LEBANON — Theatre director Kassem Istanbouli is preparing his participation at the fourth Arab Festival of Arts at Douz, invited by the Tunisia Ministry of Culture and the municipality of Douz. This year the Festival of Douz will show the work of theatre companies coming from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Lebanon at the Es-Salaam Theatre space from April 5 to 10. Istanbouli has expressed his great satisfaction not only by the fact that he has been invited to the Festival of Arts of Douz but also because cultural exchanges of this nature are taking place within Arab countries and this makes a strong contribution to enrich cultural ties between the countries. Istanbouli Theatre will bring to Douz “Koum Yaba” theatre play, a black comedy speaking of the suffering of the Palestinian people since year 1948 and up-to-date, and inspired by the writings of Palestinian author Salman Natour.
Istanbouli started to perform this theater play after the attack to Gaza, bringing it to the streets and squares of Beirut, in front of the USA embassy in Lebanon, at the Palestinian refugees camps, at the universities of both Lebanon and Syria. Also “Koum Yaba” has been performed at 2008 Gaza Festival, at 2010 Earth day Festival, at the first anniversary of Nakba, at Madrid, at the Theatre Festival of Beiaia (Algeria) and at Chile last January 2013. — SG
