 I'm going to make a road over sheet to be my translator. It's a good job. I'm here for free to work. But it's just that there are so many nuances with Iraqi-Arabic, so I think it's perfect to have you doing this. First of all, congratulations. Thank you. I can't speak Arabic. Still, you understand so much. It's just really, really extraordinary. I would like to maybe just begin by letting the other members of the Iraqi delegation who are very fortunate to have with us just introduce themselves so you can know who they are. And we may come back and involve them in some of the questions and answers that you have. But first, why don't you go ahead? Someone of great entrepreneurship, I have to say. Because we had hoped, as you've heard, we had hoped to have a delegation of 15, including a large number of students. And very sadly, the policy seemed to have changed at the last minute from Baghdad University. And we were told that the students were not coming. And then we were told, well, actually two students are coming. That was Yaya and Mina, who were so determined to come that they had just gone ahead and gotten their visas and gotten their tickets and came anyway. So we're very glad we did it. So, ladies and gentlemen. I'm Akhtar and I'm firing out college. Okay. Stepping in and normally her two were actors. Haitham directs his own productions. But since the students who would normally be doing the sound and the other aspects of the production were not able to be here, they very graciously have stepped in and filled in in these roles. So thank you so much for that. I have a number of things that I really enjoy talking about with this production, with Leila and Walid. But I would much rather turn it over to you. And you may have questions about interpretation. As you know, this was a play first written by an Iraqi-American. And you captured that so well that the scene when you're saying, I love you, I love you, I love you. I mean it. Because I think that's the scene that captures what this is for Heather Raffa. I know too independently it was her kind of arms and everything across the water to her relatives trying to reach Iraq somehow. She reached it through you. But there are some differences. In interpretation. And Walid was quite infatigued by how he made this Iraqi. So I'll just put that out there and then I'll turn it over to you and see what kinds of questions that you have. You are developing a following here. We're all coming here. We're prepared to have a separate theater for your fans to come every night. Which is great. So please. But I'd like to hear, because we haven't seen Heather Play. This is our interpretation. But I'd like to hear from somebody who saw Heather Play and can make a comparison. Probably we'll get something out of it. Thank you. I was very moved. Would you mind producing yourself? Yes. I was here for the conference earlier and had a chance to see a little bit before I came here. Before the play I mean. I had a chance to see Heather's play. We saw it twice and had a little workshop with her also about the play. I have to admit I was moved by Heather's play but I was never moved this much. This play moved me beyond anything that Heather's play did. And I think the Arabic spoke in a very different way to me. I speak Iraqi Arabic of course and I was able to internalize it in a whole different way. I think Heather's play seemed like it was made for American consumption. This wasn't. This was definitely not made for American consumption. This was for an Iraqi audience. And it was really extremely powerful. And the words, the way you express yourself I have to say that you were absolutely magnificent. I didn't cry during that. I was laughing. I didn't cry during Heather's play. I thought it was a beautifully written play after it was very well done but didn't go into the nuance of I think the Iraqi culture and depth. I have to say that the translation I'm sorry if I'm offending anyone but it did not do really justice to the words and also it didn't match the words. I mean there was like translation had nothing to do with what's going on on the ground. So I'd say this was really remarkable. The piece you did about the Amriya was unbelievable, the shelter. I know that Heather did that too. You took it to, like you were there. You were definitely, you were there. You experienced it in a whole different way that someone on this side of the ocean would experience it. So I'm going to bring my mother on Saturday to see it. Yes please. I think she will be moved. So I have to say this was a whole different transformative experience for me than Heather's play. Heather's play was wonderful and I love Heather but this was transformative I think. Thank you. Can you just talk a little bit about both the translation, how easily it translated and the adaptation, what was adapted? It's a long story but by chance I was navigating the internet and I saw on the YouTube something about culturally about your play written by Heather Raffo. I never know Heather Raffo. And last year I came to the United States of America after 23 years I graduated from UCLA in 1989. And in 2011 I came here to the TCG conference the Ethel Communication Group and I met Heather I don't know how and we talked about and I was explaining to her how I like her play and I saw some segment on the YouTube and she said okay I'll give you the text she gave me the text I translated it when I turned it back and we talked with me and Leila we worked on this text and she lives in Jordan I live in Baghdad, she goes back and forth and we worked like months on this piece of and we tried to make it Iraqi 100% and I saw in this play really the elements of Iraq the theme, the characters, the thoughts the women suffering the effect of war I can see a lot of themes a lot of themes, a lot of in this play. So in each character we have maybe the Iraqis can get it but it's hard for others to get it very small touches but it means a lot for the characters and also I have an experience before this experience I have experience in 1991 I have the same style of playing the game and it was a play called Ilaysh Al-Naha until further notice I did that 20 years ago and I have a story with that I have a story I came from the United States to work in Baghdad University and I was full of energy and young that was 23 years ago and we did a play after exactly the invasion of Kuwait and we did a play it was like something else I saw the play I guess and it was a very, very dangerous play because I play one of the characters of Saddam Hussein on the stage and you can't touch this red line to play Saddam Hussein and that was a horrible experience for me because I was shaking it was terrible so I stopped acting and directing for a long time because of this experience I went to work you were able to do it? No, I did it but I got threatened from secret police from here and there and it was a terrible experience for my career it was very dangerous so I stopped working in the theater so I worked like we do television theater without border for the Jamia theater and the television we worked together on television back then television and in Iraqi satellite settle and last ten years me and Layla also had a great experience in doing show together and monodrama so it's a history of struggling and I'm glad that we made it here and I'm glad that today is the opening and you are here thank you I mean the name of the play we put an original a name for this piece not nine parts of desire in Arabic it is the game of both Confession and Madness Confession and Madness that's the name of the Arabic version of nine parts of desire first she says hi can you speak so everybody can hear so first she say hi her first experience of Dr. Rahaitan in a in a piece called the Eastern Syndrome Eastern Syndrome the Eastern Syndrome democracy and Eastern Syndrome the Eastern Syndrome that was the first time on stage and Dr. Rahaitan was a really good professor and he did a lot for her because she was a professor she loved that piece and she believed that there was a great message on it and she really wished that they were able to show it here but unfortunately they hadn't the question is about her she as a student and her relationship with society and the better now basically it's difficult but step by step people get used to it and to now her personal experience that's nobody but she still got an actress she hope that she will see the young Iraqis they are marvelous I'm sure we will thank you very much Rahaitan maybe you could now share with the audience that they won't unfortunately get to see your play performed this time maybe tell a little bit about what the play democracy and eastern syndrome is about this piece is about basically it's about the heroine the heroine and the crime and the she is because we have a lot of problems in the Iraqi society most of them are the the the main question in that piece is what I don't think is the very fundamental issue in the Iraqi society which is like we create in this society the figure which he meant crimes and we still confuse that to distinguish between this character is this a crime or is it a hero so this is the main question for this theory that he was born actually I think what we are saying is that we admire people and expect that we make them heroes even after they commit crimes they must still be heroes because we make them heroes this is the the distinguish between the hero and the criminal what do you have the the the the the the the the the the the the He flames like the way that we've been raised as an Iraqi, because especially as a man, that we've been raised as this patriarch elements. And even though now we have a democracy, we got it. It's came out of nowhere or from the sky, as he meant. But it's true we start to deal with it in a way or another. But still our daily behavior, our daily education with the others, still it's not democratic at all because of the way that he's been raised as a human being as a man. That's in this play, this piece, that's what he tried to do. Through the rehearsal of this play, he's also tried to lend the target to discover these elements of democracy together. And as he's understanding the society, it's also step by step he can achieve this kind of real understanding for democracy through those young actors and artists in the play and within the society. Thank you so much. Now we'll turn back. Thank you so much. So next time we're going to see your play, too. Are there more questions? Did you have a question about the play tonight? Yes, ma'am. All right. OK. Before I listen to you, sir, I'm aware that I've known very much a party at tomorrow. I'm not at the moment. I don't believe that. I don't actually believe that. I think they know what I'm saying. So, thank you. I'm also a journalist and she's not surprised that the Tawali and Leila, the way that the play, the way they presented the play, they did it. And she believes that it's one of 1,000 Naira Naira. Tawali are a Naira. Before our eyes and what she was, in fact, Shahrazad, when she spoke, everything else was just listening. I respect this point of view, but the theater reflects society. And this theater came from Iraq and it reflects Iraqi experience. And I felt like this play truly reflected the Iraqi experience throughout the ages, from the age of Shahrazad until now with all its iterates, with all its authenticity. Now, we're going to look at the reality of the play. Leila is a very strong journalist. And the reality of the play is that what I felt this day, in my eyes, was amazing. What did you say? I felt that she's been my friend for a long time. And I worked with him on TV, on TV, and I also worked with him. But today, my feeling is that I'm on this, Leila, because, in fact, I know how hard it is for an actor to move with characters and portray each one of these characters so distinctly and so smoothly. So today, I'm in this. Want to talk about your father? She exalts herself. She does. You like the chair? No, she doesn't like it. How does she know who's the chair? That's the position. I'd like you to thank the American audience. And please pardon me, my Iraqi friends, because we are two different worlds, even though we are actually living in the West. We feel actually not that we are guests, but actually we are home, and you are our guests. That's why I want to keep an eye on you. Because we distinguish between the American people and the American foreign policy. What we have witnessed tonight is actually the result of policies whether they are the American policies or the English policies and the effects of war which take a toll foremost on women and on children. When I first got the text, I had not had any exposure to Heather's place. But I like that she had the perspective of an Iraqi who lives abroad. I'm not sure if it's about affection, but she's looking from far away. But I wanted to portray the experience from within these characters. That's why we focused on the actor and the producer had to give up. I have acted in theater, I have acted on television, I have won many awards, but even for me as an experienced and seasoned actress, this was the biggest challenge ever. The challenge of difficulty in presenting a play like this one, you have to change your outfit, you have to change your character, you have to change your feelings, and all these places are taking place in front of the audience and living hardly any time in between this enormous transformation. Death in every place of Iraq, which is in every neighborhood, it's everywhere, in the streets, in the streets, in the streets, in the street, in the school, in schools. That's why we choose the theater to live our lives. These are everywhere, children's schools, parks, on streets, so we have no place to live life. So we bring life to the theatre, so we can be free to reflect this life. Can you how we live? We are showing our lives how we live it, not how we would like for us to live it, but how we actually live it. And aesthetically. If you want to see, we're going to give you a maniacal mind. I'm going to show the two lessons from there, I was saying. First of all, your heart. I thought we'd have kids. I thought we would have kids. You spoke about a very important moment, and let's talk about art right now, and about Iraq in general. There's no question this is an actor's moment. And I have known this since I was a child. Oh, I see it. This is a very old thing. Also in the drama, I was reading it. I was like, so long ago. My question here is a question for you. How did you become an actor? How did you become an actor? How did you become an actor? Where are the borders between your influence and your power, as opposed to your producers. In a play like this, where are the borders between your influence and your power and what you have to say as opposed to the producer? What is your relationship with the producer? When is it that you determine what happens because this is what the personality wants? And when is it that the director decides? I think that the director has to get down on his mission to solve the problem. So for a long period of time, he and I have always been friends. But we have always been different, because the role he plays in the whole stage, and the director, of course, thinks more about the role, sometimes becomes the role of the two of us. But this role is the role of the director. That is why he was interested in the role of the director, in order to represent the role of the director. In this play, the most important piece is actually the personality that the actor plays. And in this particular moment, even though Waleed is my friend, he gave up his power to let me have that role. Well, let me give you a question. Laila is Hisan Jameh. What is her race? She is a wild horse. She is a wild horse. So I have to control this woman as an actor. And it's hard for me. Oh my God. Instructions. You are under control. No, I have a mind control. You are under control. You used the show, you used the topic of art. You used Laila's art and you used a group of pictures. That's it really. The first question is directed at Laila. It's the same question that I had addressed to Mina. And that is, as an actress, are you concerned at the status of the Iraqi society right now? And the future of the Iraqi women. And then the question is to Waleed, you've used a lot of background art. Yeah. This is the art that you showed me in the photo. You took the use of this right. And why did Laila's art change? And why did Laila's art change? To be straight honest. Have you taken the permission of the artist to do this thing? And why did Laila's art change? Oh my God. Laila's art has killed one of the American scholars. The plan, the setting, the properties, the lighting is not like this. What we have planned. We're supposed to do this performance at the National Theatre. We didn't have the chance. Tonight is the first night ever that we did this show. However, we improvised what we had. We had, in our planning, it was like things go up and down, pictures. It's totally different. But at the moment, we use what we can in five days and we have no properties or setting. So what you saw, what you did see is improvisation, but with the concentration of the acting and the cue of lighting and sound effects. But I hope you come back to back that to us. And we'll see each other. Or we do it again here. Or we do it again here. I'm going to take just one more. I'm going to take one more. I'm not getting in yet. When we dream of change and democracy, and we dream, and we suffer all these suffering, and we give this life, and then when it comes to the place that it was intended for, we think that our time is temporary and temporary. Half of the society and then it won't come true. For the Iraqi people because after all the sacrifices we have given and after all the things we've gone through so we can get democracy and we can have liberty. What has happened? If half of the society is crippled, there's no awareness. So I am worried for the Iraqi people. Meaning that the women are held back, is that what that means? Yes, half of the society is basically they... There's no awareness. There is no effort by the society, by the governments, to actually use some advanced women. And how women assume positions in society where they can be educated, participate as half of the society. There's no effort. That's actually very interesting because we were just speaking today with the Dean of Georgetown School of Foreign Service, Caroline Kaster, who will be with us tomorrow for the panel on Africa. And she was saying that she recently greeted a delegation led by Nouriel Maliki, a delegation of about 12 people and there were no women on the delegation and the Americans commented. Very quickly because we also have a question from our guest from the Iraqi public office and then we're going to all have a reception. So go right ahead. I'm going to take a picture now. A few minutes ago, a Christian woman raised Nouriel Maliki's face to take a picture of the Muslim youth. And she said, and she said, the opposite of the woman now, she's a very good person. She's an Iraqi woman. And she said, but at one point you can't say that you're going to say that you're going to say that you're going to say She was ready yesterday. The conditions of women have a這邊 because women have been challenged. There was one Christian woman who stood in front of Maliki and had pictures of imprisoned persons and she said you put them in jail, you freed them. There are more and more incidents of women like this women challenging a system and destiny. of this challenge, but I caught it. No, I caught it. I'm not inviting you. Would you like to ask a question? Yes, I will ask the questions to the director, Mr. Walid, actually. Most of the famous directors in the art world, actually, they're looking for the too many important concepts, especially for the country, Americans, audience, European audience, see some conceptions. So they focus on that, and they keep their identity. They keep their cultural identity. So why you didn't work on this issue? So you can mix between the Iraqi characteristics and the actress or the issue and reflect it to the audience with their concepts. They can understand what they go on. You mean why I choose this play? No, actually, why you didn't try to reflect the Iraqi characters, Iraqi fashion and their concepts of the audience. But, Mr. Walid, please. Because I think you actually make it 100% Iraqi. Like, I agree with Mr. Walid's, yeah. So you make it 100% Iraqi. So we want some, it's a small one, isn't it? 50% Iraq. Actually, I mean, we didn't, in all fairness, we did not omission this piece for Georgetown. Walid was nice enough to bring to Georgetown the piece which he had created for Baghdad. So this is for an Iraqi audience. And we are very privileged to be able to see it. But it was not created for us here. It was created for Iraq. It's not planned for American audience. It's planned for Iraqi audience. And I ask Ambassador Cynthia and Professor Dillek if we can come and present it here for Baghdad University. And they are. And we have the honor to be with them and to present this play here. You know, I think we are going to have a reception. And if you really want to add something to that, I don't want to surprise women. Come on, please. Yes. Thank you very much. Thank you. Beautiful. Thank you. And your play of Iraqi words and phrases was absolutely brilliant. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Can you just shed light on the history of theater in your life? You know what?