Mohamed El Khatib

Eight elder men and women share their stories of love and sex, from their first stirrings to the reinvention of love in later life. French-Moroccan artist Mohamed El Khatib, a leading voice in the new style of documentary theater, fuses autobiography, social themes and creative fiction into a live experience that blurs the lines of our own journey and the stories we tell about others. Based on a hundred interviews conducted with volunteers between the ages of 75 to 102 shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, El Khatib’s newest stage show La Vie Secrète des Vieux examines the taboo of sexuality among seniors, exalting in the vibrancy and fire contained in newly fragile bodies. How do older people kindle passion and make love? Hear the answer directly from participants of the project as a group of eight elders contemplate their past relationships and current desires. With tenderness and lucidity, El Khatib and his cast question the marginalization and suppression of those bearing a love not yet ready to die. Photo Credit: Christophe Raynaud