Narrating War

Why is it so hard to talk about war? Why is it so difficult to understand, to remember and verbally express one’s experience of violence and war? Some historic events and experiences are said to be unspeakable and indescribable, and yet there are survivors, observers and victims of war who occasionally talk about them.
The project “Narrating War” at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, curated by Carolin Emcke (Berlin) and Valentin Groebner (Lucerne), probed the extraordinary experience of war at the end of the 20th an the beginning of the 21st century with the goal of sharpening and changing our view of the reality of war. The project employed a multi-perspective approach. Reporters, writers, photographers, editors and researchers, such as Philip Gourevitch, Peter Maass, Liao Yiwu, Marcel Mettelsiefen or Albrecht Koschorke and witnesses from war-torn and crisis-ridden regions presented and discussed their views in various panels. The subjects of discussion included doubts, fears and the unspoken – aspects of professional reporting which listeners, readers, viewers and Internet users are seldom confronted with. A film series curated by Christina Nord and readings with actors offered audiences further opportunity to learn about the subject. Artistic directors: Carolin Emcke, Valentin Groebner (CH), Christina Nord
Artists and Participants: Mohammad Al Attar, Jon Lee Anderson, Ulrich C. Baer, Bibiana Beglau, Andrea Böhm, Carroll Bogert, Sebastian Bolesch, Colette Braeckman, Hans Christoph Buch, Slavenka Drakulić, Lars Eidinger, Peter Geimer, Philip Gourevitch, Jean Hatzfeld, Romuald Karmakar, Michael Kamber, Elisabeth Kaneza, Albrecht Koschorke, Kattrin Lempp, Liao Yiwu, Verena Lueken, Karl Marlantes, Ethel Grace Matala de Mazza, Peter Maass, Marcel Mettelsiefen, Avi Mograbi, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Marcel Ophüls, Gerhard Paul, Senad Pećanin, Milo Rau, General Klaus Reinhardt, Majeda al-Saqqa, Eyal Sivan, Lawrence Weschler, Manfred Zapatka, Almut Zilcher.

Fotos:
Homepage: Filmstill from Z32, © Avi Mograbi
Project page: © Sebastian Bolesch