Weapons

In Weapons , we follow Raya and Iris. A young couple, pregnant with their first child. They do the math that many young couples do: one of them has to work more. Raya earns more, especially when she gets promoted in a boisterously growing industry: the defense industry. Iris, an elementary school teacher, believes in building, not fighting. But, they explain on birthdays: Raya works for a good cause. She lobbies for Dutch arms contracts and sees weapons as a necessary means of af peace, if they are in the right hands.

As Raya becomes absorbed in her work, she joins larger meetings, gains more responsibility and notices how her moral language is used to sell questionable deals. At home, discomfort grows. Iris sees her partner change, feels left out. What began as a shared choice becomes a divisive issue.

Based on current journalistic research, the performance sheds light on a hidden world: the Dutch arms industry. We show the mechanisms of political influence and economic justification, but also how language, ideals and loyalties can shift. How love tries to hold its ground between spreadsheets and moral noise.

• Excluding consumption