When I saw the Sea

Ali Chahrour’s art is a quest for traces, a search for beauty amid chaos, navigating the realms of exile, belonging, and resistance. In When I Saw the Sea, three women—from Ethiopia and Lebanon—give voice to an often-invisible struggle against the Kafala system, which exploits migrant workers in Lebanon at war. Through song, movement, and speech, Zena, Tenei, and Rania bring to life a multitude of stories. Blending dance, music, and theater, the performance restores power to the body and celebrates journeys of survival and resistance.