A beautiful wordless dialogue between Iraqi traditional music and Finnish contemporary dance. The original aim of the work by oud lute virtuoso Ali Alawad and choreographer Alpo Aaltokoski was to contemplate the similarities and differences between two mutually alien cultures. But the rejection of Alawad's asylum application dramatically affected the final form of the work. To avoid forced repatriation, Alawad fled Finland two weeks before the premiere. Nevertheless, Alawad still took part in the performance via video projection. The piece touchingly brings out the human experience and the consequences of increasingly restrictive asylum policies.
