'Sogra' by Hatem Derbel: a critique of technological capitalism and a spotlight on characters in deep suffering
5 hours ago
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The theater enthusiasts had an appointment on September 25, 2026, with the play 'Sogra' by Hatem Derbel. It seems to be taking on a new life and renewed vigor.
The performance of 'Sogra' was undertaken at one of the oldest theaters in Tunis, namely 'La maison de la culture Ibn Rachiq'.
The actors involved in this theatrical fresco express themselves with complete accuracy and full awareness of their expression and their bodies: Senda Ahmadi, Basma El Euchi, and the new recruit of "Sogra", Ayoub Boughalleb.
The distribution of the playing space in 'Sogra' is fair. The role assigned to each actor is the same for all the actors. It is a way for the two playwrights of "Sogra" - Narjes Ben Ammar and Hatem Derbel - to express their fears about an increasingly technologized world that is also devoid of mercy.
The character played by Senda Ahmadi in 'Sogra' is named Kali. She is a Sudanese girl whose hands were amputated by gurus.
With a highly refined sensitivity and a dancing gesture, Senda Ahmadi was able to convey the tremors of this character whose existential drive was obstructed at the prime of life: 18 years old.
Now, Kali wants to travel to an ideal world where she can live and fulfilll her repressed dreams.
This is how she will meet the character named Zawak; a guide "to a better world: Sogra", a fictitious, illusory new world where war and technological progress intertwine.
In the midst of this encounter, the character of Lima emerges, a woman betrayed by a Lebanese lover who seduced her, married her, and later left her.
Leaving her to raise her child alone while etching unforgettable sensual memories in her mind that she hopes to find again in the city of 'Sogra', the "city of second chances, of last chances," she said with a very bitter tone.
In terms of form, several frescoes in 'Sogra' refer to the painter Kaïs Rostom, the companion of Hatem Derbel, in many artistic collaborations.
Next to a very elegant and respectable artistic performance, there is also the technique of mapping in 'Sogra'. This illustrates a futuristic atmosphere where Artificial intelligence (AI) reigns in a highly technicized world that is truly frightening.
In substance, Sogra is a profound critique of the progressive ideology. This ideology that asks us to permanently adapt results in further social class inequality, the emergence of the logic of self-isolation, the encirclement of affluent cities, protectionism, violence, and even the continuation of an "aggressive capitalism" in which the subjugation of the weakest becomes commonplace. Technology thus is the driving force behind this new dominance.
'Sogra' is definitely a very classy play, esthetically refined, modern and ancient in its narrative, dealing with profound questions about collective and global futures, lives and beings. Must see: ‘Sogra’.
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