TEHDAS Teatteri: Afganistan 100 – the years of interdependence

Afganistan 100 – the years of interdependence is a visual discovery in the world where borders must be crossed. Multidisciplinary working group is formed by artists from contemporary theater, puppetry and audiovisual fields as well as different cultural backrounds.

In collaboration with artists and activists from Turku, Helsinki and Afghanistan, this document theatre production dives into memories, news and preceptions of Afghanistan. The big and complicated themes are approached through personal and intimate storytelling, object theater and video art.

The performance asks who is talking about Afghanistan and how. The fragmentary script is based on speeches heard in personal interviews and through the media during 2019, when Afganistan celebrated it’s 100 years anniversary. One performer – puppet theatre artist Maiju Tainio – takes on multiple roles as she guides the piece and her audience through to the final climax, which is, each time, a surprise to herself as well: At the end of each performance, Maiju Tainio invites an expert guest to the stage to give the final speech from their own personal perspective.

The production has been inspired by the term “Afghanistanism” that critizises focusing on problems out there, far away – while there are problems to solve in the neighbourhood too. The term implies that here in Finland we shouldn’t be interested in Afghanistan, because it doesn’t have anything to do with our lives – or does it?

Script Seija-Leena Salo & the group
Directing Seija-Leena Salo
Expert and dialogist Shakiba Adil
Performers Maiju Tainio + changing visitor
Set design Johanna Latvala
Video design Anna Knappe & Amir Jan
Light design Irene Lehtonen
Sound design and composing Henri Hyökyvirta
Technical driver Joele Solinas
Producer Sanna Soni
Graphic designer Nina Huurrevaara
Photography Anna Knappe, Jussi Virkkumaa, Shakiba Adil