A tourist they do it because they made a vow to god to commemorate his goodness in this way when the plane the black death threatened their village with extinction 400 years ago as i type this persona spear the passion play lives from the fact that we have a message of money and that we derive that message from the gospels that we ask ourselves whats important today when thats money and we focus on particular aspects of the story thats most like those that we look for the themes that are important for contemporary society of course the death of jesus is central to the passionate like his but we ask why did he die on the cross on his own courts thats what we need to focus on the sort of us why were the people so angry why were the religious leaders against him why did people follow him and what did he want to achieve we have to show all that in our passions like at least thats our intention avoiding that sayang. October 28th. Preparations are underway for the next oberammergau passion play. In a few minutes the names of the 2020 cast will appear on this board. For the past 10 years the direct to christian struggle has wrestled with the difficult question which of the towns residents is most suited to portray jesus well his mother mary who punched this pilot now hes made his choice and its been confirmed by the town council behind closed doors both of those funny thing to give on the key out there in every other theater in the world the director chooses the cast he wants but here its not so simple that every resident born in. Or is lived here for 20 years has the right to a role in the passion play so whether i want to or not i have to cast that if i never start with a number from my 1st production in 1900 i had 1400 adults now we have 190450 children to cuba and i like the fact that the qualification of being born in oberammergau your living here for 20 years says nothing about the person a social standing or religion their gender or their orientation mix lift all the. Debate. This is a crosssection of our village to the stores this. Is a lot of media interest who will put his to act as a chosen one of them has already played the role twice. Frederick myatt remembers the 1st time he was cost them a thought i thought i want to opt in i wasnt expecting it because i was an off the part then suddenly i saw my name on the board and i was gobsmacked it changes your life from one day to the next month and thats he says leaving sean as the man who portrays christ you have a responsibility towards the village and the passion play off as a few of the focus of attention and you have to deal with that it. Must come with to be over again. There are 2 actors for each of the main roles they hold tonight in more than 100. 00 performances. But everybody listed on the board knows that their life will change after months of rehearsing they will perform the passion play for half a year thats hard to reconcile with a normal job whoever plays one of the main roles usually has to take vacation for the length of the run the passion play demands everything of the participants. But its not just the main roles that are announced today christians to kill an assistant director up to look aracoma have also decided whos to play roman soldiers and residents of jerusalem more than 2000 people will take part in the production. For most families its a tradition thats passed down from one generation to the next. Few in that yes the tradition is almost 400 years old everybody has pictures in their home showing grandad as a roman soldier or grandma is Mary Magdalene more your book that. Everybody has some kind of connection with and even people who have just arrived in the village or want to be involved in some way but it could be that basically the seat for 12 months people hardly talk about anything but the passion. For that. Is being given what role is the talk of the town in a few months the socalled hair and beard easy to be proclaimed from then on men may no longer shave will cut their hair unless of course they roman soldiers for me because a song for me personally its a sign that were all getting ready for the passion play. Quite literally growing into the role. Of allah the night. With a population of some 4 and a half 1000 oberammergau nies 100 kilometers south of munich on the Northern Edge of the alps germanys highest peak this suit and king would fit the 2nd spirit. Linda hold a close by no wonder the village is one of the various most popular tourist destinations. Although the passion play is staged only once every 10 years it has a permanent influence on the village. The gospel story is painted on the facades of houses in all its variations. The numerous souvenir shops so carvings of saints apostles and crucifixes. A gram a gal represents a tradition that makes the gospel narrative accessible in many forms. The villages crucifix carvers are as famous as its passion play which has been attracting visitors since the 19th century. Some with them were english and critics as it was free the british the swedish and the danish royals and the austrian houseparents have all been here a little while. Frederic myatt knows hell be tied up here for the next 10 months 5 times a week from mid may until october the residents of oberammergau will rehearse jesuss suffering and death each performance lasts more than 5 hours its a mammoth undertaking device to come from from the 1500000 visitors come from all over the world to see the passion play with and as jesus you are at the center of things the best for you just so you have a responsibility each day that you appear on the stage to perform as well as you possibly can to go to bed early the night before to no other lives and to stay healthy because really after portraying jesus has had a bad day its especially noticeable on those of. God. God. Is a festive atmosphere in oberammergau out today the villages enjoy celebrating and they also like to do so on stage 12 months before the passion play they put on a show depicting the play that led to the village committing itself to a tradition of religious theater. Was the midst of. This. Experience 1633. 00 the black death is ravaging southern germany bringing still more death and destruction in the wake of the 30 years war the village goes into lockdown to stave off the epidemic but a man from a neighboring village already infected with the plague manages to circumvent the watchmen the result is predictable my. The black death carries off Children Women and men. To grave digger played by raucous recall whos also one of the actors portraying jesus in the passion play as his hands for my finally the residents of oberammergau discover a way out of their suffering i want to say because i see more. Than just a concept that my dad other. Once a week god said she gave. Us he said i was sad. I feel that i am. The promised to stage a passion play every 10 years eventually deceit at the plague the village chronicle relates that from the day they took the vow nobody in the village died of the disease look what i like to say this cat. Ive looked over the 20th 20 a chain on this stage its not just actors appearing on the stage of the oberammergau theater but real priests in an Ecumenical Service the village residence for a new devout of 16. So shes 3 as they do before every stage and its a passion play. I get this to live this get the fresh. Fit go back out to. This pass you should be out. Of it in. Israel the jewish christian music my choir must democracy speak is one of the great passion hymns in the trunk i was in obama going on the bells on the set so i think theres a different approach to religion. But often outside of the church the church has the same problems here as in the neighboring villages. That have received life. The oberammergau performs dont view that passion play is a specifically catholic event and have been for decades but when to write to christians to call gave one of the main roles to a muslim because something of a stir. Is kind of. I can also pray in arabic because we muslims also pray in arabic the. Mind of god from my whole family who live as muslims even my relatives in turkey in that my grandmothers and grandfathers and my cousins are all pleased with this age they know very well that its a christian play but they say its great youre doing it. You dont have to be a christian to understand religion or state. When the cost is presented to the media the special interest in the fact that change is good or a muslim will be playing the train teachings use. It is one thing. Ive been asked if its a provocation that a young man from a turkish family is playing judas no its not and casting the roles might only consideration is who i can envision playing who i see in the role how good is. See onstage. With me finish. Theyll devour shed been cattle they will not start to get worked out. That it is. Winter 2019 the 1st rehearsals are cooled theyre held in the town smaller theater the actors familiarize themselves with the new script in small groups playing Judas Genghis crew tries to persuade jesus to lead a rebellion against the roman occupiers this concentrated work on the script and new perspectives menus a spit at the my niggas fight and nothing on my image of jesus has changed a bit after all the changes to the script were changing the performance a bit and also seeing the roles a bit differently so hes also thought to myself its jesus is really more than jesus that is what he was a person who wanted to teach people how to behave towards each other to love one another and even when its hard in the old violence violence is no solution as it divides can and you have to draw the good out of peoples this and not simply hope for the best also people have to stand up and do something themselves and the people dont understand that dimension is for. If theyre stupid. When somebody slaps us in the face were supposed to tolerate it. Here a lot of. These you know theyre. Still cool isnt system the act is imagine how they carry it to thinks and feels this involves dealing with religious issues. If you decide if you are really interested in what were portraying here and that includes an interest in religion then you can be part of it in many of the discussions weve had here of course ive noticed that he brings a different perspective a muslim perspective to the last supper and other things he has a genuine interest in the production truck. If you go to lead them the people will rise and will drive the wretched romans from our land. Do not be afraid of the romans do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul rather be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body love your enemies. And on course no one has missed most of course when you have one of the big roles you have to approach it differently back to a muslim perspective to the last supper and other things he has a genuine interest in the production of. If you go to lead them the people will rise and will try to wretched romans from our land. Do not be afraid of the romans do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul rather be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body love your enemies. And on course not 100 must must of course when you have one of the big roles you have to approach it differently it was possible and i must say i found a completely new understanding through the passion play and by portraying jesus. I think about the themes and jesus message it slightly differently. And i have to say ive developed a new enthusiasm for the theme from i view it as a great gift to be able to think about these issues so intensely otherwise you can perhaps only do this as a student of a. Ology we have the opportunity to think about them intensely every 10 years and ive got to say its. Been a good after years assist specific of i often used to think that jesus is arrogant when he says i am the way but i think he means it differently so i am the way to god in your quest ill show you ill tell you if you do this and be like this the decision of this is tied in which we live would be better and if jesus is often quite pragmatic and straightforward talk matters and he says if somebody is hungry give him something to eat and when somebody is naked even close to scotts and when hes a stranger give them shelter thats very simple with me and thats what makes me think that you are so i jesus is like a compass as a device he knows whats good and whats bad is of you to mention actually everyone knows intuitively whats good and whats bad the uses for in jesus challenges us to follow that inner voice and say do whats good and dont do what the bad just to listen for thats very simple thats consonant. Orientate you are god not in whats better in the world what sort of and whats more just best service in the event of a stiff this event and to stop. Hes a decent boat and i think that churches have sometimes forgotten how to bring this message across. They often focus on whether its right to let divorcees who remarried go to communion and the bishops are suddenly important. But jesus was definitely with the people. They mention how he broke bread with judas people. Nobodys perfect and so you have to be able to forgive and he shared bread with somebody maybe did something wrong by this human. Life i think jesus wouldnt think about it for a 2nd but when it went off thinking theyve been stuck in my skin then marriages can crash sometimes it happens like this inside but when somebody finds a new partner he shouldnt be excluded off of the he also just lost and done a lot of. Then i think is. Going to have. Some. Time to make sure. The moffitt its. On its it was will be this is my 4th production and i remember when i was 25 and directed the passion play for the 1st time the actor playing jesus had to take a lot from me was i was a young rebel so jesus had to be rebellious to get there it was very important to me that jesus was rebellious. But one grows older and suddenly in 2010 i thought its not important to me at all whether hes allowed to take the mic and suddenly i discovered places in the gospels that said i will not cry out and one will not hear my voice in the streets he wasnt somebody who got ahead through a noise and rebelliousness but resolutely and its really interesting that you discover jesus a new every 10 years makes. If thats whats on for the 2020 production the context stubbornly became much more important to me that all the refugees and people on the margins of society are treated with the i discovered the social jesus much more strongly and i thought its crazy that there were similar social issues 2000 years ago the i was a stranger and you didnt give me shelter if i was poor and you didnt give me anything to eat in the day if you look in that direction if you suddenly find that jesus gives very clear answers as to how we treat foreigners and refugees or people on the margins of society we shouldnt treat them as we do its not what jesus intended. Oberammergau out in the group of be so cold even though they havent been the usual heavy snowfalls this year the passion play theater is the largest building in the field each and was constructed in 898 is specially to stage the play some other musical and theatrical performances also take place here but its 1st and foremost the passion play theatre. It is. The full rehearsals are held in freezing temperatures for the 1st time in the history of the passion play each actor is registered Elektra Mcleish attendance at rehearsals is compulsory another reason to check attendance even actors playing minor roles receive some financial compensation. The men under c. S. Tomorrow practice the 1st rehearsals in the passion play theatre to give you a wonderful feeling. Before that of the song to rehearsed in the Little Theatre thats employed at the but here you have the feeling that these people are people youve hardly seen for 10 years in the minds of the. Only the village gathers and stands together on the stage in the future and there are many wonderful people among them soon south of a downtown is met on scene you come to the passion play theatre for the 1st time aged 4 or 6 or 7 then 10 years later youre a teenager and you recognize that its a great experience. The village has a great time putting on this production with an audience of people develop an emotional connection to the passion play the very young kids as a child or as a teenager the softest you know if the the youngest have just as much right to be on stage as the oldest people over 90 and its a great experience for all of them and wonderful times too and its. This year of the shadows by allowing reports of a life threatening virus on march the 11th the World Health Organization to plant code that 19 pandemic could the place to be staged the. With just 3 months to go before the 1st performance unfinished props lie scattered around the world to tour in. The police is this the passion play as part of our d. N. A. We need it as you get that feeling at rehearsals i have it now when i call a rehearsal for 450 kids they come straight away it was for me a lot of ways of going to form little groups run around and shout big ones that i bail out or shout softly sabriel sheet then goats pick up a racquet partners with a lot of the. That was thats the orchestra pit watch out. You get this week i always say thats why the passion play has survived so long because its our biggest social event. Everyone meets up from every section of Society Women men children and teenagers old and young or if you do it simply our. Biggest social event and everybody wants to take part is. That i. Was. 8 outside this. Is a hands on to right now. For all the after the august no longer spoke candidly it was the box dr who had was right there right. There happy to have it shocked out i dont think the trunk up off of. Much 92028. 00 flags at the entrance to advertise the great event but a shadow whos fooled them on the production this year the Village Council which even embellish its kind of bombs with the passion play as cool to press conferences the play has to be cancelled the truly rich off over time ago has of course become economically dependent on the passion play and this will probably hit lots of people hard. What weve seen very clearly at rehearsals during the past few weeks is that the residents of oberammergau are totally committed to their passion play and everybody sorry it wont take place now evolving from the moment at that moment i felt almost relieved but the actors were also standing around the square other people who i knew were crushed by the decision they take an unpaid vacation or dropped out of university for a term used to. Get me for her almost every evening for months on end. All of them did the month it looked as if i was a it was like a bubble burst a little bit and i also feel deflated to. Be able to even talk apple plotzed. Off the upside when they cancelled the play lots of people were depressed so was i that it was like somebody pulling the rug out from under your feet all my plans for next year were turned upside down. It was decided yesterday evening that we wont cancel the passion play so its postponed until may 21st 2022 for people. Its i want to call that the threat of a pandemic whats made oberammergau famous for 400. 00 g. Is has now temporarily closed the village. The portrayal of christ suffering and death which the residents of oberammergau vowed to perform when their village was struck by the plague in 1633 famously ends with christs resurrection that message of hope is part of our program a gas legacy this time the actors will just have to wait another 2 years to proclaim it that this thought certainly christiane said everyone will play the same parts will all come together in 2 years lets hope in good health you know im already looking forward to it. Movies life was saved by the socalled enemy hes a palestinian from the gaza strip hospital in israel provided crucial medical treatment. During her is not a realistic option sarah hes been living for years in the hospital with his grandfathers. Across the border. 15 minutes on d w. Nor did it what do they dream of at night. As cleaners they see the face of horror. Their job since room for the social media industry. In manila there are thousands of socalled content monitors day for day they scrub terrifying images from a long line platforms kahrizak job for starvation wage. The streaming is enormous. Ok. I need to stop there something was up in. The cleaners social media shadow industry and starts to mates on g. W. Television is for me. Is for. Beethoven is for him beethoven is for her. And beethoven is for. Beethoven is for everyone. Beethoven 2020 plus the 50th anniversary here on d w. Like. My gorgeous home was. Food for the russian soul. To run steve. So many different books of life. Songs are. On. The come straight from the heart. Of the russian and turning from birth to death starts june 18th on the w. This is the news live from berlin large crowds take to the streets for another day of demonstrations over the death of george floyd tens of thousands gathered in washington d. C. And dozens of other u. S. Cities to protest systemic racism and police brutality. Those protests have spread across the world here in germany another massive showing as demonstrators knelt and sold