German premiere

How to reconcile people with the fleeting, sincere and deep feeling of happiness? Starting from this question, in счастье (Happiness) Russian director Tatiana Frolova continues her long-standing reflection on the social and political situation in Russia and the way it permeates consciousness. She embarks on a search for the possibility of happiness in a country where the distorted memory of the “happy USSR” still prevails. What does happiness mean for Russian citizens today? Can happiness be born out of a retreat into identitarian encapsulation, as current policies advocate?

The work on each new play begins at KnAM Theater with the experiences of the actors and actresses and the collection of interviews and contemporary documents. The ensemble gives us an intimate look at contemporary Russia without losing sight of its historical depth. With acumen and irony, they expose the propaganda machinations of a country where happiness is an imperative but rarely a reality.

KnAM Theater is a free Russian theater company founded in 1985 by Tatiana Frolova in Komsomolsk on the Amur River. In her works, which are always created collectively, she combines video, film, photography, sound, and acting, interweaving individual with collective (Russian) history with great cleverness. The euro-scene Leipzig shows the work of Tatiana Frolova in cooperation with the Festival Sens Interdits (Lyon) for the first time in Germany.

www.tatianafrolova.com/knam