War and Woman

A young woman who was raped by five soldiers in Bosnia and a female psychologist who came from the United States to provide psychological support to the team during the mass grave excavations.

The scene symbolizes an American hospital. It contains a hygienic whiteness and minimalism intended for the mentally ill. In the meantime, it is an observation room, where the ‘doctor’ looks down on the ‘patient’.

At first, the raped Bosnian woman looks like the victim character, and the the psychologist is the well-educated, strong, down-to-earth character who tries to ‘normalize’ her patient with psychological support. But in the following scenes, both women show that they were exposed to violence on different fronts of the war. You realise that they are both victims of the violence they are exposed to differently. Moreover, they are both looking for ways to cope with this trauma. At the end, they find a way together.

Credits

Writer – Matéi Vișniec
Director – Orhan Alkaya
Stage and Costume Design – Taciser Sevinc
Photographs – Taciser Sevinc

Premier – 15.10.2008
Istanbul City Theatres
Müsahipzade Celal Stage – ISTANBUL