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Sasha Filipenko. How we miss the elephant: fear, love and collective blindness 26 May 2025

Who is Sasha Filipenko?

A Belarusian writer whose books have been translated into dozens of languages and published all over the world.
He is the author of the novels "Kremator" (recognized as the Best European Novel of 2023), "Red Cross", "Former Son".
His works have been staged at the Gogol Center and other leading theaters around the world. The sensational play "Crematorium" based on Filipenko's book was successfully staged in Europe and beyond.
He has spoken in the European Parliament, openly criticizes the regimes of Belarus and Russia.
Worked as the author of "Prozektorparyshilton", as well as the host of the programs "Vecherniy Gerasimets", "Driving Home!" ("Dozhd") and "On Three" (RTVI).

What will the discussion be about?

Why do we choose comfort over truth - and fail to notice the obvious?
Can love win? Or are we increasingly abandoning it for comfort?
How does literature become an act of resistance - and can culture change the course of history?
Why has everyone read Solzhenitsyn but failed to draw conclusions?
Why are "simple answers" winning all over the world - and are we once again missing the elephant?
How do language, fear and culture shape our perceptions - and our choices?

What is hidden between the lines of the novel Elephant?

How is the text organized: structure, crossword puzzle, shifting perspectives, genre substitution.
What political and cultural references are hidden in each scene.
Why it is read in different countries as an anti-war, anti-dictatorship, or love novel.
Who became the prototype of the characters, where the final scene comes from and which episodes proved to be the most difficult for the author.

Why is it worth coming?

This is not just a book presentation, but an honest, intellectual and lively conversation about our time.
Interactive format: questions from the audience, behind the scenes, discussion.
The opportunity to ask questions that will not be answered in the interview.
Drawing of the book "Elephant" among those who came.
The opportunity to buy the book and get an autograph.

Filipenko's speeches are always more than a presentation: they are standup writing, political statement and intellectual adventure in one.

Don't miss the opportunity to be among the first to hear readings from the new novel, to chat with the author and to sign his book!

Locations

May 2025 (1 event)

May

Mon, 19:00

Berlin

Das Werkhaus

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