The Map and the Territory

For the first time in Estonia, the play adapted from Michel Houellebecq’s novel : “the Map and the Territory”, is on at the Estonian Draamateater. Sound designer Hendrik Kaljujärv created the specific sound effects. For this project, he recorded live sounds, in Paris last summer, supported by the French Institute artist-in-residence program.

Directed by Juhan Ulfsak, the play « the Map and the Territory » is not only based on the novel by French writer Michel Houellebecq, but also on the author’s other books, interviews and declarations’s tone.

The novel tells the story of Jed’s life, a successful fictional French artist. He lives in an artistic environment, where most time is spent visiting galleries and producing art.  Jed falls for beautiful Olga. They speak endlessly of Art, Beauty and the World in general. Together they also face the issue of aging. Jed’s routine is only interrupted by his visits to his ageing dad, and their time spent watching sport together. A brutal murder changes their peaceful lives.

“The Map and the Territory” takes place in France, one cradle of democracy and Human rights. Their declining hedonistic life-style, drinking good wine and endless conversations at a café-terrace, belongs to the past. Anything that could have happened already did.

Michel Houellebecq is one of the darkest authors of our time. His words cut deep through our contemporary world and its typical middle-aged white man. Houellebecq is tirelessly engaged in “man” as a theme.

Some have called him the biggest hooligan of modern literature, a cynic and a pessimist. But others say that Houellebecq may be the biggest humanist of our time, someone who has something very important to say. Houellebecq, himself, finishes his novel with the words: “As the last members of this species are extinguished, we think it just to render this last tribute to humanity, a homage which itself will one day disappear, buried beneath the sands of time. It is necessary that this tribute be made, if only once.”

The novel “The Map and the Territory” won the highest French literary honour, the Prix Goncourt in 2010.

Actor and director Juhan Ulfsak is one of catalysts of Von Krahl Theatre. During the last few years, he has worked as an actor and director in various theatres in Estonia, Finland, Germany and elsewhere. His last play, “The Case of the Lost Friend” premiered at Theatre NO99.

The Premiere took place last November, in the main Theater hall.

The play is in Estonian.