Unspoken

Who would you be if you didn't have children? Are you happy that I am very different from you? Do you regret having given birth to me? What annoys you most about me? How has our relationship changed because of my trans identity? Are you proud of me? Can we have a deep connection even if I no longer believe in God? When have you been ashamed of me? Are you afraid of death? Hello? Are you there?

What do we not talk about with our parents? What questions can we or do we not want to ask? An ensemble of seven young people between 15 and 22 years of age takes the risk of an encounter with their own parents in which the unspeakable is addressed. A documentary opera performance is created from the recorded dialogues, which also allows the parents to have their say. In addition to philosophical questions without answers, the encounters deal with near death, political influences on one's own family history; what it is like to grow up with two mothers or in a very religious family.

For children, the family is a community of destiny. Despite familiarity, it is not easy to find the right time for an open conversation in everyday life. Sometimes it is simply too late. But when the encounter succeeds, it is often the first dialogue about moving issues. A beginning for relationships that change, generations that open up to each other and grow closer in the process.

Kamilė Gudmonaitė is recognised as one of Lithuania’s most promising directors. Her production "Trans Trans Trance" was invited to the DT’s 2018 RADAR OST (Eastern Radar) festival. Gudmonaitė then devised the performance piece "Things we couldn't forget" with young participants at the DT Spring Camp in 2019.

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