Bintou av Koffi Kwahulé

Bintou is 13 years old, born in Europe, where here parents arrived from Africa. She is a rebel who does not accept the authority of the adults. Instead she forms a street gang. They create their own rules, and reigns in the streets with Bintou as their undisputed leader. She feels strong and invulnerable - no one can stop her! Until she is overpowered and becomes a victim of tradition.

Discussions surrounding female genital mutilation periodically surfaces, also in Norway. The stage play Bintou is a strong comment in this debate. The author Koffi Kwahulé comes from the Ivory Coast, an area where FGM has strong traditions. 10 March the Norwegian audience met the playwright and heard excerpts from the play, both in Norwegian and French.

Kwahulé lives in France, but conveys today's conflicts in immigrant communities all across Europe. Since 1977 Kwahulé has written twenty plays, many of which have been shown on stage in France, Canada, Belgium and in several African countries. His stories are influences by the oral tradition of storytelling, with a fiery musicality and an addictive jazz rhythm.

On stage was the author himself, Koffi Kwahulé, together with French actress Nicole Dogue, and in the company of the actors from the National Theatre. The text is translated by Christina Mediaas, and Mette Brandtzæg is directing the reading.

The reading of Bintou is a collaboration between the National Theatre, DSV and Institute français in Oslo, and took place in Malersalen at the National Theatre 10 March, as part of the project Un acteurs, un auteur.