Conflict in Israel-Palestine: Yousef Sweid addresses tensions at Gorki theater
Israeli-Palestinian actor Yousef Sweid turns his life story into theatre with a personal monologue, "Between the River and the Sea," at Berlin's Maxim Gorki Theatre. The cheeky title reflects Sweid's aim to generate a more nuanced conversation about Israel-Palestine in Berlin and beyond.
Sweid, affable and prone to laughter, came to Berlin with his ex-wife, Israeli-German director Yael Ronen, to raise their family and escape the increasing acrimony of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's second term. Although he has made political theatre with Ronen at the Maxim Gorki Theatre, he has also appeared on television in titles such as Woman of the Dead and Munich Games.
Inspired to write his autobiographical play by an invitation to a concert for peace in Geneva and his 15-year-old son's school's lack of discussion about the conflict, Sweid approaches the play not as politics but as a personal encounter. He insists on theatre as a means of promoting understanding, not instigating debate.
Two significant moments prompted Sweid to write his play.In Geneva, he read some poems to a group of Palestinian women for peace, and his son, frustrated by the lack of dialogue about the conflict at his school, expressed a newfound interest in understanding his homeland's strife. Sweid felt that no one could provide a reliable account of the situation, so he decided to share his own experiences.
Having previously worked at the Maxim Gorki Theatre—collaborating with Ronen on peace-related projects such as Third Generation and The Situation—Sweid felt it was the right place to continue working on his autobiographical play. Intendant Shermin Langhoff offered him a spot in Studio Я without hesitation. Sweid aims to take his play beyond the theatre, reaching out to schools and institutions across Europe to disseminate his message about the complexity of the conflict.
Sweid believes theatre is the right form for outreach, as it allows people to see their enemy as more than a monster. "I'm not going to tell you what you should do," he says. "I'm just going to come and tell my story, because I think for a long time I didn't say anything."
During a six-year break from acting, Sweid wrote his piece, which combines sincerity and humor to address a heavy topic. His aim is to promote understanding, not to take sides or offer answers. He stresses the importance of personal encounters rather than debates, and his hope is that his story will help people connect and foster empathy.
Between the River and the Sea, April 5, 19, Studio Я, with English surtitles.
In his attempt to facilitate a more nuanced discourse about Israel-Palestine, Yousef Sweid has turned his life story into a personal monologue titled "Between the River and the Sea." This play, a product of his six-year break from acting, emphasizes education-and-self-development by promoting understanding and empathy through entertainment. Sweid's production will be staged at Berlin's Maxim Gorki Theatre on April 5 and 19, with English surtitles, extending beyond the theatre to schools and institutions across Europe, highlighting technology and general-news as powerful tools for disseminating his message about the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
