The photo of a man standing in peaceful protest in front of a Chinese army tank traveled around the world in the late 1980s and quickly became a universal symbol of courage and bravery. The piece 25 years later chimera sets out to find the man who has since been nicknamed Tank Man.
• Also read: Quebec actors of Chinese origin refused to play at the Théâtre Duceppe for fear of reprisals from China
The image is strong and forever anchored in the collective imagination. This young man who defied the Chinese army the day after a major massacre that left hundreds – even thousands – of protesters dead has been crowned a hero by Western peoples. But the majority of Orientals know nothing about him because his existence has been erased from Chinese history.
who was he? Nobody really knows. And the mystery will probably never be solved.
“Because of censorship, we don’t really know what happened that day. Some speak of 200 or 300 deaths, others of 10,000 deaths. It’s very difficult to find out where the truth is,” says actor Alexandre Goyette.
In addition to Alexandre Goyette, Marie-Laurence Moreau, Marie-Hélène Thibault, Tania Kontoyanni, Manuel Tadros and Philippe Racine, six Chinese-Canadian actors star in the play Chimerica: Shiong-En Chan, Yuu Ki, Albert Kwan, Derek Kwan, Li Li and Annie Yao. Photo Danny Taillon provided by Duceppe
Reality through fiction
Today, Chimerica seeks that truth through fiction. The work of the British Lucy Kirkwood – performed and awarded in London before being adapted for Quebec – therefore takes us to Asia to meet the American photojournalist Joe Schofield (Alexandre Goyette), the author of this famous photograph. When he learns a quarter of a century later that the man in the picture is still alive, he embarks on an obsessive search for him between China and the New York jungle.
But as fiction quickly takes over fact, Chimerica's roots remain firmly grounded in reality, carefully depicting the social, political and cultural climate of the time.
“The hypothesis that the author advocates makes sense. She crashes into us. And it could very well be real. It makes us think and makes us want to find out more about these events. I think that’s the mission of a work like Chimerica: to inspire people to question themselves,” says Alexandre Goyette.
Chimerica – A powerful work
Under the brilliant direction of Charles Dauphinais, Chimerica turns out to be a gripping geopolitical thriller, carried by 12 brilliant and perfectly embodied actors. It's powerful, it's poignant, it's thought-provoking. And it is received like a blow to the breastbone that takes your breath away as much as it opens your eyes.
- The play Chimerica will be performed at the Théâtre Duceppe until February 17th.