{"id":28606,"date":"2026-10-21T09:00:46","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T16:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/?p=28606"},"modified":"2026-10-15T15:48:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T22:48:11","slug":"kintsugi-examines-effects-of-women-leaving-war-genocide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/2026\/10\/21\/kintsugi-examines-effects-of-women-leaving-war-genocide\/","title":{"rendered":"Kintsugi<\/em> examines effects of women leaving war, genocide"},"content":{"rendered":"

An upcoming play presented by Theatre Inconnu portrays the lives of three women and one of their daughters who have fled their home countries to escape war and genocide. The name of the play, Kintsugi<\/i>\u2014the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold\u2014is a metaphor for the shattered and rebuilt lives these women create for themselves in their new country. Written by Narges Montakhabi Bakhtvar, a current PhD candidate in Theatre Studies at the University of Victoria, Kintsugi<\/i> is a story of how humanity can be both brutally destructive and radically uplifting. Director Diana Budiachenko describes the play as bold, beautiful, haunting, short (approximately one hour), and, importantly, healing.<\/p>\n

Each of the women portrayed in Kintsugi<\/i> come from countries with wars in different decades (Bosnia, 1992; Iraq, 2014; Ukraine, 2022). Their devastating experiences of war and the challenges they face as war refugees creates a timeless and often-hidden story about the effects of war on human bodies and the resilience it takes to start over. The story speaks to the deep bond that can develop from adversity.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Anissa Agahchen, Amira Abdel-Malek, and Anastasiia Konstantynova performing in Kintsugi<\/em> (photo provided).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThey all bond because they\u2019re all connected, because they all experience similar situations in their own countries,\u201d says Budianchenko about the play\u2019s characters. \u201cAnd they\u2019re all traumatized. The play itself does not shy away from difficult themes.\u201d<\/p>\n

By design, all of the roles are acted by women (although staff and crew are not limited to women). This is a reversal of the long-past tradition of having men play all roles in a production, and it helps to rebalance the power in a play about the horrific aspects of war that are unique to women. Kintsugi<\/i> includes the depiction of war crimes against the female leads, and this choice creates a safer space for both the actors and the audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are four female main characters but we also have male characters… played by women intentionally because… let\u2019s say they\u2019re bad people in the play \u2026 [and] by casting women we create a bit of a distance,\u201d says Budiachenko. \u201cI\u2019d say it\u2019s more enjoyable to watch. It\u2019s a beautiful play… but still the topics are pretty much severe because we go very deep into what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Using movement and creative imagery, Kintsugi<\/i> hopes to capture the audience\u2019s attention in a way that isn\u2019t graphic or gory. Much attention is given to portraying the story with with the fluidity of movement that reflects both the activity of war and the women\u2019s experiences within it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d say that the play, even though [it] talks about very difficult themes, I think it\u2019s done in a way that most of people would find artistically beautiful,\u201d says Budiachenko. \u201cHopefully this will, for those who are curious\u2026show how lives of some people, and in particular women, unfolded during the war invasions or genocides.\u201d<\/p>\n

And this topic hits close to home for Budiachenko: she moved to Victoria from Ukraine due to the ongoing war. She says she \u201cfinds great connection\u201d with the play and cast, and says she wants the audience to be wowed by it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will definitely make them think, but I don\u2019t think they will feel very down after watching this play,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019ve tried to make it very serious, [and] at the same time beautiful and engaging to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kintsugi
\n<\/i><\/i>7:30 pm Friday, October 23
\n2:00 pm and 7:30 pm Saturday, October 24
\n2:00 pm Sunday, October 25
\n$15, Paul Phillips Hall
\n1923 Fernwood Road
\ntheatreinconnu.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An upcoming play presented by Theatre Inconnu portrays the lives of three women and one of their daughters who have fled their home countries to escape war and genocide. The name of the play, Kintsugi\u2014the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold\u2014is a metaphor for the shattered and rebuilt lives these women create for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28607,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[362,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-october-21-2026","category-arts"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t