COCK, COCK...WHO'S THERE? Joins Start to Finnish showcase

Cock, Cock... Who's There? is a confrontational, funny and touching documentary-performance dealing with issues around gender relations. Samira Elagoz uses her research project from across three continents to narrate her personal journey of regaining power and attempts to relate to men after being raped. Through online platforms such as Chatroulette and Tinder to personal encounters, Samira explores desire, the power of femininity and the male gaze in a world in which the virtual and the real are inextricably intertwined.

Cock, Cock... Who's There? has been an international hit, touring in cities including Amsterdam, Mexico City, Paris, Helsinki, Santarcangelo, Munich, Zurich, Copenhagen, Vienna, Oslo, Riga, Rotterdam, Brussels and Ljubljana to wide critical acclaim. It won the prestigious Prix Jardin d'Europe competition for the best young performance maker in 2017 in Vienna.

Samira Elagoz said, "I wanted to make a piece about rape that would unburden the audience of the discomfort of seeing me as a victim, in favour of promoting a frank discussion about the actual topic. And on the other hand, a piece about rape that doesn't attack men, or vilify them, so that the piece could be accessible for them too. So it was more about the often laughable woman/man gender roles, the almost compulsory ways we tend to interact."

"I've found film has the ability to show genuine stages of my life. Rather than it being a mere re-enactment or dramatisation, film grants the ability to authentically show progression and change. Especially when combined with my stage presence. And when it comes to filming men, I think those reactions, no matter how subtle, are way more telling and informative about gender relations than asking actors to portray them. I show the audience real people in search of attention, validation or some form of intimacy, not a caricature nor representation."

Samira Elagoz is a Finnish/Egyptian artist currently based in Amsterdam. She graduated as a choreography BA from the Amsterdam University of the Arts in 2016. Her works addresses subjects like conventional perceptions of "man meets woman", sexual violence, the manipulative power of the camera, loneliness in digital age and performativity of real life events.

In 2014 Elagoz won the visual art competition Blooom Award in Cologne with her first short "Four Kings". Her documentary-performance Cock, Cock... Who's There? won the prestigious Prix Jardin d'Europe, and was also nominated for the BNG Bank Nieuwe Theatermakersprijs, competition for most promising young theater maker in Holland. Her first feature film Craigslist Allstars had it's premiere at IDFA, world's biggest festival for documentary, in 2016. The German magazine Tanz titled her as one of the most promising talents of 2017.

From Start to Finnish is an annual showcase presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe that represents the best in Finnish performing arts. Now in its eighth year, From Start to Finnish 2018 will also feature The Sauna, and All the Lights Are On at Summerhall, The Artist at Assembly Roxy and Wiredo at C South. This is the Title at Dance Base. From Start to Finnish productions have received critical acclaim in Edinburgh and gone on to tour China, America and several countries in Europe.

starttofinnish.fi

Running Time: 65 minutes | Suitable for ages 16+

Company Information

Directed, written, and performed by Samira Elagoz

www.summerhall.co.uk

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