Whispers Behind the Battle Line

Director: Ashkan Kheilnejad

Playwright: Alireza Naderi

Overview

Premiering in 1995 under Alireza Naderi at the Iran International University Theatre Festival (IIUTF), ‘Whispers Behind the Battle Line’ challenged conventional war narratives and led to the Molavi Theatre being shut down for a year by paramilitary forces, highlighting its significant cultural impact.
Set during the Iran-Iraq War, the story unfolds in a small garrison where eight soldiers, each with conflicting ideologies, confront their beliefs during Ramadan – a month traditionally associated with peace. In this brief pause from violence, they discuss the war, the Iranian Revolution, and the complexities of the Middle East. However, as Ramadan concludes, conflict reignites, driven by internal struggles within Iran, underscoring the fragility of peace. Ultimately, all the soldiers perish, leaving behind only a haunting photograph.

Director’s Note

How can we evoke a memory we have never lived?
Born after the Iran-Iraq War, the cast and I perceive the conflict through symbols shaped by governmental propaganda. This awareness shaped our approach to ‘Whispers Behind the Battle Line’, where we aimed to strip the performance of conventional war symbols. We reimagined the front lines, not as grim battlefields, but as spaces of unexpected joy – akin to a park. By choosing an empty space with no set, we constructed this park using blocking and the actors' physicality, allowing their bodies to shape the environment. This approach encouraged the portrayal of human, relatable relationships between characters, stripping away the sacred or heroic imagery typically associated with war.
The result was a performance filled with vibrant, energetic bodies celebrating life, free from ties to war or death. In harmony with Alireza Naderi’s writing, our approach transformed the work into a contemporary anti-war piece.

Awards

Venues & Dates

Cast

Impact

Production