BORDERS

A Grindr chat between two men, one from Lebanon, the other from Israel, turns into an impossible relationship as tensions rise between the two countries.

Written and directed by Nimrod Danishman; Dramaturgy: Roey Maliach-Reshef; Set and costum design: Shiran Levi; Music: Itai Laor.

Boaz and George meet on Grindr. One is in Israel, the other in Lebanon. They’re both horny but can’t meet. Something in their conversation excites them both. The distance, the border fence, the enemy, the foreignness. They both fill a need in each other. Their conversations move forward, and they decide to meet in Berlin, an island of peace in a world of wars. But in the reality of the Middle East, the border between the two countries heats up, and they are forced to make difficult decisions.
Borders is a virtual drama about two enemies who were never supposed to meet, who try to form an intimate relationship against all odds. Sixteen virtual conversations form a relationship that crosses cultures, politics, and wars. Indirect relationships between screens, written words, emojis, and GIFs. Their relationship exists in a liminal area, on the border, which transforms from a dividing line between countries into a meeting point.

 

A fine debut in its modest emotional honesty. (Nano Shabtai, Haaretz)

An enjoyable play that provides a glimpse into an unfamiliar world. (David Rosenthal, Walla!)

Everything is so naturally interwoven into the text that it’s easy to believe these conversations actually happened. (Bar Amir, WDG)

 

Nimrod Danishman is a theatre director, playwright, and teacher. During his studies at the Kibbutzim College School of Performing Arts, he co-wrote and directed the cabaret Lema’an Ha’emet (To be Honest) at Habima National Theatre (2017). After graduating with honors, he wrote and directed his first work, Borders, at Tzavta Theatre (2018). The play was produced in 2019 at the New York Theatre Festival by Dirty Laundry Theatre. He directed the short play Isha Le’Isha (Woman to Woman) by Roey Maliach Reshef at Playwrights Project (2018), co-directed the play Yoter Mize Anachnu Lo (We’re No More Than That) by Gal Chapsky at Tzavta (2019), and created the documentary show Kara Be’emet (For Real) at Tmu-na Theatre (2019). Nimrod is passionate about connecting people through theatre. He teaches theatre in high schools in Tel Aviv and Haifa, and runs theatre workshops around the country.

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