The Other

SYNOPSIS


Lisbon Cathedral, Easter Sunday 1506. Thousands of New Christians (converted Jews and Arabs) fall victim to a frightened mob in a single day. Based on historical events, The Other tells the story of three decent, passionate people—a Catholic Frisian sailor, a Jewish money lender from Spain and a young Muslim woman from Egypt. And yet, in a cave below the Cathedral, they discover that identity is just a shadow, a distorted image projected on the walls of their fears. In the light of day, they turn out to have committed terrible crimes. 

The birth of The Other 
In 2017, Corina van Eijk and Jonathan Levi began discussing creating a new opera to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. After a long discussion of themes, they chose the Lisbon Massacre of Easter 1506, in which famine, plague, superstition and prejudice against the Other, led to the massacre of 8,000 former Jews and Muslims. The story gave them the opportunity to have a historical event shine light on the continuing intolerance that brought about the War and continues in a Europe that is struggling with an influx of refugees. With the unexpected arrival in Europe of a new plague, the Covid-19 virus, van Eijk decided to make The Other as an opera film, which premiered on the internet on October 18, 2020.