Photo credit, Mahdy Krira
image captionMahdy Krira builds his puppets from whatever scraps he can find.Article information
- Author, William Marquez
- Scroll, BBC News World
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3 hours ago
“Everything around you evokes despair. Death is everywhere, as are displacement, homelessness, disease, hunger, thirst and loss. But there are floating fragments in your being that impel you to hope and action.”
This is how Mahdy Krira, a Palestinian artist from Gaza, describes his desire to develop his art in the midst of incessant bombing and to bring it to his war-burdened people, to uplift, entertain and educate them. .
His current art consists of puppets which, as well as the “loose fragments” which inspire him, are constructed from the rubble of war: cans, destroyed pieces of wood, scraps of fabric and rubbish.
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Krira took her first artistic steps in theater and theater, but 18 years ago she decided to dedicate herself to puppetry, an art that did not exist in Gaza, although it is present in many countries neighbors, she told BBC News Mundo through an interpreter.
He had no one to train him, but thanks to a talented friend, a lot of self-taught practice, and trials oscillating between failure and success, he gained experience.
“What it really teaches you is the accumulation of experiences and failures. And perseverance is the key to excellence,” he says.
Photo credit, Mahdy Krira
Photo credit, Mahdy Krira
“A wonderful art”
After several years, he founded a puppet troupe called Khayyout, meaning Son, the first in the Gaza Strip.
“The children of my nation were in dire need of this incredible and wonderful art,” he said. “When the puppet appears, the whispers and laughter begin. A boy or girl comes to greet one of the characters… and we all kiss the sky with joy.
But it is an incomplete artistic practice, he emphasizes. The historic siege of Gaza and the series of armed conflicts in the Palestinian territory have not allowed a greater exploration of the different techniques of theaters and artists around the world.
“There is certainly a big gap between what I do and what I should be doing, or at least keeping up with developments and innovation. »
The situation today is much more difficult, after the Hamas attack on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, which killed more than 1,200 people and kidnapped 250, and Israel’s crushing military offensive which continues and has cost the lives of 42,000 Palestinians.
Photo credit, Mahdy Krira
Photo credit, Mahdy Krira
Photo credit, Mahdy Krira
image captionThe first objective was to bring smiles back to the children of Gaza, says Krira.
A new mission
At 43, Mahdy Krira is married and mother of six children. According to what he told BBC News Mundo, before his house was bombed and destroyed, along with his workshop, he had already been forcibly displaced nine times. He fled with his family to southern Gaza, but the Israeli Defense Forces did not allow them to take anything with them and they lost everything.
“It was the beginning of a phase of exhaustion, exile and despair,” he explains. “The bombings are constant, wherever you go, with planes flying over your mind. »
However, from deep within me emerged a renewed passion and determination. “I love theater and puppets, and I missed (the company) Los Hilos and the determination to continue working invaded all my senses.”
Photo credit, Mahdy Krira
image caption, Puppet show in a Gaza refugee camp<img srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/ws/240/cpsprodpb/c4dc/live/6d8cb170-92ce-11ef-8e6d-e3e64e16c628.jpg.webp 240w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/ws/320/cpsprodpb/c4dc/live/6d8cb170-92ce-11ef-8e6d-e3e64e16c628.jpg.webp 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/ws/480/cpsprodpb/c4dc/live/6d8cb170-92ce-11ef-8e6d-e3e64e16c628.jpg.webp 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/ws/624/cpsprodpb/c4dc/live/6d8cb170-92ce-11ef-8e6d-e3e64e16c628.jpg.webp 624w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/ws/800/cpsprodpb/c4dc/live/6d8cb170-92ce-11ef-8e6d-e3e64e16c628.jpg.webp 800w" sizes="(min-width: 1008px) 760px, 100vw" alt="Mahdy Krira presents his puppet show in several refugee camps in Gaza.” loading=”lazy” width=”1600″ height=”721″ src=”https://www.bbc.com/afrique/articles/aspect-ratio:1600 / 721″ class=”bbc-139onq”/>
Photo credit, Mahdy Krira
image captionMahdy Krira presents his puppet show in several refugee camps in Gaza.
Even though he no longer had access to the raw materials to build his puppets, nor to tools, nor to paints and there was no electricity, he used what he had in his environment.
“I realized that I had to build at least one puppet to help my children and me escape the stress of war and steal a few moments from fear,” he says.
Empty cans and leftovers from the war as the only materials available, added to a “determination and ambition”, served as the basis for the creation of new puppets and stories that helped him record the experience of a war he describes as “genocidal”.
“A mobile theater around the world”
Despite all the difficulties, the idea was born to produce these shows for more children, building sets and taking them in a mobile theater to refugee camps to entertain families and their children.
“We do theater, the puppets come out and the smiles appear,” he says, noting that morale is up and the audience is asking for more.
“It’s truly extraordinary. Imagine creating life among scattered death,” he emphasizes.
But their shows serve more functions than just entertainment. With the education system having been completely destroyed by the conflict, Krira is also actively involved in learning strategies and educational development.
“The responsibility has become greater now,” he said. “This includes entertainment, education, psychological support and mental health first aid. »
Photo credit, Mahdy Krira
image captionKrira’s presentations also serve an educational role.
Photo credit, Mahdy Krira
His puppet theater attracts women, the elderly, parents, children and service providers, says Mehdy Krira.
He aspires to take his mobile theater, perhaps in a recycled truck, not only across Gaza but around the world. “We performed in Spain, Egypt, Jordan, London, Berlin, Canada and Brazil and told the world: ‘Here we are, we’ve been bombarded with everything, but we’re creating joy and let’s look for life among the rubble. »
“The hope is to spread joy and optimism, which is the first thing that has been achieved,” he said.
“We spread smiles, we heal our souls and then we will build this nation. We will build a humanity without submission and without extremism.”
