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Jan Fabre’s “Preparatio Mortis”, a dance solo performed by Annabelle Chambon (Tuesday 8, Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 at 8.30 PM at Sala Casacuberta of the Teatro San Martín), is one of the great international productions offered by the Festival in its ninth edition. “The body is like an incredible paint box, a laboratory, a battlefield,” says the Belgian artist and choreographer, one of the most renowned in the world. With music by composer and organist Bernard Foccroulle, former opera conductor in Munt/La Monnaie (Brussels) and current director of the Festival d’ Aix-en-Provence (France), “Preparatio Mortis” is devoted to the human body, transformation and the utopian ideal. But also, Fabre tackles the taboos of contemporary society, such as one that is usually avoided: the taboo of death. Tickets for this outstanding show can be purchased on this website or in person, every day from 11 AM to 7 PM, at the following theatres: San Martín, Regio, Presidente Alvear and CCC Teatro 25 de Mayo.

The book “Corpus Jan Fabre. Observaciones de un proceso creativo”, by Luk Van Den Dries, will be launched today at 5 PM at the Meeting Point (Salón Real, Sarmiento 1272), featuring Cristian Drut as moderator. In the book, Van den Dries plunges into the vast oeuvre of the multidisciplinary Belgian artist, director and choreographer, encompassing work in theatre, dance, opera and visual arts. And he also discovers the essence of the work of this outstanding creator: the body is not a fixed form but one in constant movement and transformation. The author was the dramaturg of two works by Fabre (“Tannhäuser” and “Requiem für eine Metamorphose”), works as a professor of Theatrical Studies at the University of Antwerp and is the co-founder, together with Fabre, of Aisthesis, a research center on the representation of the body in today’s theatre.

Today’s lineup of films about theatre, showing at Sala 1 of the Centro Cultural San Martín (Sarmiento and Paraná), starts at 4 PM with the screening of the documentary “Brook par Brook”, made by Simon Brook, son of the acclaimed director Peter Brook. Then, it continues at 5.30 PM with Ariane Mnouchkine’s “Tambours sur la digue”, based on the work by Hélène Cixous, set in a fictional Asia under the threat of a huge flood. And last, Peter Brook’s “La tragedie d´Hamlet”, based on his production of Shakespeare’s play, which was first performed at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris, will be screened at 8.10 PM. Admission is free: be reminded that 2 tickets will be available per person 2 hours before the screening.

>Today, Saturday, the Festival’s Films section kicks off with the purpose of showcasing great films about the performing arts (fictions, documentaries, documentaries on the making of a play, filmed stage plays). All films will be screened at the modern Sala 2 of the Centro Cultural San Martín (Sarmiento and Paraná). Admission is free, and a ticket is required (a maximum of 2 tickets will be available per person at the box office, 2 hours before each screening). The schedule is as follows: at 3 PM, “La tragedie d´Hamlet”, a film by Peter Brook, based on his production of the play by Shakespeare first performed at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, Paris; at 5.30 PM, “Brook par Brook”, a documentary-portrait of Peter Brook made by his son, Simon, featuring a conversation between the two; and at 7 PM, “Tambours sur la digue”, by Ariane Mnouchkine, based on the work by Hélène Cixous: a story set in the year 1000 in a fictional Asia (with elements from the Japanese, Chinese and Korean cultures) under the threat of an imminent flood.

With the face-to-face discussion “About Documentary Theatre” between Mexican actress Luisa Pardo and her Argentine colleague (also writer, playwright and singer) Lola Arias – Saturday’s highlight event, to be held at 5.30 PM at Centro Cultural de España (La Patriótica branch, Bernardo de Irigoyen 672) – the Festival Eñe, focused on dramatic literature, comes to an end today. Additionally, there will be many other activities at this venue starting at 11 in the morning: express workshops on performance research, theatrical production and a workshop conducted by Spanish playwright Yolanda Pallín; face-to-face discussions between Daniel Veronese and Sergio Belbel, Mariano Pensotti and Ciro Zorzoli, Carlos Alladro and Marianella Morena; roundtables about the Festival and about the “new theatrical language”; and a staged reading at 10 PM of “Tu parte maldita”, by Santiago Loza, an adaptation from Miguel de Cervantes’s “The Jealous Extremaduran”.

The renowned German set designer, one of the best in the world and the director of the Set Design Department of the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, will participate in an open meeting with free admission this afternoon at 2 PM at the Festival Meeting Point: Salón Real (Sarmiento 1272). There, he will analyze and explain a large part of his prolific production in a special discussion that will be illustrated with pictures of his most well-known works. In addition, celebrating theatrical literature this year, the Festival Eñe will begin today at La Patriótica branch of the Centro Cultural de España (Bernardo de Irigoyen 672): from 3.30 to 7 PM, there will be express workshops on dramaturgy, direction and acting, and face-to-face discussions between Andrés Lima and Mauricio Kartun, Guillermo Heras and Jorge Dubatti, and Yolanda Pallín and Rafael Spregelburd.

“If Lewis Carroll had turned his absurdist vision to street arts, teaming up with Salvador Dalí and Hieronymus Bosch, he might have come up with Fous de Bassin, a strange, dreamy floating spectacle created by French company Ilotopie, who literally walk on water.” This fragment from Lyn Gardner’s review published on England’s prestigious newspaper The Guardian in 2009 illustrates how visually stunning Fous de Bassin (Water Fools) is. The show will be staged tonight at 8 PM in front of Puerto Madero Dock 2, with free admission, marking the official opening of the Festival. For the audiences coming to see the show, there will be stands on Rosario Vera Peñaloza and Azucena Villaflor streets; and the recommended entrance is on Avenida Belgrano or Estados Unidos street. The performance will run for 50 minutes and promises to be an unforgettable experience. Don’t miss it!

With the awe-inspiring show Fous de Bassin (Water Fools), presented by ilotopie, to be watched from the stands mounted between Rosario Vera Peñaloza and Azucena Villafloor streets, at Puerto Madero Dock 2, and with free admission, the ninth edition of the Festival will kick off tomorrow, Friday, at 8 PM. This is a visually striking, inspiring and risk-taking show by a company that has dazzled audiences since 1980. According to them, “water acts as the revealing agent of the fragile human state. Both stage and transfer, it depicts the sensitive and poetic side of the actors, small floating populace going about its business. As the extrovert side of man, the fireworks accompany the ceaseless rise and fall of humanity’s grandeur…” A spectacle of fire on water – don’t miss it!

Polish production “III Furie”, staged by the Modjeska Theatre company (Friday 18 at 8.30 PM, Saturday 19 at 9 PM and Sunday 20 at 3 PM at Sala Casacuberta of the Teatro San Martín) is one of the great international attractions of this Festival. Developing two stories in parallel (the one about a mother who has lost her mind and destroys her family and the one about a trial to a military criminal based on true events), the prestigious company from Eastern Europe presents a sharp and raw reflection on the national identity of a country hit by the German invasion prior to WWII and the crimes against humanity that occurred afterwards. Tickets for this show, awarded several times in Poland and highly-praised around Europe, can be purchased on this website or in person at Casa de la Cultura (Av. de Mayo 575), from Monday to Friday, from 11 AM to 7 PM ; and at the following theatres: San Martín (Av. Corrientes 1530), Regio (Av. Córdoba 6056), Presidente Alvear (Av. Corrientes 1659) and CCC 25 de Mayo (Av. Triunvirato 4444), every day, same hours.

A young writer who works at his family’s butcher shop in the Buenos Aires suburbs is frustrated because he will never be like Jorge Luis Borges. Especially after receiving a flat answer from his admired writer upon meeting him in person. This is the starting point of "Borges", a play written by Rodrigo García and performed by Sudor Argentino, which is part of the Festival’s showcase of national productions. It will be presented on Thursday 17 at 10 PM and on Saturday 19 at 5.30 PM at Teatro del Pueblo (Av. Roque Sáenz Peña 943). Tickets are already on sale, on this website and on-site at Casa de la Cultura (Av. de Mayo 575), from Monday to Friday from 11 AM to 7 PM , and at the following theatres: San Martín (Av. Corrientes 1530), Regio (Av. Córdoba 6056), Presidente Alvear (Av. Corrientes 1659) and CCC Teatro 25 de Mayo (Av. Triunvirato 4444), every day, same hours.