Huba de Graaff & Naaz

An energetic Kurdish opera about freedom, created entirely by women.

Poetry, rebellious women and extravagant costumes: QAQNAS (Phoenix) is an energetic Kurdish opera about freedom, created entirely by women, starring the Dutch-Kurdish actress Naaz in the lead role. What does freedom mean for women? QAQNAS explores this question in depth, inspired by the slogan ‘Woman, Life, Freedom!’ (Kurdish: Jin, Jiyan, Azadî, gene, jiyan, ئازادی). The slogan became a rallying cry during the 2022 protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini and has since come to symbolise resistance against oppression and the struggle for women’s rights.

Loud, proud and uninhibited Huba de Graaff is known for her experimental operas such as ‘The Naked Shit Songs’ and ‘De Pornopera’. She created ‘QAQNAS’ following a visit to northern Iraq. During shared meals with militant women and experimental musicians, the idea for this opera took shape; she conceived it as a long poem, based on a 1972 work by the Kurdish poet Tarza Jaff; a work about women who dare to leave, who rise above it all and pay a price for doing so. ‘QAQNAS’ is set in a kitchen that also serves as a music studio. Here, an all-female cast plays experimental electronic instruments and kitchen utensils themselves. They speak and sing in Sorani: a Kurdish language that was banned for centuries and was therefore spoken only behind closed doors. Now this language resounds loudly, proudly and uninhibitedly in a compelling performance about strength and claiming one’s space.

Cultura Nova presents QAQNAS in collaboration with PLT.