The Arena Jury Award of the festival "ARENA... of the young Arts" in Erlangen went to Salzburg based choreographer Helene Weinzierl and her company cieLaroque. The five-member expert jury described the performance "habibi problem", which tells the story of two homosexual teenagers from Iran, as "the most felicitous, roundest and most touching production of the festival." 

 

Following their highly popular "Think Fish part I" which played a the Lowry in 2011 with Best of BE Festival cieLaroque returns with habibi problem. The arabic word Habibi is the male connotation of darling/my beloved, and what we will see is the story of two Iranian teenagers and their struggle for love. The dance piece shows what the two gay teenagers are confronted with, because their different color of love is not accepted everywhere. The story is based on a true story that stays alive by being told. 

 

“habibi problem” tells the true story of two young homosexual men from Iran. One of them has been killed by the authorities at the age of 17 due to his homosexuality, the other one managed to flee to Great Britain, where lived in constant fear of being deported to his home country – equivalent to a death 

sentence. The two dancers act between stage and video. Where the comic needs to simplify reality, the movement must be abstract. 

 

Approaches a window and, resting both hands on the still, stains to see outside. Beyond the glass, however, there is no scenery, only an uncoloured space like a pure abstract idea. Time passes. Tries to walk but is unable to move straight ahead. The muscles cannot remember how to do it. Again time passes. Thinks: No one knows I’m here. I’m sure of it. No one knows that I am in this place. We know. But we are not qualified to become involved.