Sons of the Dictatorships – Contemporary dance about Latin American dictatorships
"We are poor, not by choice, but because they have stolen everything – our blood, our breath, our books, our health. Our governments are corrupt, as is our police force, and we are ruled by dictatorships that everyone says have disappeared. We are a people who have been silenced, but with the will to scream and tell our history."
The dance performance Sons of the Dictatorships offers a raw testimony about life under authoritarian regimes in Latin America. It is based on the true stories of people who grew up in an environment of corruption, violence, and fear – but also of an unbreakable desire for justice. The project is a co-production of the Memory of Nations Theatre and the Embassy of the Republic of Chile. The premiere will take place on October 5, 2025 at 19:30 in Theatre X10, with reprises on October 26 at 19:30 and November 1, 2025 at 17:00 at the same venue.
The authors of the project are dancers and choreographers Lukas Lizama and Barbára Hernández, who explore the theme of resistance against oppression through the power of the body and movement. The young generation of artists has processed the tragic events that society has gone through in many Latin American countries. Their dance is dedicated to corporate bosses, corrupt politicians, and murderers in suits – those who watch in silence while others suffer. The work-in-progress version of the production was successfully staged in several cities in Italy in 2022, and now a full production version has been created in co-production with the Memory of Nations Theatre.
Although rooted in the Latin American context, the message of the performance is universal and powerfully echoes the experience of Central Europe. Sons of the Dictatorships remind us that authoritarianism has not disappeared – it has merely changed its face.
The project was created thanks to the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Chile through the Program for Cultural Activities Abroad (PACE) 2025, of the Direction of Cultures, Arts, Patrimony and Public Diplomacy (DIRAC), from the State Cultural Fund and the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic. Thank you to Moneyshot for their technical support.
