“A Radical Jew – A Self Portrait of a Remnant” – A cinematic performance by Udi Aloni

World Premiere

In the framework of this year's collaboration between the Athens Epidaurus Festival and the Greek Film Archive, filmmaker, writer, and artist Udi Aloni presents the cinematic performance A Radical Jew – A Self Portrait of a Remnant on 27 and 29 June. The world premiere performances will be followed by screenings of his films Forgiveness (27 June) and Local Angel (29 June).

Written and directed by Udi Aloni, A Radical Jew – A Self Portrait of a Remnant is a hybrid of cinema and live performance that unfolds as a dialogue on stage between Aloni and an actor (Dimitris Tsiklis). Fusing live performance, cinema, philosophy, testimony, and political theology, this cinematic performance confronts the collapse of identity, memory, and the language of ethics in the aftermath of catastrophe.

The June 29 presentation will feature a special stage appearance by German actor Sebastian Koch, while Palestinian rapper Tamer Nafar will participate in the Q&A following the screening of Local Angel.

Programme
Saturday, 27 June

21:00 – Cinematic Performance
Greek Film Archive – Hall A
23:15 – Screening of Forgiveness
Lais Open-Air Cinema – Greek Film Archive

Monday, 29 June

21:00 – Cinematic Performance
Greek Film Archive – Hall A
23:00 – Screening of Local Angel
Lais Open-Air Cinema – Greek Film Archive

June 27 2026: Forgiveness (2006, 96')

A 20-year-old American Israeli decides to move back to Israel and reconnect with his roots, only to be institutionalised in a mental-health facility constructed on the grounds of a Palestinian village that was massacred by a Jewish militia in 1948. David Adler is haunted by spectres of the past in this psycho-political drama.

June 292026: Local Angel – Theological Political Fragments (2002, 70')

Aloni examines the fundamental causes and contradictory manifestations of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His documentary is a personal journey of discovery, an intellectual pilgrimage and, at the same time, a surreal work of art in which poetry, music, and images are intertwined. As Alain Badiou wrote: “‘Local Angel’ is not only beautiful, but very important. Aloni's real project is the creation of a new Jewish identity.”

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About the Artist

Udi Aloni is a filmmaker, writer, and artist whose work explores the intersections of art, philosophy, and political action. His films and visual art projects have been presented at major international film festivals and leading art institutions worldwide. He is the author of What Does a Jew Want? On Binationalism and Other Specters (Columbia University Press). His films have received major awards, including Best International Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Festival of New York and both the Panorama Audience Award for Best Fiction Film and the Cinema Fairbindet Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale).

In Greece, Aloni was the first resident artist of the Library Residency program in Athens, and he was honored with a film retrospective tribute at the Studio New Star Art Cinema in collaboration with the Greek Film Archive.

The philosopher Slavoj Žižek wrote: “Aloni’s secular theology is one of the most fascinating innovations of our time.”

The performance is dedicated to the memory of Juliano Mer-Khamis, Udi Aloni’s close friend, collaborator, and founder of The Freedom Theatre in Jenin.