Peter van Kraaij

ITA Live: Kings of War

In Kings of War, director Ivo van Hove focuses on political leadership. The original texts were retranslated by Rob Klinkenberg and then thoroughly adapted: the Hundred Years' War between England and France, and the Rose Wars between the houses of Lancaster and York for the English throne, which are emphatically present as a historical context in the original pieces, were referred to the background in the adaptation in order to accommodate a varied portrait of successive kings. As leaders in times of political instability and war, they show remarkable affinities with world leaders today.

Kings of War

Kings of War merges Henry V, Henry VI and Richard III into one explosive performance about leadership. In successive kings, Shakespeare sketches an image of political leaders, face to face with the ultimate responsibility for life and death in times of war. Shakespeare’s kings are political leaders who come face to face with the ultimate responsibility: they must make the life-or-death decision of whether to go to war. Shakespeare draws us into the psychology of the rulers, while also revealing the machinations of their courtiers and advisors. Kings of War lays bare the mechanisms of decision-making in times of political crisis, exposing the dichotomy between national interests and self-importance.

Girl

Muriel moves from a small village to the big city of Brussels, hoping to start an independent life working as a museum guide. She rents a room from Laura, who has a room to spare now that her mother is in hospital. Laura is a vital and candid woman who has a child-wish but leads a very chaotic life. Meanwhile, Muriel's mother has a hard time accepting that her daughter leads a life of her own now, and she also faces some changes at the factory where she works. The movie follows the interconnected lifes of these three women of three different generations, who all face different problems.