Monty

How often do you play a role just to belong? For a job, a home, a relationship? In The Original, Sîpan peels back the layers one by one, searching for what remains when you stop performing yourself. A kaleidoscopic performance filled with mirrors, video cameras and a murder mystery.

The Original draws you into a world where nothing is quite what it seems, while posing a question that lingers: do you really know yourself?

Sîpan delves into his Kurdish family history, shaped by hidden identities, culture, language and a sense of self distorted along the way. At the same time, it is the story of an immigrant artist in the Netherlands, who finds himself having to prove his worth and right to belong, again and again. For a job, a home, a status, a relationship.

Perhaps this isn’t just Sîpan’s story, but something we all recognise. After all, who doesn’t constantly try to live up to someone else’s expectations? The Original is about that pressure, and about the longing to briefly connect with something real. Relatable, surprising, and likely to stay with you long after.