Ministry Of Truth

Live Performance "การแสดงละครเต้นร่วมสมัย"
by Nir de Volff / TOTAL BRUTAL
for Goethe-Institut Thailand
a Jitti Chompee Production
with the support of Patravadi Theatre
March 05 and 06; 8 p.m.
Patravadi Theater
tickets at www.totalreservation.com
02-833-5555
400B, 200B (students)
more information: www.goethe.de/thailand
www.patravaditheatre.com
www.totalbrutal.net

นีร์ เดอ โวลฟฟ์ – คณะนักเต้นที่มีท่วงท่าอันหนักหน่วงจากเบอร์ลิน เยอรมนี

วันที่ 5 – 6 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2553 เวลา 20.00 น.
ณ ภัทราวดีเธียเตอร์ กรุงเทพฯ

การแสดงชุด The Ministry of Truth สื่อให้เห็นถึงความกล้าเปิดเผยของนักเต้นแต่ละคน ความต้องการควบคุม หรือถูกควบคุมโดยผู้อื่น และความต้องการเอาชนะ เป็นรูปแบบที่เป็นที่รู้จักของคนส่วนใหญ่จากรายการเรียลลิตี้ “บิ๊ก บราเธอร์”

เนื้อหาหลักและคุณค่าของการแสดงต่อผู้ชมอยู่ที่ความขัดแย้งเล็กๆ น้อยๆ และการใช้กำลังสู้กันของสมาชิกภายในบ้าน ความผิดพลาดและจุดอ่อนต่างๆ ได้ถูกเปิดเผยออกมา อีกทั้งมียังการวิจารณ์ตรงไปตรงมาและล้อเลียนกันภายในกลุ่ม และเพื่อให้ได้มาซึ่งชัยชนะ สมาชิกทุกคนต่างเปิดเผยหมดเปลือกทั้งทางร่างกายและอารมณ์ของพวกเขาต่อคนรอบข้าง

เหมือนเช่นรายการเรียลลิตี้ การเต้นชุด The Ministry of Truth จะรวมตัวนักเต้นที่ไม่เคยรู้จักหรือพบเจอกันมาก่อน โดยมีทั้งนักเต้นจากเยอรมนี สาวประเภทสองและนักเต้นจากกรุงเทพฯ ซึ่งทุกคนจะต้องเจอกับเหตุการณ์ที่ทั้งยากลำบากและไม่คาดคิดร่วมกัน ซึ่งจะแสดงออกมาจากทุกส่วนของร่างกาย ให้เป็นท่วงท่าลวดลายต่างๆ

The Ministry of Truth

The performance "The Ministry of Truth" present the shameless exhibitionism of the individual, the need to control or be controlled by others and the need to win in order to change one's life, or to strength the life he is living
The TV formats "Big Brother" serves as a frame of reference. the Phenomena of the "Big Brother" was created in the original book of George Orwell "1984" written in 1949.
In the contemporary format of the show, the "Big Brother's" function, is no longer the same as in the book! he looses his power to the audience . it is no longer the " Big Brother's" power of George Orwell that functions by means of applying a considerable amount of psychological pressure to believe in slogans such as, WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, and IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH, throw it is the power of the audience that vote determines the winner. Although there exist slight local variations among the many international versions of the successful "Big Brother" concept of evoluntary incarceration, the basic structure remains constant:
"House guests" move into accommodations especially constructed for the show, where each of their actions is recorded by cameras and microphones and any contact with the outside world is strictly prohibited. in some countries reading and writing are forbidden, only the Bible, the Torah or the Koran are allowed. The last taboo left standing in this human zoo is the privacy of the act of defecation.
The core of the show and its entertainment value for the audience lie in the petty conflicts and psychological warfare among the house guests. Mistakes and weaknesses are played out, or openly criticized and ridiculed within the group. In order to win, the participants celebrate the total emotional and psychological exposure of themselves and their cohabitants; extreme emotional situations that culminate in temper tantrums and crying fits ensure viewing quotas and raise expectations for an enthusiastic audience participation in the weekly "who-is-in-and-who-is-out" voting ritual.

Gone are the times when an average citizen who presented himself on television could there by show off his knowledge or abilities, or at least the skills of his trained pet. The cameras now installed in the television zoos are merely intent on capturing the next emotional breakdown, the next act of verbal abuse, the next cat-fight or the next crying fit to raise the viewing numbers

The Ministry of Truth brings together western dancers and local Thai ladyboy, dancers and actors into this contemporary human zoo, present Gender and culture clashes.


CREDITS

Director
Nir De Volff

Assistant Director, Producer
Jitti Chompee

Project Co-ordinator
Klittin Kiatmatha

Performer
Lerwit Sungsit
Amata Piyawanich
Rachanikara Kaewdee
Theerawat Thongmitr
Ido Portal
Elik Niv

Set Designer
Songwat Assawanont

Videographer
Thee-thut Rasinanont

Musician
Suriya Phuengthongthai

Sound Engineer
Jitjaroon Niyomsiri

Costume Designer
Jaturon Raepech
Juthamard Soontrarachoon

Supported by Goethe Institute Bangkok

Jitti Chompee

Jitti Chompee

Born 1974 in Bangkok, Jitti Chompee graduated in Chemical Engineering from the Chulalongkorn University in 1994. He trained in classical ballet at Varaporn-Kanchana Ballet School. In 1988, he was awarded a scholarship from the Jean M. Wong School of Ballet in Hong Kong to travel to Paris, where he studied modern jazz. From 2000 to 2001 he attended the Alvin Ailey School in New York as a full time scholarship student, where he studied various styles of dance, with a strong focus on modern dance and neo-classical ballet.

Jitti Chompee has worked with choreographers and directors such as Ismael Ivo, Marcia Haydee, Rafiga Akhundova, William Morgan, and Luca Bruni. He has danced for the Bangkok Ballet Theater Company, MTV New York, Lest Ballet Persans in Stockholm, and Oplas Teatro in Italy.

He created the duo like him and protect him for AIDS Help 2000, and the pieces Tombe' du lit and Remember what you have done in 24 hours for the Patravadi Theatre in 2007.


Artist Statement

“Apart from classical ballet, modern dance is poorly represented in Thailand. I strongly believe that this dance style will enable young artists to find their own voice and identity, challenge their existing ideas, and lead them to develop their own ways of making art. (…)

We have come to believe that technology is not only necessary, but that it is essential for a convenient and modern lifestyle. It is an undeniable fact that our way of life has become much easier thanks to technology. But, technology is a double-edged sword with its own consequences. A faster lifestyle can result in a loss of emotional values in our everyday routines. Happiness, passion, and even inspiration can depreciate over time with the rise in our technological expertise.

This is the theme of our theatrical performance, which explores technology’s impact on our lives through the delicate avenues of human emotions and interactions. The way technology and media impact on our lives is a complex subject. Through our performance, we hope to raise awareness and encourage our audience to examine how technology and media have impacted on them. As artists, we strongly feel that human emotions and the ability to empathize are important elements in a fulfilling life. Our performance embodies the hope that technology and media will not undermine the very emotions that make us human.”
Jitti Chompee


Portrait

Performing media critique: choreographer Jitti Chompee

While artists around the world are breaking free from the limitations of their disciplines (…) and expanding their audiences’ perspectives in the process, most Thai artists and audiences seem quite comfortable operating within clearly defined disciplines.

What a surprise and delight then, that audiences and critics should so warmly embrace the unique contemporary dance theatre Remember what you have done in 24 hours, the first collaborative effort of dancers and choreographers Jitti Chompee and Sarawanee Tanatanit, film director Tanon Sattarujawong, and glass harpist Weeraphong Thaweesak. That success, in major part due to Jitti’s ability to coherently bring together the work’s diverse elements, encouraged them to join hands again last month for their second production, the aptly titled In Tune.

The broad spectrum of actions and movements performed on and around sofas throughout the piece led this reviewer to think, first, of the sofa at my favourite coffee shop where I am writing this review, and, secondly, of my sofa at home. The armrests on the former seem to ward off interactions with the people around me, while encouraging me to concentrate on the 14-inch TV screen nearby; while the latter frequently focuses my attention on our 29-inch screen, rather than on my family and friends.

Another choreographically and thematically unforgettable feat was Jitti and Sarawanee’s pas de deux, which was saturated and almost drowned out by the multiple layers of video imagery projected onto a screen upstage and shown on three LCD televisions. This is perhaps a critique on contemporary performing arts itself — artists rely so much on the help of media that they seem to forget that audiences come to performances to witness the creation of a work of art by human beings.

In addition to veteran dancers such as Mueanphun Ampunsang, Sirithorn Srichalakom, and Olivier Vinkler, young and vigorous dancers like Korarat Chaimuangraj, Natida Wirushsilpa, Fahsai Thaweesak, and Amarin Cholvibul also had their shining moments. Their robust performance of Jitti’s invigorating choreography promises a bright future for dance in Thailand if they are given more opportunities to perform in or create more original and contemporary works such as this, alongside the classical ballet productions that introduced them to the public. /Pawit Mahasarinand

The original, full text was published in the Nation newspaper, September 5th 2008


WORKS

I don't want to sit there (2009)
Carmen (2009)
Tango (2008)
In Tune (2008)
Remember...what you have done in 24 hrs? (2007)
Tombe' Du Lit (short film) (2006)

Nir de Volff and his company "Total Brutal"

Nir De Volff

Nir De Volff, born and raised in Israel, started dancing in the local folk dance group at the age of fourteen and got kicked out after less than a year. At the age of fifteen, he began ballet instruction under the direction of a former Romanien ballerina and ran away after three months. However soon after, the dancing virus attacked him again, and at the age of sweet sixteen he joined the professional school Bat Dor, in Tel Aviv. There he danced for four years with a group of ambitious younger, skinnier dancers.

TOTAL BRUTAL

was grounded in 2004 with the premiere of the "Dolly" a trilogy produced in Prague, Amsterdam and Berlin. Total Brutal works with professional dancers, actors, belly dancers, hotel receptionists, stage technicians, graphic designers, football players, and boat rowers, among others. Nir de Volff has been working at Dock11 as his base, as well in Hebbel am Ufer with the group She She Pop, Oper Frankfurt, Sophiensaele, 3. Stock VolksbŸhne, and more.
Since 2009 Nir de Volff/ TOTAL BRUTAL gets support from severals Goethe-Institutes around the world and the Senate Culture of Berlin (Basisfšrderung).