Shared Trauma: A Night of Remembering

How does one talk about war, violence, and hatred? How can one protect oneself from repeated injuries? Are there spaces for empathy that allow for the processing of traumatizing events? Where speechlessness prevails, literature and film play a special role because they find words and forms of expression. For one evening, authors, artists and scientists resist powerlessness and show ways in which collective experiences of violence and crimes can be remembered.

One ticket for the entire evening: You can visit a single or all of the following events at the »Night of Remembering«.

Writing Against Forgetting

18:00 — 18:45 Conversation

Authors talk about the challenges, opportunities and risks of writing about collective violence, grief and trauma. How do you manage to find the right words for the unspeakable and thus create profound and empathetic works that touch many people around the world? Tahir Hamut Izgil, Ronya Othmann, Sasha Marianna Salzmann and Ofer Waldman talk about their experiences of portraying and coping with violence and writing against forgetting.

With Tahir Hamut Izgil, Ronya Othmann, Sasha Marianna Salzmann, Ofer Waldman

Moderated by Shila Behjat

The event will be held in English and will be interpreted into German. Parts of the conversation will be in Uyghur.

Wandering Readings

19:00 — 20:15 Readings

In a series of short readings, the authors present their texts at intervals at different locations in the Documentation Center. During the breaks, visitors can move between the locations and texts.

With Olga Bubich, Joshua Freeman, Tahir Hamut Izgil, Ronya Othmann, Sasha Marianna Salzmann, Ofer Waldman

The event is in German and English. With readings in Uyghur.

Overcoming Speechlessness

20:45 — 21:45 Conversation

The question arises of how war and violence, trauma and hatred can, should, and must be discussed. How can collective suffering be contextualized, reflected upon, and analyzed alongside literature? Olga Bubich processes collective experiences of violence through photography, while Branwen Okpako portrays traumatized groups in film. Together with a scientist, they discuss how to overcome speechlessness.

With Olga Bubich, Branwen Okpako, N.N.

Moderated by Shila Behjat

The event will be held in English and will be interpreted into German.

Branwen Okpako and Helon Habila: Return to Chibok

22:00 — 23:45 Film and Conversation

In the film »Return to Chibok«, director Branwen Okpako tells the story of the abduction of 276 girls by Boko Haram, which shocked the world in 2014. The film is adapted from Helon Habila’s non-fiction book »The Chibok Girls«. »The sadness was palpable in the hot, motionless air«, reports Habila from his research on location. Before the film screening an introductory talk will take place.

With Helon Habila, Branwen Okpako

Moderated by Dorothee Wenner.

The event will be held in English.

This event is a cooperation with the 24. internationales literaturfestival berlin