Israeli Choreographer Arkadi Zaides has gained international acclaim for using his artistry in putting the spotlight on current political and social issues, constantly aiming to stimulate debate. His artistry emanates from the physical body – this is where social and political decisions are felt most acutely, he says.

The piece Archive is based on documentary video recordings, filmed by Palestinians living in conflict areas, with cameras given to them by Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem. The idea behind handing out these cameras was to document violations against human rights and to show both an Israeli and an international audience what life under occupation really is like.

During the process, Zaides has gathered and chosen material that he then represents in his choreographic work. By converting his body into a living archive, he allows us to become silent witnesses to the everyday violence. The Israeli are the ones caught on the actual films, but it is the Palestinians that are holding the cameras, and therefore it is their movements, voices and viewpoints that dictate the perspective in the films.

Conflict and confrontation are the key elements in Archive. But Zaides also wants to address broader, more universal issues regarding responsibility and participation: what price is the collective forced to pay when trying to control another person or group? And what potential violence does every body really hold?

Zaides was born in Belarus in 1979. In 1990 he immigrated to Israel. He lives and works in Tel Aviv. For several years he performed with a number of dance companies, but since 2004 his main focus has been his own solo career. His pieces have been hugely successful and have been presented at international festivals and venues around the world. Zaides is one of few Israeli choreographers who, through his work, want to raise questions about his political reality.

Archive materials: volunteers for the “Camera Project” of B’Tselem – The Israeli Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories: Iman Sufan, Mu’az Sufan, Bilal Tamimi, Udai ‘Aqel, Awani D’ana, Bassam J’abri, Abu ‘Ayesha, Qassem Saleh, Mustafa Elkam, Raed Abu Ermeileh, Abd al-Karim J’abri, Issa ‘Amro, Mu’ataz Sufan, Ahmad Jundiyeh, Nasser Harizat, Abu Sa’ifan, Muna A-Nawaj’ah, Oren Yakobovich, Nayel Najar
Concept & choreography: Arkadi Zaides
Video consultant: Effi and Amir (Effi Weiss and Amir Borenstein)
Sound art & voice dramaturgy: Tom Tlalim
Artistic advice: Katerina Bakatsaki
Assistant choreography: Ofir Yudilevitch
Costume: Adam Kalderon
Lights design: Thalie Lurault
Remote control interface: Pierre-Olivier Boulant
Technical director: Etienne Exbrayat
Sound technician: Cyril Communal
Production: Simge Gücük. Special thanks to Myriam Van Imschoot
Produced by: Arkadi Zaides
Co-Produced by: Festival D’Avignon (FR), CDC Toulouse (FR), Theatre National De Chaillot (FR), CNDC Angers (FR), The Emile Zola Chair for Human Rights (IL).
Residencies at: CDC Toulouse (FR), CNDC Angers (FR), STUK Leuven (BE), Theatre National De Chaillot (FR), WP Zimmer (BE), Amsterdam Master of Choreography (NL)
International Distribution: Key Performance