Roden

In the Bergisches Land region of Germany, South Kivu in the DR Congo, and Kalimantan in Indonesia, forests have been cleared, and trees cut down. This fundamentally changed the landscape along with its local ecologies and social systems. In the aftermath of the violence perpetrated on people, societies and ecosystems, the project poses the question: What makes a forest? Who do we meet there, and what comes next?

Together with the women's rights activist Olande Byamungu, the instrument builder and musician Ikbal Lubys and the carpenter and performer Wolfram Sander, award-winning documentary filmmaker and director Daniel Kötter presents a world premiere at Radialsystem, showing a world in which catastrophe has already struck.

Most recently, Kötter was honoured by the German Film Critics Association for the best German documentary film with “Landshaft“ in 2023. “Roden / Kukata Miti / Pembalakan“ builds on his series of performances and 360° films titled “landscapes and bodies“, which examined the impacts of extractivism on landscapes and communities in Indonesia, the DR Congo and Germany between 2018 and 2022.

The performance contains references to sexualized violence and environmental destruction.

VR glasses will be used. Before admission, there will be an introduction to the course in the foyer. After each slot, there will be the opportunity for follow-up discussions with artist Daniel Kötter and producer Beatrix Joyce.

Languages spoken: German, Bahassa Indonesian, Javanese, Dayak, Swahili, Mashi and French with German and English subtitles.