Ensemble, newly established at the Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin, consists of professional actors and actresses from Afghanistan, Syria and Palestine who have recently moved to the German capital. The group embarks on a two-week, winter coach tour of Germany with a foray into Switzerland. What is Germany or Switzerland? Niels, a German colleague, decides to show them aspects of Germany and Switzerland which demonstrate that these countries are capable of – and are more than – Hitler, dirndls and the Alps. What is Ayham Majid Agha, Maryam Abu Khaled, Hussein Al Shatheli, Karim Daoud, Mazen Aljubbeh, Kenda Hmeidan and Yael Ronen’s view of these countries of exile? How do they perceive coexistence with the natives, with the experts who attempt to explain Germany and Switzerland to them, and with the coach-driver? What mutual attempts at rapprochement are there, and how do they gauge these relationships? Israeli director Yael Ronen has already directed a guest performance at the Pfauen – “Common Ground” in 2015.