Photo by Ute Langkafel Maifoto.
Nora Abdel-Maksoud’s metatheatrical satire The Making-of nabbed her the title of Young Director of the Year in 2017. Her aptly named follow-up The Sequel is a side-splitting extravaganza of linguistic fireworks crackling with the rallying cries of our zeitgeist and counter-zeitgeist. The audience is granted a behind-the-scenes peek at film director Gordon’s attempt to create a sequel to her superhero remake Fledermausmann Rises. Taking Orwell’s 1984 as her basis, Gordon attacks the “tyranny” of #MeToo and the “left-wing fascists” intent on silencing “DWEM” geniuses (that’s Dead White European Male in layperson’s terms) with the totalitarian clamp of political correctness. Daddy issues, violent outbursts and Sharknado references abound among Gordon’s temperamental actors, leading to plenty of on-set accidents and countless comic moments. With minimal props and a cut-out stage that replicates a TV screen, Abdel-Maksoud’s acrobatic script is the star of the show. As the dialogue accelerates, nonlinear leaps unravel the tightness of the narrative but nonetheless, this acerbic satire punctures the heart of debates against identity politics, and is a triumphant example of sequel-making done right.
The Sequel Aug 24-25, 20:00 with English surtitles
