With the flow

So-“with the flow”-is called the Huissmans Roman, the dissertation was written by the philologist Francois, the teacher of the Sorbonne, the hero of “humility” (better, “subordination”) Michel Welbek.

The premiere of the performance, staged by Alvis Hermanis in the New Riga Theater, took place last September. A possible but not happening surge in political excitement foreshadowed two circumstances. The first is connected with the random exit of Welbek's book exactly on the day of events in Charlie Hebdo , which contributed to the even greater success of this anti -utopia (or utopia). But “humility” is not a political composition, but philosophical, albeit Light . The second circumstance concerns the director’sinadvertible statements about Muslim refugees during his work in Germany.

The scandal did not occur for other reasons - precisely because the artistic structure of the performance is devoid of aggression, call, shocking, as, in fact, the story of Welbek. Ethics with aesthetics contained parity at this performance.

The neutral, often impassive intonation of the novel, saturated with obvious and at the same time glanced sarcasm, is appropriated by the actors of the new Riga Theater clearly, strictly and differently. Vilis Daudzinsh in the role of Francois, present on the stage for four and a half hours (the performance lasts so much), heroically nuances the party of his “extraneous” anti -Hero. As, however, Andris Keish, playing the Rediger, the new - respectable, formed - rector of the missed sorbonne. The rest of the characters are invited to remain in the type of mediocre philologist, “Specialist” according to Rimbo (Caspers Znotinsh), unhappyly submissive to any rules of the game in the country, at the university; The aging bitch-professor (Regina of the mind), who stuffed her hand on the comments on the writings of Balzac-she will have to leave the Sorbonne, where only men will only work. Her husband (Girts Krumins) wears a smart mask about the backstage of the electoral race behind the post of the president of France, an informed minister of internal security department, forced to leave his post due to the new historical situation. Miriam (Yana Chivzhel), the mistress of Francois, leaving France, which she loves so much (and even more-French cheese), since her Jewish parents emigrate to Israel, acts as a submissive daughter and sex-loving girlfriend.

Hermanis had not made novel staging before. This time, without changing his attachment to the directorial minimalism, he decided to try to “intellectual drama”, translating enormous fragments of the Welbek text into dialogs, a trio of heroes, as well as monologues of Francois.

For all that “retreat” from the novel in his play, of course, there are. They are the fruit of the directorial fantasy, rooted in the plot of Muslim introduction into European space and time. It is important that such an invasion of the abductors of the identity of Europeans is carried out non -violently and legalized by democratic elections.

The action of “humility” takes place, as you know, in 2022, when the “National Front” led by Marin Le Pen and the Muslim Brotherhood party, its leader Mohammed Ben Abbes, has to become the European Union at the expense of Muslim countries, and implement other proposals of his powerful project, socio -cultural and political.

Hermanis begins and ends each of the three acts of the performance with dancing of the abdomen of the “Eastern beauties” (Elmira ensemble). It is characteristic that the dancers of this team do not differ in a European thin bearing, but on the contrary - they are mainly and mostly blonde. Painted, assumed. This is conceptual. And this corresponds to the personal representation of Francois, an apathetic bachelor, changing-so as not to walk-a sex partner chosen among students, about an erotic paradise. “Rich Saudi, dressed during the day into impenetrable black burns, reborn into paradise birds in the evening, dressing up in grace, openwork bras and thongs, decorated with colorful lace and rhinestones ...” (I remind you that the hero of the Welbekovskaya “platform” did not suggest that his love affairs in the exotic country would blow up the Bombs terrorist.)

The Muslim occupation (but the “occupation” in the opinion of those representatives of different European peoples in whom the will to resist is not broken by the sunset of their continent and personal devastation or even degradation) in the novel and the delicate performance of Hermanis is lost, that is, it is interpreted as the simultaneous process of civilizational evolution and surrender. This conflict, essential for the drama of ideas, and not for unambiguous political agitation with any sign, deprives the stage version of the “submission” of the expected effects, amiable agents of any platforms - whether “fasciki”, “right -hand sector”, jihadists, advanced Europeans who have accepted Islam by mercantiles (financing is Sorabona are secured by oil kings and Saudi Prince) or value considerations.

In the performance of Hermanis, as in the novel by Welbek, polemic excitement. The decoration invented by the director himself can be perceived as an image of a bunker. But in the “Dzota window” (the scenographic fence limits the stage) is not a person with a gun, but a sofa Francois. He communicates with other characters on it, sleeps with Miriam, writhes from scabies (at some point it overtakes eczema), collects a suitcase to rush from Paris when they close the university, and they will announce bloody incidents in different areas of Paris, unknown to whom provoked and implemented; It turns out to be in the center of Christian pilgrimage to bow to the Black Madonna, where Francois will be embarrassed to rehearse plasticity that imitates gestures of praying in the mosque.

In the third act, plush pillows from the Divan Francois will be changed to the same, but upholstered with fabric with oriental patterns. The action will be transferred to the Rediger mansion, where Francois is invited for a long sophisticated conversation, in which the appeal to Kirillov from the “demons” is just as appropriate and unpredictable as the appeal to Nietzsche or the matchmakers, which now choose wives for French intellectuals.

In a tiny gaming space, the heroes include an imaginary TV in order to comment on the debate and chat about the inadmissibility, inevitability of the patriarchy, shortened secondary education, reduction of unemployment, strengthening family values, family business - “Forward to the family according to the calculation!” etc.

Behind the sofa, that is, for the imaginary strengthening of the home island-Bashni, the average Frenchman (bitter irony is that an enlightened philologist, humanitarium has been appointed to his role)-blackness filling the depth of the stage. Guria is dancing on the advance - the fruit of the imagination/lust of Francois and close reality. Behind the sofa is the darkness of the unknown. Or the future that the dancers master, paradise birds.

To the radical challenges of modern times, Hermanis responded with humility to the inconsolable Roman Welbek, who, like the director, knows the price of any illusions equipped with intellectual baggage and/or economic art.

On the frame of the “bunker” or cameras (aka Francois’s room, the Rediger library, the Mari-Franesase apartment, Balzakoveda), coinciding with the frame of the mirror of the playing space, every three to five minutes project electronic pictures that reproduce the patterns of oriental carpets or tiles (video of Sipunova's names). The French are still there, inside, in the shelter, but the Muslim ornament is not only a decor, but a continuous - literal, objective - covering the world. I must say that such directness does not seem a primitive illustration.

Several times the video is changing. During the last sex of Miriam (before her departure to Israel) with Francois, directed in dimming, the pictures will accumulate snails in the pictures. Understand as you want. Either like a mockery of "French cuisine" (Francois invariably orders home sushi). Either like a hide and seek “snails” into his house - a natural, animal reaction of a person to the surrounding danger. Francois's wandering in porn sites will come to life in the inviting pictures of escort agencies.

Closer to the final of the Francois sorbonne, which was dismissed from the Sorbonne Sorbonne, with a bribing calm will seduce the rediger, offering not only glasses with MEURSULT , piles with Tunisian vodka, which are brought by the wives of a civilized Frenchman, but also their brochure “Ten questions about Islam”. Francois, piercing the chapter about the sacred duty, the pillars of Islam and the post, will enjoy getting into the seventh question “Why do you need polygamy?”.

I remember how Otar Ioseliani, who has already moved to Paris, in which nothing had yet foresaw the futurological projections of Welbek, said that the French were only interested in food and variations of M é Nage à Trois . In the novel and the delicate performance of Hermanis, these fundamental concerns were painted with an inconsistent anthem of humility as the highest happiness, like the absolute submission of a woman to a man. Indeed, in the nearly 2022, "it is very difficult to say what is real and what is not."

And then an image of the triumphal arch will appear on the frame of the mirror of the chamber scene. The triumph of the will of new conquerors with Napoleonic manners. But before - in the scene of the neurotic nightmare of Francois, overtaken by the cold of loneliness, - snowflakes under the nostalgic voice of Adamo Salvatore “ Tombe La Neige " ...

Wives (servants of the chamber scene) in black vestments will sit down on the sofa. The darkness will cover the scene. Pause. Actresses who dropped the Muslim covers (shackles?) Start in bright bras and shalvars, encouraging the dull existence of Francois on the sofa entailing an appeal.

It is no accident that the radiiger, nevertheless, the Frenchman, having settled in a luxurious building, where Dominic Ori wrote the famous “History O”, noticed Francois who was driving at him: “An amazing book, right?” Porn Roman about masochistic pleasure can appreciate the Parisian intellectuals who accepted Islam and convinced that Europe did not commit suicide.

On the cover of the Russian edition of “submissiveness”, Mona Lisa is depicted in Paransge. But Mona Lisa could be with a mustache, a beard of Dyushan, who said: “ She IS a Man " . What is not a rhyme to endless discussions about modernity and archaic, about the Androgyn "joy of submission", which conquered conservative values ​​for the Old World in honest elections?

Alvis Hermanis made an important quiet performance. To the radical challenges of modern times, he answered with humility to the inconsolable Roman Welbek, who, like the director, knows the price of any illusions equipped with intellectual baggage and/or economic consideration.