Destination: Origin

Mohammad Rasoulof's theatrical production weaves together the themes of exile, identity, and artistic freedom into a performance that invites the audience to reflect on the meaning of home and the power of self-determination. Setareh Maleki, Mahsa Rostami, and Niousha Akhshi, with whom Rasoulof previously collaborated on his feature film The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024), now take to the stage in Destination: Origin.

Just like Mohammad Rasoulof himself, they were forced to leave Iran. Having arrived in Berlin, their (supposed) destination, the actresses, joined by their colleague Eli Riccardi, retrace the stages of their flight in the production.

Rasoulof, one of the most prominent film directors and winner of numerous film awards, asks in Destination: Origin: What do you orient yourself by when you leave the barriers of constant political control? What do you reflect on in order to arrive at your own freedom? Rasoulof creates images of a journey in which the destination and starting point become blurred.

 

»Destination: Origin« is a production of Berliner Festspiele with  Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus, THEATER an der RUHR, Nationaltheater Mannheim and Thalia Theater.

 

After the performance on February 2, there will be a discussion with SPIEGEL journalist Anke Dürr.

With Niousha Akhshi, Mahsa Rostami, Setareh Maleki, Eli Riccardi

Text & direction Mohammad Rasoulof 
Set & costume design Yashi 
Dramaturgy Matthias Lilienthal 
Production manager Claudia Peters
Composer Karzan Mahmood 
Assistant director Yasi Moradi 
Artistic advisor to the directing team Amin Sadraei 
Video design L Wilson-Spiro 
Choreography Laurie Young 
Lighting Sebastian Zamponi
Stage & Costume Assistant Viet Thanh Tran 
Translation & Surtitles Golbarg Zolfaghari (Panthea) 
Outside Eye Sima Djabar Zadegan