A vow to god to commemorate his goodness in this way when the plane the black death threaten their village with extinction 400 years ago as i type this person one spear the passion play lives from the fact that we have a message as many people 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 what are those that we look for the themes that are important for contemporary society of course the death of jesus is central to the passion of like us but we ask why did he die on the cross on his own courts thats what we need to focus on both 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. Oktober 2018. Preparations are underway for the next oberon macau passion play. In a few minutes the names of the 2020 cost whoopie 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 put trade jesus or his mother mary punches pilot now hes made his choice and its been confirmed by the town council behind closed doors both of those funny thing big given on that 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 around the gulf or is lived here for 20 years has the right to a role in the passion play it was so whether i want to or not i have to cast that if i never start with a number for my 1st production in 190 i have 1400 adults now we have 1100 elts and 450 children to cuba and i like the fact that the qualification of being born in the overall market you are living here for 20 years says nothing about the personal social standing or religions of their gender or their orientation mix this latest. Debate. This is a crosssection of our Village Stores this. Is a lot of media interest who will try jesus to act as a chosen one of them has already played different twice. Frederick myatt remembers the 1st time he was cost. Then i thought i want to up the i wasnt expecting it because i was an all of the part and 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. There are 2 actors for each of the main roles they alternate 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 to have a place 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 who used 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 young we all need fossil fuel in that yes that tradition is almost 400 years old everybody has pictures in their home showing grandad as a roman soldier or grandma is Mary Magdalene or your book the leave it 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 of the for 12 months people hardly talk about anything but the passion of the couple because youll get peoples personal crystal for that. That thats. His being. What role is the talk of the town in a few months the socalled hair and beard to be proclaimed from then on men may no longer shave or cut their hair less of course theyre roman soldiers for me here in the heres a song for me personally its a sign that were all getting ready for the passion play. Quite literally growing into the role it is but hurtle here and there a volley united. With a population of some 4 and a half 1000 oberammergau lies 100 kilometers south of munich on the Northern Edge of the alps germanys highest peak this pizza and king movie the 2nd sperry chow palace linda holds 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 myriad asians. The numerous souvenir shops so carvings of saints apostles and crucifixes. Oberon mcdowell 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. Film with them were illusion good excels it was free the british the swedish and the danish royals and the austrian hausberg been here a little. Frederick 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 devised to come from for the 1500. 00. 1000 visitors come from all over the world to see the passion play at the end is jesus you are at the center of things and thats where 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 know other lives and to stay healthy because really after portraying jesus has had a bad day its especially noticeable on those of. His a festive atmosphere in oberon macau 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. Well the midst of. This. Experience 1630. 00 straight 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 rufus ripple whos also one of the actors portraying jesus in the passion play as his hands for my finally the residents of over a macau discover a way out of their suffering i want to say i guess id say. Thats a concept that i have to cut. Other. Once it becomes that serious shit. Youre missing. Oh man thats sad sad sad sad. Actually that was sharon. The promise to stage a passion play every 10 years eventually defeated the plague the village chronicle relates that from the day they took the vow nobody in the village died of the disease well. I decide this here because carol. Ive. Looked over the 20th 20 a chain on this stage its not just actors appearing on the stage at the oberammergau theater but real priests in an Ecumenical Service the village residence for a new devout. 1633 as they do before every stage of the passion play. I get this this i think it might be fresh. Fit to knock out. This past year should be out. Of. Israel a jewish christian music my choir must among speak is one of the great passion hymns in the trunk in the bom im going on the outside on the sets and 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 in the. Us i have received life. Well sorry. But im a couple films dont view that passion play is a specifically catholic event and have been for decades that went to right to christian gave one of the main roles to a muslim because something of a stir. I can also pray in arabic because we muslims also pray in their attic. When it comes to my whole family who live as muslims even my relatives in turkey about in the my grandmothers and grandfathers and my cousins are all pleased you know 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. Where. The cost is presented to the media this special interest in the fact that change is good or a muslim will be playing a train she changes. It is one thing all this is for 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 my only consideration is who i can envision playing better who i see in the role. How good to see on stage. That. Theyll devour sheep and cattle they will not start to get worked out in. Winter 2019 the 1st rehearsals of cold they 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 opens up new perspectives. When you suspect that the money gets for another and i think 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 thats what jesus is really more than jesus and that is why he was a person who wanted to teach people how to behave towards each other to love one another even when its hard. Its 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 souls and people have to stand up and do something themselves and the people dont understand that dimension is touched on if theyre stupid. When somebody slaps us in the face were supposed to tolerate it. Here a lot. 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. At the base if you do so if you arent really interested in what were pretraining here and that includes an interest in religion then you cant 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 it to the last supper and other things he has a genuine interest in the production truck with. If you go to lead them the people will rise and will drive the wretched romans from our land. If you 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 it was possible and i must say i found a completely new understanding through the passion play and by portraying jesus team in order. I think about the themes and she says this message it slightly differently. I have to say i developed a new enthusiasm for the themes from the heart i view it as a great gift to be able to think about these issues so intensely insincere the myth otherwise you can perhaps only do this as a student of the ology we have the opportunity to think about them intensely every 10 years and ive got to say its. Been a good after years assistance if i thought of all times i often used to think that jesus is arrogant when he says i am the way but i think he means it differently i am the way to god and yet thats to show you ill tell you if you do this and be like the decision of this is side in which we live would be better and jesus is often quite pragmatic and straightforward talk not theirs and he says if somebody is hungry give him something to eat and when somebody is naked give him clothes thats gods and when hes a stranger give them shelter thats very simple with me and thats what makes me think of 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 uses for in jesus challenges us to follow that inner voice and say do whats good and dont do what the bad. Thats very simple thats consonant. Orientate you on 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 hes a poacher 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 he broke bread with judas people. Nobodys perfect so you have to be able to forgive and he shared bread with somebody maybe did something wrong with human. Life i think jesus wouldnt think about it for a 2nd and 6 when it went off thinking. Its like in my skin then marriages can crash and sometimes it happens like this inside so but when somebody finds a new partner he shouldnt be excluded off of the he also got a lot of. Then if you think. That this is going to have. Some. Time to make if you. Democracy its. On its it was loopy 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 it was i was a young rebel so jesus had to be rebellious too 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 loud. 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. And if thats whats on for the 2020 production the context only became much more important to me thats how refugees and people on the margins of society are treated. I discovered the social g. s this much more strongly and i thought its crazy that there were similar social issues 2000 years ago that we have i was a stranger and you didnt give me shelter if i was poor and you didnt give me anything to eat in that they mean 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. In the group of bishop called even though there havent been the usual heavy snowfalls this year the passion play theatre is the largest building in the field 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 received some financial compensation. The men under c. S. To my practice the 1st rehearsals in the passion play theatre to give you a wonderful feeling. Before that song too 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 this. Suddenly the village gathers and stands together on the stage in the future and there are many wonderful people among them soon south of our. Scene you come to the passion play theatre for the 1st time aged 4 or 6 or 7 before then 10 years later youre a teenager and you recognize that its a great experience inside 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 thats the office you know 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 keep it closed that 900 pandemic could the place still be stashed the. With just 3 months to go before the 1st performance unfinished props lie scattered around the wooden torreon. A Police Suspect the passion play is part of our d. N. A. We need is as you get that feeling at rehearsals i have it now when i call a rehearsal for 450 kids they come straight away for bottom isnt going to form little groups run around and shout big about out or shout stop it probably all sheep and goats kick up a racket partner to get out of the thats the orchestra pit watch out its over with this week i always say thats why the passion play has survived so long because its our biggest social event. Everyone needs out from every section of Society Women men children and teenagers old and young or if you do it simply out. The biggest social event and everybody wants to take part with. One that. Was. The ill start this. Is a hands on direct to help. For all the effort of the of august the august both have the fox dr who have not have bragging rights. Advocates have to chalk out i dont think they talked about of. Much 92028. Flags at the entrance to advertise the great event but a shadow whose forum on production this year the Village Council would even embellish its current yvonnes 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. Be on you for hearst almost every evening for months on end. All of them get the money that this was a it was like a bubble burst a little bit with and i also feel deflated and. So stupid you dont even talk apple plotzed. Enough to upset when they canceled the play lots of people were depressed so was i it was like somebody flew in the rug out from under your feet all my plans for next year were turned upside down if not all of it was decided yesterday evening that we wont cancel the passion play so its postponed until may 21st 2022 for a few. 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 the gas legacy this time the actors will just have to wait another 2 years to proclaim it. Starts or move christiane said everyone will play the same parts will all come together in 2 years lets hope its in good health you know im already looking forward to it. It controls our body could it soon operate our computers to. The brain the most fascinating the organ in the human body. Why remembering is hard work how software can read our thoughts and how the chaos in the brain can translate into creating the journey through the cosmos above our heads tomorrow to dictate. 30 minutes on d w. Grab a puddle and off you go. Pick up the call through excessive venturous journey alone germanys love river im still writing about what awaits me on that trip the river the lamp a hell of a challenge it allentown or along the way i am planning my monitor the head to move by look all the way to town called chicken. In 60 minutes. In the. Can to conquer the major issues of our society. Sees no founders nellie. Could host its modern day heroes in. Inspirational people who take on the challenges of the world with their unique ideas. The postman would face off for an early on mind you look at those 2 problems and make them one solution the new season of sounders valley. Starts june 13th on t. W. Like. My god says love. Russia is so. Steep. For so many different walks of life. Some are. Awfully trying. To come straight from. The ocean into maternity to death church to maintain g. W. This is the w. News live from the way the fancy racism protests reaches brazil protests against Racial Injustice in several cities but people also protested the policies of far right president. Someone else in our supporters rallied in rio calling for more policy for that present. Elsewhere in the world lobster trials take to the streets for another day of demonstrations over the death of george foley protesters gathered outside the u. S. Embassy in london and are calling for an end to racism and police for