Moonstone

"The Story of a Boy Who Never Was" is an exploration of the inner world of a solitary anti-hero whose fate is shaped by his sexual orientation and lack of family support. The central theme is freedom and independence of an individual who accepts his "otherness" – in Icelandic, hinsegin – as natural and lives as an autonomous human being regardless of others' judgment.

The action takes place in Reykjavik in 1918, in the final year of the First World War. Icelanders celebrate victory in their centuries-long struggle for independence, yet at the same time a Spanish flu epidemic breaks out and the volcano Katla erupts. The first cinemas open, where the boy Máni (Moon) finds refuge and discovers not only his passion for film, but also the girl Sólu (Sun), who recalls the untamed and mysterious Irma Vep, the heroine of the dark crime series Les Vampires.

Czech premiere of an adaptation of the novel of the same name by contemporary Icelandic author Sjón. The project partners are the Icelandic Centre for Performing Arts Tjarnarbíó and the Icelandic National Association of Sexual Minorities Samtökin ´78, which provide support for the production's presentation in Iceland and an accompanying programme – primarily public discussions with the audience led by Ásta Kristín Benediktsdóttir, a literary scholar specializing in modern Icelandic literature.

Warning: The performance uses strobe lighting.