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'They said: You’re out of your mind': Luca Guadagnino on directing controversial opera The Death of Klinghoffer
The opera – about the hijacking of a cruise by the PLF who murder a Jewish American wheelchair user – has been subject to protests and accused of romanticising terrorism. Why was the film-maker so desperate to stage it?
TL;DR
- Luca Guadagnino is directing a controversial production of John Adams' opera 'The Death of Klinghoffer' in Florence.
- The opera, based on the 1985 hijacking of the Achille Lauro and the murder of Leon Klinghoffer, has been accused of antisemitism and romanticizing terrorism.
- Guadagnino believes the opera confronts audiences with the humanity of victims and perpetrators, destroying the 'mirror' that renders suffering invisible.
- The opera is structured like a Bach passion, with monologues and choruses representing different perspectives, including exiled Palestinians and Jews.
- Guadagnino has a long-standing admiration for Adams' music, having previously incorporated it into his film 'I Am Love'.
- The opera is musically challenging, requiring complex interpretation from performers.
- Guadagnino has been eager to direct 'Klinghoffer' for years, despite resistance from opera houses.
- Critics, including Leon Klinghoffer's daughters, have argued the opera presents false moral equivalencies and legitimizes terrorism.
- Librettist Alice Goodman defends the opera as a humanistic work that compels audiences to engage with its themes.
- The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino's general manager emphasizes the importance of theatre taking risks and addressing real issues.