OBEDIENCE / GEHORSAM BY SASKIA BODDEKE

The story of forefather Abraham, who is willing to obey God's command and sacrifice his son, is one of the most puzzling passages of the Bible. In the three monotheistic religions, it is among the most significant and most popular stories and among the first that were ever depicted. The text that is handed down in Judaism as the "Binding of Isaac" to this day still raises questions that are answered differently by the three religions.

Multimedia artist Saskia Boddeke and British film director Peter Greenaway understand the sacrifice of Isaac as a human drama. Which is stronger – God's command or the love of a father? And where can the modern subject be found between the priorities of obedience and trust?

Boddeke has interpreted the story as a human drama, in a modern context. Children from al over the world stating “I am Isaac” or “I am Ismail”,  represent the children who need to be protected. Images of children and their parents shows a different perspective of Abraham’s obedience, for which he was praised and rewarded. Contemporary images of suffering children make us question whether we, like Abraham, are sacrificing children in obedience to....?

The result is an immersive experience in fifteen parts using film projections, installations, precious objects, and its own soundtrack. Its dramaturgy is inspired by the legends of the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions, and linked with the experience of our time.  

22 MAY - 13 SEPTEMBER 2015 Judisches Museum Berlin
prolonged due to huge success till November 15 2015

obedience / gehorsam CREDITS

Concept,design & direction films: Saskia Boddeke

Libretto: Peter Greenaway

Cast

Dancers/Actors/calligrapher     
Choreographers: Guy & Roni WeizmanAbraham: Igor Podsiadly
Isaac adult: Adam Peterson
Isaac 5 years old: Skip Rijsdijk
Isaac14 years old: Yoav Weizman
Angel: Sofiko Nachkebiya
Hagar: Roni Haver
Devil: Hendrik Aerts
Sarah: Stella van Leeuwen
Calligrapher: Brody Neuenschwander
Donkey, black ram: De Ark

Production
Annette Mosk

Music
Luca D'Alberto

Video editing
Elmer Leupen

Video design
Peter Wilms

Sound design
Danny Weijermans

Costume design & picture research
Willemien Ruys

Light design
Floriaan Ganzevoort

Berlin Crew
Stiftung Jüdisches Museum Berlin
Museumsdirektor / Museum Director: Prof. Dr. Peter Schäfer
Geschäftsführender Direktor / Managing Director: Martin Michaelis
Leitung Wechselausstellungen / Head of temporary exhibitions: Helmuth F. Braun
Kuratoren / Curators: Saskia Boddeke & Peter Greenaway
Projektleitung / Project management: Margret Kampmeyer
Volontärin / Scientific Trainee: Saro Gorgis
Samuel Zettinig: Assistenz Wechselausstellungen / Assistance of temporary exhibitions
Klaus Hans Teuschler: Sammlungsmanagement / Collection management
Petra Hertwig: Gisela Märtz
Katrin Strube: Anna Golus
Konservatorische Betreuung / Conservators: Barbara Decker
Stephan Lohrengel: Catherina Staiger
Kirsten Meyer:Ines Zimmermann

Artistic Installation
Directors: Saskia Boddeke
Producer: Annette Mosk
Editor Elmer:  Leupen
Composer: Luca D’Alberto
Video Designer: Peter Wilms
Sound Designer: Danny Weijermans
Light Designer: Floriaan Ganzevoort
Delegated Light Designer: Maarten Warmerdam
3D Modeller: Chok Wah Man
Second Life Artists: Brynley Longman, Jo Esmell, Bernard Capitaine aka Iono Allen
Artists Involved: Igor Mandic, Eric Lafforgue, Boudewijn Smit, Helen Cats
Picture Researcher: Willemien Ruys
Production support: Lys Bouma  
Cameraman I am Isaac: Twan Melssen, Jacobine van de Kamp
Editor I am Isaac Clip: Jacobine van de Kamp

Film Production
Producer: Annette Mosk
Location Manager: Adrian van den Bovenkamp
Location Assistant: Marino Tay
Runner/Studio Assistant: Willemien Gerbrandy, Jose Reis
Catering: Willemijn Schut
Set Photographer: Daan van Eijndhoven

Film crew
Opnameleider: Ari Hemelaar
Director of Photography:Ruzbeh Babol
Camera Operator: Floris vd Lee
Focus Puller: Ariel Castillo, Django de Groot
Camera Assistant: Wouter Verberkt
Camera Assistent-Data Handler: Wesley Westerhuis
Gaffer: Edwin Bakker
Best Boy: Reinout Bakker
Light Technician: Raimond Brouwers
Light Intern: Bart Dokter, Gijs Roodhart
Sound Technicians: Dominic Happe, Gaby de Haan
Grip: Peter van Vugt, Dirk Nijland
Grip Assistant: Menno van Loon
Continuity: Leon Wielens  

Art department
Costume Design: Willemien Ruys
Costume Assistant: Chantal Doorten
Make-up Design: Leonie Schuurman
Make-up assistants: Adinda Fransman, Krista Bruijsten
Prop master: Jeroen Echter
Special Effects: Marten Hoekstra
Food design: Sabrina Hessels

Catalogue
Catalogue: Peter Greenaway
Catalogue Design: Jacobine van der Kamp

Gestaltung Werbekampagne / Design of advertising campaign
e o t . essays on typography
Lilla Hinrichs & Anna Sartorius
Das Ausstellungsteam dankt den Mitarbeitern und Kollegen des Jüdischen Museums Berlin /
The exhibition team would like to thank the staff at the Jewish Museum Berlin:
Camping Corfwater, Petten; Firma Tuithof, Kamerik; Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier
Yasemin Shooman, Betul Yilmaz, Rafiqa Younes (Akademieprogramme)
Yvonne Niehues, Signe Rossbach, Gesa Struve (Begleitprogramm / supporting program)
Bernhard Jensen, Ernst Wittmann (Bibliothek / library)
Nina Wilkens (Bildungsprogramme / accompanying educational program)
Gerhard Stahr, Alexander Buchholz (Copyright / copyright)
Sascha Brejora, Roman Labunski, Hartmut Götze (Vergabestelle /contracting authority)
Bärbel Hagel, Odette Bütow (Buchhaltung /accounting)
Iris Blochel-Dittrich (Datenbankmanagement /database management)
Stefanie Haupt (Fotomanagement /photograph management)
Sascha Perkins, Gesine Tyradellis, Katrin Möller (Marketing /marketing)
Katharina Schmidt-Narischkin, Sylvia Winkler, Jennifer Berndt (Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit / press and public relations)
Dr. Mirjam Wenzel, Mariette Franz, Mirjam Bitter, Michaela Rossberg (online)