The Love Behind My Eyes

The internationally acclaimed Lebanese director, choreographer and performer Ali Chahrour tells the tragic story of a forbidden relationship between two men: Mohamed Ben Daoud, a theologian who taught Islamic law and the Arabic language, fell in love with Mohamed Ben Jamea, a young man from Isfahan. Eventually, it is said, the scholar died of a broken heart.

In “The Love Behind My Eyes”, the body becomes the voice of the unspeakable. Chahrour draws inspiration for this work from love stories from the Arab world and from ghasal, an Arab-Persian form of poetry dating from pre-Islamic times, and combines them with dance in his characteristic style.

Accompanied by the haunting vocals of Hala Omran, two performers demonstrate how desire and loss are inextricably intertwined.

The lovers’ fate remains uncertain, yet one thing becomes clear: even forbidden love endures.

With “The Love Behind My Eyes”, Ali Chahrour concludes his trilogy on the theme of love. In 2024, the HAU had already presented “Iza Hawa”, a piece from this series. In the 2026 edition of the tanz yearbook, Ali Chahrour was selected by critic Sandra Luzina as one of the dance artists with the brightest prospects.

Ali Chahrour’s dance pieces are inspired by the people he encounters and the hidden stories he has come across in the streets and alleys of Beirut.