Breaking the generational curse: In the name of the Father, the Son and Jackie Chan
Those who learn nothing from history are condemned to repeat it. As a German, I was confronted with this idea early on in my school education. But the principle is universally applicable to every nation, every people, every individual, and has been an important reminder of the primordial human condition not only since the post-war years: Learn from your mistakes.
Humanity has developed rapidly since industrialisation. Especially with the advent of commercial computers and the internet, we have shifted up a gear again. It feels like modern society has been lagging behind developments for years. Shouldn’t technology simplify people’s lives?
The millennial generation lives in the midst of these turbulent developments. People born between 1980 and 1996 are probably the generation that has to perform the most painful splits of all time when it comes to technical and socio-cultural changes in terms of globalisation and digitalisation. This is because we still know the world when it was offline and regional, had to deal with digital workflows early on and still can’t really come to terms with the fact that many things take place online in a world village and have been banished from “real” life.
The millennial generation still has some of the drive of the analogue Generation X in them, but also feels the lethargy of the virtual Generation Z. These differences, quasi opposites that attract and repel each other from time to time as soon as they get too close, create an emotional and creative backlog that some can utilise for their own benefit.
As one of many representatives of the millennials, the Franco-British actor Matthias Fortune Droulers has found his own personal way of dealing with progressive future prospects and conservative coming to terms with the past. As an author, Jackie Chan historian and also as a German, I am proud that Matthias asked me for my opinion on his new project. In this way, we are not only working together on Franco-German friendship, something that our politicians only push symbolically at best. Together, we are also spreading the idea of the Jackie Chan family that unites us: Love & Peace.
“Au nom du Père, du Fils et de Jackie Chan” is a theatre piece by Matthias Fortune Droulers with a religious title. This is no coincidence. The story is about the young boy Arthur, who is brought up in a Jewish-Christian environment but suffers from the so-called generational curse in his family. His father and mother don’t really stick together, the son is torn between the two, which is where the motto at the beginning comes into play: “Those who learn nothing from history are condemned to repeat it.”
Arthur feels his life energy, his qi, building up inside him and he has to learn how to deal with it. This is precisely the test that is also mentioned in the Bible. Anyone who wants to shake off the generational curse and thus the sins of their ancestors must find redemption in Jesus Christ. We humans should rather regard this statement as a philosophical thesis. In doing so, we avoid potential religious conflicts of faith by looking at the human-ethical core that relates to all peoples: How do we deal with what concerns us?
By not only telling the partly autobiographical story of little Arthur, but also integrating a second person, Jackie Chan, the viewer experiences the classic kung fu film relationship between disciple and master. In biblical terms, the author Matthias Fortune Droulers seeks redemption by appointing his idol Jackie Chan as his personal fictional Messiah.
This statement should not be misunderstood; it is a metaphor as a figurative image. Jackie Chan is not portrayed as a messiah. However, throughout his career, Chan the Man has not only entertained and touched fans around the world, but has also turned fans into creators in the entertainment sector. Matthias Fortunes Droulers is one of them and with his stage play “Au nom du Père, du Fils et de Jackie Chan”, he has gone from disciple to master in the redemption and reworking of generational curses.
I personally wish him and the whole team all the best, both personally and professionally, and am already looking forward to the English adaptation. Because, according to Matthias, it should be on stage as early as 2025. Hopefully with Jackie Chan as a VIP spectator.
Synopsis
Arthur, raised in a remarkably unconventional family, was on the verge of collapse when an encounter in the video aisle of the hypermarket saved him. With whom? Jackie Chan. Thanks to discovering the film “Drunken Master,” the martial arts star emerged for Arthur as a sort of reassuring, resourceful, and mischievous spiritual father who taught him not to silently bear his parents’ suffering but to transform it through self-mockery and physical expression.
Accompanied by a sound effects artist-musician, Matthias Fortune juggles with about twenty quirky yet real characters. This incredible family portrait is an invitation to father-son reconciliation and a tribute to Kung-fu cinema as a balm for the soul.
“Very personal and universal. An impressive burlesque martial performance.”
FRANCE BLEU
“Laughter, tears, emotion. A theatrical UFO based on kung-fu.”
MESINFOS.FR
“Matthias Fortune, like a Jackie Chan, excels in comedy and martial arts.”
LA REVUE DU SPECTACLE
Dates
3 June at 7 pm: Press preview at Artéphile, Avignon
21 June at 3 pm: Press preview at Théâtre Lepic, Paris
From 1st to 21st of July* at 4:25 pm every day at Festival Avignon РTh̢̩tre Artephile Avignon
* (except 9th and 16th of July)
Genre: Alone on stage, Contemporary comedy
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Age: 10 and above
Download the official French press kit (PDF) here:
Team
Matthias Fortune Droulers: Actor, comedian, writer
Léo Grise: Composer, sound designer
Anne-Sophie Liban: Director
Maurice Chan: Choreographer for stage fights
Felix Carcone: Composer original soundtrack
Luc Khiari: Lighting designer
Audrey Belin: Costumes
Teaser | “Au nom du Père, du Fils, et de Jackie Chan” (2024)
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