Nina, c’est autre chose

  It’s the 1976 Paris heat wave, and two forty-something brothers are still sharing an apartment. Their simple, routine lives are disrupted by the arrival of 24-year-old Nina, whose spontaneity and fresh perspective lead each of the brothers to listen to their desires. While the shadow of unemployment, the trap of racism, and the misery of their jobs threatens to bring the brothers down, Nina’s free spirit helps them discover how to be more open to the “other” and learn about the joy of dancing as a way to counter the weight of self-involvement.  Capturing the aura of 1970s liberation, Michel Vinaver’s clever “chamber piece” is composed of scenes where the desire for freedom is at stake, not unlike Éric Rohmer’s Conte d’été. The brothers, played by Eric Bernier and Renaud Lacelle-Bourdon, lead a day-to-day life punctuated by “bathing”, shared meals, and arguments, along with Nina, played by Eugénie Anselin; the three find in tango partners Doble Filo a way to press pause on the drudgery of their lives. Playing in an accessible form of musically-infused theatre, Les Songes Turbulents put aside the explosive style of post-dramatic theatre (Kane & Müller) in favour of a bitter-sweet lyrical journey.       10 questions sur Nina, c'est autre chose (only available in french)