Director, playwright and actor, Wajdi Mouawad has directed, since 2016, the Théâtre national de la Colline, in Paris, dedicated to contemporary writing. At 56 years old, this Lebanese-Canadian author, whose family lived through two exiles, presents his work there until December 22. Square root of the verb to be.
I wouldn’t have gotten here if…
…If, in 1983, my family had gone, as agreed, to live in Texas. After spending five years in France to escape the civil war in Lebanon, we had not obtained the renewal of our residence permits. The situation in Lebanon was so dire that returning there was not an option. My father then applied for immigration so we could join two of my uncles and aunts, who lived in the United States, in the distant suburbs of Houston. But, at the same time, a new Texas law prohibited children of immigrant families over 24 years of age from entering the country. Now my sister was 25 years old. For my mother, it was impossible to leave without her. A solution had to be found quickly. It was Montreal, where we also had an aunt. At that time, it was very “easy” to immigrate to Canada.
Why would the United States change your destiny so much?
First he would have had to change languages, from French to English, although he was not very good at school. Secondly, my family was not inclined towards the arts. He would not have frequented the cultural world, he would not have become an author or director. I would undoubtedly have chosen a very different career path, like my cousins, who worked at the airport or in restaurants. The suburb where we would have lived voted 87% for Donald Trump in 2020.
What memories do you have of your first ten years in Lebanon?
My Lebanese childhood was quite happy. He was not a sensitive and empathetic child. The only thing I could think about was playing and being with my friends. There were bombings, but I was like a piece of wood, the shocking events did not penetrate me. I went towards my pleasure, strangely it protected me. I was unconscious, I didn’t see what my parents were going through. I wanted to be like the adults. He couldn’t wait to have a Kalashnikov and be able to also be a militiaman. I was fascinated to see them. I wanted, like them, to be a fighter.
In 1978, the civil war in Lebanon pushed his family into exile…
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