A fever dream of two men in a car ride. What sparks lust and temptation, leads to heated political ride. Who's got to be seen? Feel safe? And who got to continue?
English-speaking performance, The Car is on Fire is a deeply personal narrative about gay men that dives into the complexities of intimacy, identity, power, and alienation. It’s about being seen and being left behind both personally and socially.
A man stands hitchhiking in the middle of nowhere on a remote stretch of road. He is coming from a funeral. There is little traffic, a car stops and picks him up.
What begins as a casual conversation about the landscape and birds subtly turns into a confrontation between desire, abandonment, and race in the era of rising right-wing politics. As the performance unfolds, it shifts from the microcosm of personal intimacy to the macrocosm of socio-political dynamics, examining the intersections of sex, power, property and class.
The piece explores how sexuality is politicised and commodified, especially within marginalised communities. It asks critical questions about who gets to love openly, who has the right to be visible, and shows how these privileges are dictated by one’s socioeconomic status and political climate. For example, safety is a privilege that turns out to be an illusion.
Language: English (subtitles in Finnish)
Duration: approximately 1 hour
Written, directed and performed: Moe Mustafa & Janne Saarakkala
Stage and costume design: Paula Koivunen
Light design: Julia Jäntti
Sound design: Niklas Nybom
Choreography consultant: Kira Riikonen
Photos from Kuusakoski Oy scrapyard in Vantaa: Tuomo Manninen
Production: Irina Duskova & Stoa
Supported by Suomen Kulttuurirahasto, Taiteen edistämiskeskus, Taide- ja kulttuurivirasto, Helsingin kaupunki, Samuel Huberin Taidesäätiö
