JEANNE DARK

About the show

Johanna, a farmer's daughter, hears heavenly voices commanding her to liberate France during the war. Initially celebrated as a visionary heroine, she is burned at the stake as a witch in 1431. To this day, the Maid of Orléans remains a myth that has been appropriated in many ways. Some see her as a religious fanatic or a nationalist. Others recognize her as a feminist pioneer or a courageous idealist. Above all, however, she embodies the longing for a better world, for which she seems to fight single-handedly as a young woman. Inspired by numerous stories about Joan, Belgian director Lies Pauwels creates her own punk-poetic visual world. She portrays Joan as a driven person torn between faith, doubt, and self-assertion. A highly musical, sensitive performance about ideals, power, powerlessness, and the big question: Who am I in this chaotic world?