Newsletter No. 1423
News-Analysis
July 30, 2009

 

The following Newsletter has been contributed by Alex Calvo (Shingetsu Member No. 127), who currently serves as Professor of International Relations and International Law, European University (Barcelona).

“THE CROSSROADS COUNTRY” PERFORMED IN TOKYO

As reported in Shingetsu Newsletter No. 1376, an English-language play titled “The Crossroads Country” was commissioned by former Afghan Ambassador to Japan Haron Amin, which was to be performed by Tokyo International Players, an amateur theater group with a multinational membership, as part of the celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary (next year) of diplomatic relations between Tokyo and Kabul. The play has the wider aim of giving the Japanese public a taste of contemporary Afghan history, going beyond war-related news. [1]

The play opened last month, and was said to be a success, with the four shows, on June 16th and 17th, being heavily attended. The attendees included some international dignitaries, and a DVD is being made. Two hours long, and with Japanese subtitles, the play depicts thirty years of Afghan history, with constant recourse to humor. The main character, based on Amin’s life, is a little boy who is more concerned with his everyday life than about wider international issues, becoming an innocent and confused victim of events. [2]

Amin, currently in Washington while awaiting his next diplomatic assignment, hopes the play can be offered to American audiences and believes that, “ultimately, the future of democracy and the human collective conscience is tied to the victory in Afghanistan.” [3]

According to one of the actors, David Mashiko, from Australia, “The play is very important because it shows the human side to all the parties involved during the period… Too often we lose sight of the realities that are faced by people in war because we are fed a lot of spin and propaganda by mainstream, sensationalist media.” [4]

Director and scriptwriter Alexander Harris, from Britain, stresses that the play provides audiences with a deeper perspective on Afghanistan than the one usually available from the mainstream media: “For those who are aware of Afghanistan only in the light of 9.11 or the Soviet invasion of the 1980s, this should be an open door to a world of rich intrigue and interesting history.” He adds: “What we’re seeing here is the birth of something original, historic and unique.” [5]

The play has also received some attention in the social networking site Facebook, where its page has attracted 232 fans at the time of this writing. It displays many pictures of the shows, rehearsals, and related materials, as well as links to Japanese newspaper reports on the play. [6]

In addition, the NHK TV Station broadcast a piece on the play on July 7th. Although no longer available on the NHK website, it can still be viewed at YouTube at the current time. [7]

NOTES

[1] “Depicting Afghan History via English Play,” Yomiuri Shinbun, June 5, 2009.

[2] “Ambassador to Japan Tells Afghanistan’s Story,” Associated Press, July 2, 2009.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] “The Crossroads Country,” Facebook, undated.

[7] Ibid.