Catarina, or
The Beauty of Killing Fascists

A Portuguese family has an unusual tradition: every year on 19 May, the anniversary of the murder of the farm worker Catarina Eufémia by henchmen of the dictatorship, a fascist is killed. It begins as a cheerful family celebration and ends with the shooting of a delinquent in the garden. It appears to be a case of justice being served. But this summer, there is unrest in the family. The youngest daughter questions what has been celebrated for three generations. Not only does she, as a vegan, refuse to eat the festive meal (pig's trotters prepared according to a family recipe), she also doubts whether violence can ever be a legitimate means of defending freedom and democracy.

Portuguese author, actor and director Tiago Rodrigues has been director of the Festival d'Avignon since 2023 and has received international acclaim for his play Catarina e a beleza de matar fascistas. Slovenian director Mateja Koležnik, whose Bochum production Kinder der Sonne (Children of the Sun) was invited to the Theatertreffen in 2023, is now staging this play, full of moral pitfalls, for the first time in German.