Fatamorgana, Project (2016-2019)
[Fatamorgana 2017, ©Fatamorgana, 2018-19 — Core of the Project, Fatamorgana, 2018, What do we talk about when we talk about Fatamorgana 2018, Affektenlehre, 2018, Fatamorgana, 2019]
Fatamorgana 2016-2019 is a multiform project that comprises the theatrical work Fatamorgana 2017, the film ©Fatamorgana 2018–19, the publication Fatamorgana 2018, the sound installation Affektenlehre 2018, the film What do we talk about when we talk about Fatamorgana 2018, and the publication Fatamorgana 2019.
Production: Lamaland
Coproduction: BoCA – Biennial of Contemporary Arts, Les Films du Bal
Development support: CNAP – Centre National des Arts Plastiques, Marra.tein, Ashkal Alwan, 2017 Faliro House | Sundance Institute Mediterranean Screenwriters Workshop
Additional support: Colecção António Cachola, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Screen, Walla Collective, Íngreme, Alexandra Moura, DB Studios, Hall of Fame, Escola das Artes – Universidade Católica Portuguesa, MacDowell, Terratreme, Yaddo, Brown Foundation – Dora Maar House.
Support: CCB – Centro Cultural de Belém, Culturgest – Caixa Geral de Depósitos, DGArtes – Direcção Geral das Artes, Fundación Botin
Fatamorgana is both a political parody and a speculative comedy, in which historical and contemporary personalities narrate post – World War II global history and geopolitics, through a web of references and direct citations. The undercurrent is one of sense, illusion, and truth.
Hanan—a Muslim cousin of James Joyce’s Molly Bloom—finds herself, not sure how, in Beirut’s Hall of Fame waxwork museum after its closing hours. Like Homer’s most virtuous Penelope, this woman waits for her husband; she appears to have set a date with him, but he has not arrived—where can he be? While waiting, she begins interacting with the wax figures in the museum’s empty rooms, and the figures respond in turn.
Blending and clashing sixteen differing languages, as well as a variety of fiction and nonfiction sources, Fatamorgana is a multidimensional space, a kind of experiment with truth, or a type of fiction that sets up a platform for the collision of multiple fragments, elements, stories, facts.
BoCa – Biennial of Contemporary Art
Lamaland
Les Films du Bal
CCB – Centro Cultural de Belém
Mousse publishing
Fundación Botin
Cultugest
FATAMORGANA (2017)
Theater play, 120’, Portugal-FranceCommission: BoCA – Biennial of Contemporary Arts
Production: BoCA – Biennial of Contemporary Arts
In coproduction with: CCB – Centro Cultural de Belém, Colectivo 84, Les Film Du Bal
Development support: Marra.Tein, Ashkal Alwan, Cnap – Centre National Des Arts Plastiques
Additional support: Valorpneu,Screen, Walla Collective, Ingreme, Alexandra Moura
Supported: Ministério da Cultura – Direcção Geral das Artes
Fatamorgana (2017) is a theatrical play commissioned by BoCA – Biennial of Contemporary Arts for performance at CCB – Centro Cultural de Belém. It transposes the research and text (first edition) of the project into a theatrical play for stage. Within the play, Hanan (Antónia Terrinha) performs an extended monologue, in dialogue with an ensemble cast of pre-recorded voices and a soundscape. Following a brief Pre Prologue, the play begins with the projection of a filmed Prologue. The sections Development and Postface follow. Throughout the performance, subtitles, texts, and citations appear on screen to accompany the piece.
©FATAMORGANA (2018—19)
HD vídeo, 2:39, color/black and white, dolby 5.1 sound, 120 min, Portugal-France-Lebanon
Commission: Culturgest – Caixa Geral de Depósitos
Production: Lamaland
In coproduction with: BoCA – Biennial of Contemporary Art, Les Film du Bal
Development support: CNAP – Centre National des Arts Plastiques, Marra.tein, Ashkal Alwan, 2017 Faliro House | Sundance Institute Mediterranean Screenwriters Workshop, Colectivo 84
Additional support: Colecção António Cachola, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian,Screen, Walla Collective, Íngreme, Alexandra Moura, DB Studios, Escola das Artes – Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Hall of Fame, MacDowell, Terratreme, Yaddo, Fundación Botín
Support: CCB – Centro Cultural de Belém, Culturgest – Caixa Geral de Depósitos, DGArtes – Direcção Geral das Artes
Video Installation Edition: Coleção António Cachola – collection, Portugal
©Fatamorgana (2018–2019) is a film commissioned by Culturgest – Caixa Geral de Depósitos. It transposes and transforms the research, text experience and production of the theatrical play Fatamorgana (2017) into a single-screen film, for projected installation. The film takes core elements from the original theatrical production of Fatamorgana (2017) and moves them, and Hanan (Caroline Hatem), into the space of cinema, through a dense interweaving of still and moving images, text (second generation) and sound produced in Lebanon and Portugal. The film is structured into five sections: Preface, Prologue, Text, Epilogue and Postface.
FATAMORGANA (2018)
Publication, offset printing on Inaset 70gr. paper, format 34 X 24 cm, 44pp., Portugal
In collaboration with Isabel Ramos
Commission: Culturgest – Caixa Geral de Depósitos
Production: Culturgest – Caixa Geral de Depósitos
Printing: Gráfica Maiadouro
Fatamorgana (2018) is a publication dedicated to the graphic translation of the project’s text (second edition), alongside a variety of related material. It was produced to accompany ©Fatamorgana (2018–2019) for the exhibition Fatamorgana at Culturgest, Porto (October 27, 2018–January 13, 2019).
WHAT DO WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FATAMORGANA (2018)
HD video, 2:39, black and white, dolby 5.1 sound, 40 min, Portugal-France-Lebanon
Production: Lamaland
In coproduction with: Les Film du Bal
Development support: CNAP – Centre National des Arts Plastiques, Marra.tein, Ashkal Alwan
Additional support: Colecção António Cachola, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian,Screen, MacDowell, Walla Collective, Íngreme, Fundación Botín
Support: Culturgest – Caixa Geral de Depósitos
What do we talk about when we talk about Fatamorgana is a film that extends the prologues of Fatamorgana (2017) and ©Fatamorgana (2018–2019).
What do we talk about when we talk about Fatamorgana reflects the casting sessions conducted in Beirut in 2016 during the research and development of Fatamorgana (2016–2019). Before being attributed excerpts of Fatamorgana’s text in Arabic, interviews were conducted with each one of the actresses. Questions inherent to the text and to the psychology of Hanan, the leading character of Fatamorgana, were discussed. Christine Choueiry, Roula Hamadeh, Caroline Hatem, Nada Abou Farhat and Claude Baz talk openly about their background and upbringing in Lebanon as well as their careers. They share their memories and their viewpoints on politics, religion, society and culture.
AFFEKTENLEHRE (2018)
Sound installation, Dolby 5.1 sound, 20 min, in a loop, neon 25 x 188.4 cm, Portugal
In collaboration with Miguel Martins
Commission: Culturgest – Caixa Geral de Depósitos
Production: Lamaland
In coproduction with: BoCA – Biennial of Contemporary Art
Additional support: Colecção António Cachola, Walla Collective
Support: CCB – Centro Cultural de Belém, Culturgest – Caixa Geral de Depósitos, DGArtes – Direcção Geral das Artes
The doctrine of the affections was an elaborate theory based on the idea that the passions could be represented by their outward visible or audible signs. This sound installation was first developed for the exhibition Fatamorgana at Culturgest, Porto (27 October 2018 – 13 January 2019) where it was installed inside a former subterranean bank vault in surround sound.
FATAMORGANA (2019)
Publication, offset printing, format 15 X 20 cm, 288pp., Portugal / Italy
Language: English
Text: Salomé Lamas, Isabel Ramos, Delfim Sardo, Joost Smiers, Maria Palácios Cruz, Maria Filomena Molder, Pascale Cassagnou, Sara Magno.
QR-code extras: Fatamorgana (2016-2019) complete audiovisuals available online.
Design: Matteo Guallandris
Production: Lamaland, Mousse Publishing
Printing: Gráfica Maiadouro
Additional support: Escola das Artes – Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Support: Fundación Botin
Distribution: Mousse Publishing, DAP | Distributed Art Publishers, Vice Versa Distribution, Les Presses du Réel, Antenne Books
Fatamorgana (2019) is the last production of Fatamorgana (2016–2019): a publication dedicated to the graphic translation of the text at the heart of the longtime endeavor (third edition), alongside a variety of related materials, including project notes and contributions from Pascale Cassagnou, María Palacios Cruz, Sara Magno, Maria Filomena Molder, Delfim Sardo, and Joost Smiers.
The publication also provides online access to photographic, video, and sound materials, along with technical specifications for all of the project’s component elements.
