Zaref  (زريف)
The journey from being a human to becoming a scapegoat - and from there on...

Zaref is a monologue performance created by the Finnish-Palestinian S-H-A-collective, dealing with the challenges of being a refugee. Zaref is a man who walks. He is one of the over 70 million displaced in the world. He might be all of them.

The language spoken on stage is Arabic with elements of Swedish and Finnish, and with subtitles in English and in Finnish.
Zaref is based on filmed material partly collected in the Palestinian refugee camp Al-Arroub and on the script L’homme qui marche written by the French author Sandrine Le Mével Hussenet.
The performance raises questions such as how to find freedom, peace and a place to be and how to obtain a sense of belonging. These topics are explored through the actor Hazem Al Sharif’s own personal experiences and through his journey from his home being Al-Arroub to becoming Helsinki, Finland.

Concept and performer: Hazem Al Sharif
Directing: Maria Lindeman
Lighting design: Vilma Vantola
Videos: Hazem Al Sharif, Vilma Vantola
Assistant: Helena Korpela
​Photos: Julius Töyrylä

The show premiered in 2019 at Kulttuurikeskus Caisa, Helsinki, Finland.