Under Cover

© Almut Kejza

In Under Cover, Iranian-Austrian dancer and choreographer Ulduz Ahmadzadeh crosses autobiographical continents, places and contexts and connects these experiences to the experiences of other ‘oriental’ women in a captivating mix of performance, film and installation. Whether they are wearing a hijab or not, the ethnic background of these women draws a veil of social prejudice over the reality of their lives. The recent populist conflation of terms like Islam, hijab and terrorism does not help either, but intensifies this one-dimensional representation of Muslim women. For this reason, Ahmadzadeh leaves behind the false pretences of origin-related debates and engages with an analysis of the socio-political situation, which might enable us to subvert existing power structures. Based on interviews, Ahmadzadeh will assume the identities of different women, thereby providing insight into a complex field of diverging social roles, belief systems and individual takes on pleasure and freeing the body.

Credits
Concept, Choreography, Performance: Ulduz Ahmadzadeh
Concept, dramaturgy: Johanna Figl
Set, stage design: Till Jasper Krappmann
Sound design: Paul Kotal
Camera: Parvin Ebrahimi
Film editing: Christin Veith
Production: Almud Krejza
Outside eye: Gerlinde Roidinger