In Under Cover, Iranian-Austrian dancer and choreographer Ulduz Ahmadzadeh crosses autobiographical continents, places and contexts and connects these experiences to the experiences of other ‘oriental’ women in a captivating mix of performance, film and installation. Whether they are wearing a hijab or not, the ethnic background of these women draws a veil of social prejudice over the reality of their lives. The recent populist conflation of terms like Islam, hijab and terrorism does not help either, but intensifies this one-dimensional representation of Muslim women. For this reason, Ahmadzadeh leaves behind the false pretences of origin-related debates and engages with an analysis of the socio-political situation, which might enable us to subvert existing power structures. Based on interviews, Ahmadzadeh will assume the identities of different women, thereby providing insight into a complex field of diverging social roles, belief systems and individual takes on pleasure and freeing the body.
Credits
Concept, choreography, performance Ulduz Ahmadzadeh
Concept, dramaturgy Johanna Figl
Scenography Till Jasper Krappmann
Sound design Paul Kotal
Camera Parvin Ebrahimi
Film editing Christin Veith
Production Almud Krejza
Outside Eye Gerlinde Roidinger
Premiere 03.05./04.05. Tanzquartier Wien