Orfeas2021

Greek performance duo FYTA are taking their critically acclaimed queer opera Orfeas2021 to the screens this September.

Journeying through utopian politics, ideological conflicts and supernatural leaders, this queer opera follows the first gay Prime Minister of Greece struggling to carry the legacy of lgbtq+ in a post-truth dystopia.

Featuring a cast of gods, monsters, queer activists and reformist politicians, this astonishingly visual opera combines a VR aesthetic with 80s-inspired hauntology. A provocative and moving exploration of melancholy, trauma and despair, Orfeas2021 asks what progress means when alt-right imagery, nationalist myth making and enlightenment ideals clash on the streets of Athens.

The work is dedicated to the memory of Zak Kostopoulos (Zackie Oh), an lgbt performer and activist who was murdered in a homophobic attack on the streets of central Athens in 2018. Orfeas2021 was devised in the weeks following Zak’s death and carries themes of grief, loss and trauma, reflecting the experience of its creators and personal friends of Zak.

The screening at the Whitechapel Gallery marks the fourth anniversary of Zak’s death and will appear as part of the Fringe! Queer Film Festival.