On October 20th, I was part of a Transeuropean Walk in Warsaw. This kind of
a walk also took place in Barcelona and in Berlin, in the frameworks of the
Transeuropa Festival which was organized by the organization European Alternatives. Each in
its own way, these three European cities have created something out of a common
idea: a walk on the topic of migration. In Warsaw, the group chose a text
from the Polish writer Witold Gombrowicz's journal.
Translation: Alice Olivier
Five
actors from different origins read the text in their native languages, in five
places in the city (you can download this text here). At each stage, a production: musicians and dancers create a particular
situation and atmosphere on the topic of immigrants. Between each stage, about
sixty people walk alone or in small groups, talking or in silence.
The
language melody changes, each actor has his own history and temperament. But
the rope that binds, attaches and separates, the excitement of the discovery,
the inevitable amount of violence, the energy of despair, the agitation, the
exhaustion... accessories, accents, looks that show that emotions are alike among migrants.
I was suddenly in Argentina, completely alone, cut off, lost, ruined, anonymous. I was a little excited, a little frightened. Yet at the same time, something in me told me to greet with passionate emotion the blow that was destroying me and upsetting the order I had up to now.
Witold Gombrowicz,
Diary (1953-1969)
We
begin on a path leading to Ukazdowski Castle, where the Contemporary Art Centre
of Warsaw is located. A young Italian guy climbs up a ladder, observes, goes
down on the other side and finds himself in an area enclosed by a rope. Some
people search him, then play with him. Meanwhile, he says what he has to say.
Further,
in an underpass, Noé plays a scene in French. One can see his frightened eyes
in the darkness. In real life, Noé arrived in Poland four years ago because he
had fallen in love with this country and wanted to found there a “Ludoteka”. He invites people from each age and origin to meet, play and
laugh together. What is more natural?
A bit
after, on a big esplanade surrounded by buildings, Alvaro, a Spanish guy, tells
his story. Alvaro is a good actor. He is also part of the European
Alternatives local group which has organized this creative and reflective moment.
The
last stage is located a few steps away from the Plac Konstytucji. After a scene
which has been around the figure of a Russian immigrant on a basketball court, a young
woman tells the text in Polish, its original language. The walking audience
takes part in the performance, holding the rope that delimits the show area. In
the end, dancers run to and fro, stride over the rope, shove the audience to
mix up the borders and to somehow stress the fact that one is never only
passing by, that one always has a role to choose.
After
the walk, we meet at Cafe MIto, where the walkers are asked to write a few words on a postcard, explaining what
they feel towards immigration. Natalia Szelachowska, who coordinates the
Transeuropa Festival in Warsaw, explains: « I find it really great that
people are here and appreciate this moment, and at the same time think about
immigration and write on these postcards. They are not just here to attend
a performance and then leave right after the end, they also give something of
themselves ».
Natalia Szelachowska, from the Alternatives Européennes local group in Warsaw
As
I'm writing my postcard, I'm obviously thinking of these four young actors who
have left their countries to settle in Warsaw. For a crush like the crush Noé had, or for economic reasons, Poland being turned out to
be a land of welcome and employment for southern Europeans.
I'm
thinking also of Ridhi, who lives and studies in Oxford and whose Indian family
moved from Mozambique to Portugal during the Independence war in the seventies.
Rhidi told me her story in a simple and happy way... Now, she organizes
OxPortunidades, a mentoring program that encourages young Portuguese people to
be ambitious enough to apply for Oxford or Cambridge.
I'm
thinking of Eri again, my Japanese friend who now lives in Modena and is
married to Simone, the brilliant inventor. One day, after having spent a few years in Italy, she told me she was puzzled as much as fascinated by some of the strong cultural
differences between the two countries.
I'm
thinking of Parastza Pé, a crazy musical duo that I met in the train from
Zagreb to Budapest. Danny, the American percussionist and Pablo, who plays the
hurdy gurdy. They were gathered by their common will to play, in Hungary, the music from
the Brasilian Nordeste... The two friends played a few tunes for Lucia – a
young Slovakian student who was also part of the trip –, my friend Charlotte
and me.
I'm
thinking of this pretty Portuguese girl that I met in Kalamata, Greece. She
came there like some young Spanish, French or Icelandic people to volunteer for
a year in the youth centre managed by the association KANE. She fell in love with the
Peloponnese and she decided to stay a bit longer in order to try her luck...
I'm thinking of Lorena in Madrid, of Cimi, Míša, Ahmet, Umar, Abdulrahman, and
of all the others in Lund and Malmö, of Nadia and Siddharth in Stockholm...
I'm thinking of all these young
people I met in the last months. Some of them live in the country where their
parents were born, some don't. Several of them have already lived in two
different countries or more, and they felt at home everywhere. They all have a
story, tastes, and talents. They get involved in some projects bigger than
them, or might get involved one day. These young people are ten years younger
or older than me, they are engaged, curious, dynamic, passionate, open-minded, connected, European, citizens of the world... This is
my generation, and I love it!
