The internationally acclaimed Lebanese director, choreographer and performer Ali Chahrour tells the tragic story of a forbidden relationship between two men: Mohamed Ben Daoud, a theologian who taught Islamic law and Arabic, fell in love with Mohamed Ben Jamea, a young man from Isfahan. According to the legend, the scholar eventually died of a broken heart.

In “The Love Behind My Eyes”, the body becomes the voice of the unspeakable. Chahrour draws on love stories from the Arab world and on ghasal, a pre-Islamic Arab-Persian form of poetry, combining these influences with dance in his distinctive style.

Accompanied by the haunting vocals of Hala Omran, two performers explore how inextricably desire and loss are intertwined. The fate of the lovers remains uncertain, but one thing becomes clear: even forbidden love endures.

With “The Love Behind My Eyes”, Ali Chahrour concludes his trilogy on the theme of love. In 2024, HAU presented “Iza Hawa”, another work from the series.

More information here.