Sunday, August 3, 2025, the day after the completion of Wazdi Muawant’s “The Oath of Europe” at her ancient theater. Opposite me, he sits smiling and unpretentious. She has just got her breakfast. He wears a simple, white, short -sleeved t -shirt, black, comfortable pants and black and white, flat sandals. Her expressive face has no trace of makeup.
The president of the European Film Academy, and holds the most important film awards (Oscar, Bafta, Cesar, Goya) with honors at the most important European festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Venice) will depart a few hours from Greece.
It is indicative that he did not claim a leading role in the show, but participated in the logic of the theater ensemble. As she did not demand to stay in a luxurious, exclusive hotel, as colleagues in her class, but in a simple, family -run, except beautiful hotel, built on a verdant slope in Gialasi, Ancient Epidaurus, Angelica Villas.
“We want the current Israeli government to stop slaughter”
Our discussion starts from the essentially political work of Wazi Muawant, which focuses on the “Curse of Slaughter”, the Wars, the Tarrows, on the Delicious Barbarian bequest of the powerful Western world, in the colonial past of Europe, which has imposed a Greek colonialist in Europe, Past both in the present, but also in the individual and collective responsibility of the citizens.
With so many wars and atrocities today, next to us, in Gaza, in Ukraine, in Iran, is there hope for Europe, for the world? Initially, he hesitates to answer: “You ask me a political question and I don’t know if I want to answer.
Wazdi’s work is very strong and talks about what I feel too. “. The truth is that “the oath of Europe” can describe very dark practices of the West, but leaves clear openings of hope.
“Yes, despite what is happening in the world, you want to believe that there is the opportunity for humanity to move on otherwise, to find a new way of life. But it must pass through the dark aspects of its peoples, previous generations, and take action for the benefit of all those who suffered. I believe this very strongly».
My interlocutor now speaks without evasion: “When we witness all these wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and in many other places, we cannot be part -time. We feel anger, sadness, depression.
At first I thought we had to be careful not to take a stand, because there are dark sides on both sides. But at some point I said, ” No, you have to take a position ‘. It is definitely not white-black, but as in Gaza, the whole situation has really been overwhelmed. It’s just horrible to see how the Palestinians are treated. And you can’t have a mild feeling. Indeed, we can only want the current Israeli government to stop the slaughter. “
We are talking about the shocking images of children dying of hunger in the Gaza Strip, to announce that in September the Palestinian state will be recognized -one week after its announcement was followed by the United Kingdom and Canada. “Oh, but I find it absolutely necessary. There is no other way. And I wish other countries would follow the initiative of the French Presidency. I hope the Israeli government is not in power for much longer, because it is dangerous. The Palestinians definitely need the recognition of their country. “
“At the premiere, I fought hard with my fears and insecurities”
What is the role of art when tragedies of smaller or larger scale are taking place around us? Can the theater cure wounds of Western culture? “No, treatment comes from people.
I mean, we can be inspired by a play or art in general, but as human beings we must cultivate our individual will and ” intelligence of our heart ” to grow.
Theater is a wonderful tool to awaken people and make them think really deeply. In the theater we reflect, we feel, we hear, but we also share with others a shared experience.
The purification of the theater is very strong. It is also stronger than cinema. Because the theater is alive. Because it happens in a present time. And because there is no intermediate between the artist, his art and the viewer. “
I ask Ziliet Binos about her experience at the ancient theater of Epidaurus. How he felt when he first visited it. “I found myself at the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus for the first time this year, when our rehearsals for the ” oath of Europe ” began.
The first feeling I felt was emotion. A warm welcome. This theater gives you time to harmonize in its space. I didn’t feel it coming over me. It’s like a warm hug.
We sat down with Leora (Rivin), who plays my mother in the show, in the hollow and we were really moved. Because we imagined what this experience could be when we did our rehearsals at the Colin Theater, in France, in a closed space and here we were under the sky and the stars, in nature. “.
How did he feel, what did he think before the premiere of the “oath of Europe”? “Premiere is always difficult. There is always the overrection, the anxiety of the first time of the show in front of the audience. I was thinking, ” Will I do it? I won’t I do it? ”. I don’t hide my surprise.
Honestly, does he still do these thoughts? After the course she has gone? (smiles) “But yes, of course! Especially in theater, because I don’t do theater very often. So playing in a theater like this is a real challenge for me.
And, of course, I have to deal with my fears, my questions, my insecurities, my anxieties, all that every actor has to play by playing in this theater.
At the premiere, I wanted to catch somewhere, I fought hard with fears that pierced me and had to overcome them. (smiles) But the second day we played, I have to tell you, I didn’t feel any fear. I said, “Yes, here we are, we are all together and we will have a great time.” And I felt we shared with the common mutual emotions. I was surprised that I was not afraid in the second show on Saturday and the joy of sharing, the collective offered by the theater, prevailed. It was a completely different experience ».
‘The verb’ ‘I love’ ‘is the most violent verb’
People know her mainly from her cinematic roles ,. In fact, he has also played Sophocles’ “Antigone” directed by Ivo Van Hove. What did the ancient tragic taught her?
“Oh, I love Sophocles. He is a great poet. It affects the essence, the core of the questions of human nature, and the ” Antigone ” touched me in particular. Ivo Van Hove wanted to do ” Electra ” or ” Medea ”, he didn’t like the idea of uploading ” Antigone ”. In the end, we did the ” Antigone ”. I think it’s an important project, especially now. It focuses on all those values for which one is worth fighting. She is a fighter, she is courageous. He walks and struggles for what he thinks is right. If you just follow rules, without any value system, you become a soldier. You are subject to a regime mentality.
We had some controversy with Ivo because it was, in a way, contrary to what Antigone is proud. It was on the side of Creonta: ” We have to follow the rules. We have to follow society. The state is above all ”. Really, I was surprised and shocked to believe that. Because I always thought you have to be responsible for what you feel, for what you do, for what you know. “.
In the “oath of Europe”, the role played by, Unticha, is the personification of love. I tell her that she seems to be linked, through the decades that have been mediated, with the film “Blue” by Christof Kislovsky (1993) where the apostle from the hymn to love from the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians is heard: “Love tolerate everything. Love is never lost. “
Her answer comes spontaneously: “But that’s why we’re here, this is the essential reason for human existence. To try to connect with our fellow humans with love as much as we can ».
Does he agree with the ataka that exists in Wazi Muawant’s work that “the verb ‘I love’ is the most violent verb ‘? “Yes, because it requires so much. You have to leave behind so many projections, desires, ideas, intentions. It’s a word with many requirements. And with Wazdi we have this link of faith. And I think this is probably the reason he chose me for this particular role. Of course, at some point, Unticha tells her son Zakari: “I thought love would help me and open all the doors. But it doesn’t. I don’t know how to get you ” ‘.
“You become a mother. You are not born. Kids make you mother »
As a Christian Orthodox, does he think that love helped her open the doors she wanted in life? “You know, I’m complicated, like many people, and discover myself through different situations. I don’t feel at all that I am a better person than others. (smiles) I still get an apprentice in the ” ranks ” of love, I still feel that I can’t find a place to feel love and I have to try to figure out why, I still try to see how I can transform it.
This apprenticeship never ends. We learn to the end. And we constantly stumble. At least let us try to leave behind fears, thoughts, stereotypes that put obstacles on our way. Because we must first allow ourselves to be loved. Because when you feel like they love you, you are already in another kind of place within you, you are already in the country of trust.
And trust is the most important, because then you can begin to feel a little love. This is where the true connection to people begins. And as an actor, this is the experience worth experiencing. If there is confidence, you will have all the levels you need to tell your story and share it with the audience and the actors you work with and then becomes a completely different experience».
I mystery that I was very moved by an excerpt from Muawad’s work: “-What do you think is a mother? -A mother is primarily a decision. “
She smiles and replies that as a mother herself, she fully embraces this view: «. They transform you too. There are many ways to be a mother. Perhaps there are specific perceptions of what a mother should or should not do. It is certain that motherhood is at the same time something wonderful but also demanding. So as I see it, you make sure your children grow in their own way and in their personality and you do not try to change them or think that there is only one way to do things. It is therefore a learning process for both sides».
For an epilogue, I choose another excerpt from the work – “We have to learn to get into the position of the other” – which summarizes the political and moral attitude of the author and the wonderful Madam Binos:. “Yes, for sure. But to do this, we must first learn to hear. To be open to people and listen to them. Without any kind of crisis, hope, expectation. It’s hard to hear without judging. We often hear not what we are told, but what we want to hear. That is why I think that having a spiritual life is very important. It teaches you the relationship with the infinite and the way it can transform and shape the core of your existence. “.
