Über Alles

In “Über Alles” a group of diverse performers explore the history and the stories, iconographic and sociological elements of modern nationalism in relation to Portugal, reflecting on the role that these symbols have in the formation of the mythology of a nation and in the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion associated to this process.

In the exploration and analysis of national imaginaries, symbolic, linguistic and narrative elements are of great relevance: they infiltrate public discourses about the nation, shape identities and grant legitimacy to regimes. It is in this context that we proposes to investigate some of the most popular national symbols and explore the banal and universal nature of modern nationalism that infiltrates our daily life under the guise of small symbols and linguistic habits that define the idea of “us”.

Who are the “heróis do mar” (“heroes of the sea”) that will “levantar hoje de novo o esplendor de Portugal” (raise again Portugal ‘s splendour)? (excerpt from the Portuguese national anthem). Must the generations that enslaved entire nations continue representing what it is to be Portuguese? Who truly belongs to this “nobre povo” (“noble people'')?