Wael Shawky – Cabaret Crusades: The Path to Cairo / Kabaretowe krucjaty: Droga do Kairu (2012)
Runtime: 61’
Cabaret Crusades: The Path to Cairo is a cycle of films in which Egyptian artist Wael Shawky (b. 1971 in Alexandria, where he lives and works) reexamines the history of the crusades, reinterpreted on the basis of Arab chroniclers and Arab historical documents. It is inspired by Amin Maalouf’s book The Crusades Through Arab Eyes. The film covers events taking place over 48 years, from the end of the first crusade in 1099 to the start of the second, in 1147. It is a puppet show with elements of a musical, popular science show, Christmas nativity play and even horror film. Cabaret Crusades were created in collaboration with a group of over 200 people – musicians, pyrotechnic effect specialists and puppet makers. All puppets used in the film (over 130 clay figurines of Christians, Muslims, kings, caliphs, popes, martyrs and saints) were created during workshops in Provence according to the eighteenth-century technique known as Santon for making ceramic dolls used in nativity scenes. The film was recorded in the cathedral of Aubagne and premiered at dOCUMENTA 13 in Kassel (2012).