BOOK
Café des Réformances
By Afshin Ghaffarian-Baptiste Pizzinat
preface from Alain Platel
(only in French for now )
Afshin Ghaffarian was born in Mashhad (Iran) in 1986,
Afshin Ghaffarian begins his career in 1999 at « Kanoun-e-Honâr-e-Saba». Then he continues his studies in Cinema at «Soûreh high school» in Mashhad. In 2004 he pursued his studies in Theatre at the Islamic Azad University of Tehran «Honâr va Mêmari» where he got his bachelor in 2008.
As a theatre student and thanks to videos on Internet he explored the world of contemporary dance and choreographers such as Pina Bausch and Sasha Waltz .
His study on Jerzy Grotowski’s theater and his approach to the cinema feed his art. From the underground presentation of Medea in the middle of a desert in 2007 to his current presence on the French contemporary stages, he forms his own artistic research on the political and poetical body, this body which is at the heart of his protest feeds his choreographic adventure.
Afshin left his country to present «Strange But True» in a festival in Germany in 2009 , first stage of a journey which led him to France where he lives now.
Afshin Ghaffarian was in research residency at the “Centre National de la Danse” for the 2010-2011 season.
For his first creation in France called Le Cri Perçant. (The Shout), Afshin Ghaffarian worked with a dramatist and a stage designer. He created the “Reformances Company” so as to continue his artistic adventure.
From 2010 to 2012 he created and performed several performances for festivals (Festival Passage de Témoins à Caen, Festival Extra 10 à Annecy, Festival Artdanthé à Paris, Festival Imaginez Maintenant à Paris, Festival Les temps d’arts à Lyon, Festival Jerk Off à Paris, Manifestations Utopiques Ephémères de Saint Denis, Festival Iranian Arts NOW).
In 2011 Thomas Lebrun (french choreographer and director of Centre Chorégraphique National de Tours) created for him a solo choreography called « Eh bien je m’en irai loin » ( And so I will go far away).
He also studied under direction of «Eugenio Barba» and « Meredith Monk» in Paris.
In 2013 he created his new creation called « Too Loud A Solitude » with the Réformances Company and he co-writed and published a book named “Café des Réformances” with Baptiste Pizzinat.
In 2014, Afshin renounced his refugee status in France and he decided to go to Iran, a travel which put an end to his five years of exile but he is still living n Paris.
He studied Political science in Sorbonne University in Paris for one year.
In 2016, he participated as an actor in a theatre project in Iran.
By Afshin Ghaffarian-Baptiste Pizzinat
preface from Alain Platel
(only in French for now )
With
P E O P L E F O L I O
From desert dancer to Reformancer…