• Producer(s):

    ARTE FRANCE, THEATRE DU SOLEIL, BEL AIR MEDIA, ZDF Theaterkanal

  • Territories:

    Worldwide.

  • Production year:

    2002

  • Language(s):

    German, French

  • Rights:

    NON-THEATRICAL, TV, DVD, INTERNET

Ariane Mnouchkine brings Hélène Cixous' story "Drums on the Dike" to the stage, in an extraordinary production reminiscent of traditional legends found in Japanese Noh theatre.

Inspired by the floods which have wreaked such terrible damage in China in recent years, "Drums on the Dike" tells what happens when warning is given, in the year 1000, of a terrible flood in the kingdom of Lord Khang... The story is set in a fictional Asian country which combines elements of Japanese, Chinese and Korean culture. Floods, a metaphor for war, are ravaging the country. To calm the raging of the swollen waters, some flood-defences will have to be breached. But whose safety is most important, that of peasants or city folk, the poor or the rich?
"Drums on the Dike" presents a tragic dilemma, in which the threat of disaster looms over mankind. Ariane Mnouchkine displays her usual genius for staging, in an extraordinary production reminiscent of the blend of song, religious ceremony and traditional legends found in Japanese Noh theatre.

Released on DVD by ARTE VIDEO
Bonus: Ariane Mnouchkine explains the genesis of the film: reportage on the show's creation (25 minutes of previously unseen footage).