Less than 100 years ago the IJsselmeer was still a sea and the people who lived around it were fishermen. Now the sea has vanished and a small community is fighting for the preservation of the last Botters, the tough wooden fishing boats that were used in the Zuiderzee. Company New Heroes interviewed a lot of different people that are still active in the Botter scene. Many of them are the sons or grandsons of fishermen that have sailed the Zuiderzee. They spoke of the love of this ship, the disappearance of the sea and their father’s and grandfather’s time.
The performance examines this desire for authenticity, and the possibility of bridging the gap between different generations. During a unique sailing trip on a Botter a story about our national and personal history evolves. How do we deal with our history, our traditions from the past that are now out of fashion? The ship and those on board enter into a fight against transitoriness.
A concept by Lucas De Man, directed by Joost van Hezik, written by Lykele Muus and performed by Joost Bolt, Chiem Vreeken en Lowie van Oers.
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