Ahmed El Attar's 'Salma, mon Amour' at Festival d'Avignon Explores Family Amidst Geopolitical Turmoil

Egyptian playwright and director Ahmed El Attar returns to the Festival d'Avignon for the third time with 'Salma, mon Amour', running from July 5 to 8, 2026 at L'Autre Scène du Grand Avignon Vedène. The 75-minute play delves into the intimate life of a wealthy Cairo family in the month before October 7, 2023, as global upheavals strain familial bonds. The set, a labyrinth of black poles, mirrors the characters' constrained existences. Patriarch Mahmoud, his wife, son Karim (whose marriage to an American woman seals an economic alliance), and daughter Salma each navigate personal and political fractures. El Attar, founder of Studio Emad Eddin and the Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival (D-CAF), avoids direct political commentary, instead focusing on how conflict reshapes family dynamics, convictions, and individual choices. The performances, initially restrained, build intensity without excess, highlighting rare moments of vulnerability. The play critiques the entanglement of private interests and geopolitics, as Salma's pleas for engagement clash with familial indifference and economic ambition. Previous works at Avignon include 'The Last Supper' (2015) and 'Mama' (2018).