‘They don’t say “Celestial Empire”’ — Tufan Imamutdinov on participating in a theatre festival in China

The play Әlif was performed as part of a theatre arts festival in the Daliang Mountains, in the Chinese city of Xichang, Sichuan Province.

The production itself was an attempt to reach a cultural layer that had been ‘forgotten’ by the people — and to reconnect with a lost culture — through the language of the body and Tatar singing. In 2018, the play won the Golden Mask award.

Tufan Imamutdinov, director of the play Әlif, spoke about the challenges of preserving cultural identity, how audiences received the performance, and why the Chinese do not refer to their country as the ‘Celestial Empire’.

— Could you tell us a bit about your trip to China and your participation in the festival? What programme did you present, and what was the overall programme of the festival?

— We presented the closing programme: we performed the play Әlif on the penultimate and final days. This was a responsible task for us, because opening and closing ceremonies always attract special attention.

Preserving customs, language, culture and traditions is an issue that affects many nations and civilisations. Our republic is very active in this area — we are trying not only to preserve all of this, but also to actively develop it.

However, when performing in different countries, we realise that this topic resonates with some audiences more than others. We performed the play in Sichuan, home to the Yi people, who number around two million. They have their own language, culture and writing system. Our story was of interest both to the Chinese and to the Yi people. We highlighted a problem that needs to be addressed, declared and discussed — including with the younger generation. I believe we accomplished our task.

— A traditional question: how different is the audience in Russia (in Tatarstan in particular) compared to that in China? Are there any key differences in temperament or reactions to what happens on stage?

— I think the difference lies precisely in the issue I’ve already mentioned. Today, learning the Chinese language is becoming a priority in many countries — you can’t say that the Chinese language or Chinese culture is somehow threatened by globalisation. But within the country itself, there are many ethnic groups, so the Chinese are concerned about how to live in harmony without infringing on the rights of these peoples. They are trying to solve these problems — and that earns my respect.

— Presenting a production to an audience from another culture is always a new experience and perhaps a source of inspiration. What did you gain from participating in the festival as a director? Perhaps from foreign colleagues in the field?

— The festival was quite extensive: representatives from different continents attended — from Latin America, the United States, Asia. There were many performances from the Caucasus and Europe, and they addressed a wide range of issues.

— Overall, could you share your impressions of the PRC? Do you see it as a ‘closed Celestial Empire’ or as a modern, welcoming and friendly China?

— I spoke with our interpreter, who is ethnically Han — the majority ethnic group in China. When I referred to China as the ‘Celestial Empire’, he was surprised and said that the Chinese themselves call it the ‘Middle World’.

Indeed, for the Chinese themselves, this is the Middle World. The country is in a golden mean: it has elements of both capitalism and socialism. It develops both its domestic and foreign economies, and it has both external and internal political narratives. So I would say it’s not the Celestial Empire, but rather a kind of middle world.

— Is there anything you discovered about China personally that you’d like to share with others — perhaps even through your work on stage?

— It seems they have an element of absorbing different cultures, as if this is a priority for them. That is, they take in and absorb everything that happens in other countries and other parts of the continent, and then offer the world something new — something of their own, infused with a part of their culture. And it’s genuinely fresh and interesting.

This surprised me: they don’t just take the best, but draw on diverse experiences. I think this is their strength — it helps them understand both what to do and what not to do.

Perhaps this is even more important: to avoid repeating mistakes.

China is a country that invites the world in, absorbs various practices — both creative and practical — and tries to find itself through practice.

Photo provided by the organisers of the International Theatre Festival in the Daliang Mountains