Apolena Vanišová a Hedvika Řezáčová

Punctum / Czech / 40 min

A theatre play for children and their adults inspired by the book Plasticus maritimus.

When Ana was a little girl, she lived with her parents right by the beach, which she referred to as "my beach." A group of stone slabs allowed for a formation of tidal pools, which at low tide served as a refuge for various animals and plants. At high tide Ana enjoyed swimming and diving, at low tide she explored the life in ponds and got absorbed in her thoughts. Over time she noticed that plastic gets washed off on her beach more and more often. She decided to collect it and name it as a species. Later she studied marine biology and fisheries, and even as an adult, her curiosity and interest in the sea never left her.
A Beachcleaner is a person who cleans beaches. A Beachcomber is a person who not only collects trash on the beach, but is also interested in its origin and history. We don't have many beaches, but even on the few in Prague we always find a lot, all kinds of pebbles, shells and bleached bones, but also garbage – ground up pieces of coloured plastics, fishing glitter, corks, buttons. It doesn't matter that we don't have the sea, we all are familiar with the joy of collecting. The objects we find are interesting for their uniqueness, the story they reveal. They can tell us something new, both about ourselves and about the world in which we live. And so even the trash we find can turn out a treasure.
Leaning on railing in the port of Holešovice, we look into the water thinking that if there is a problem that worries us, it makes sense to start looking for a solution and believe in what we are doing. It doesn't matter how old we are, what we enjoy, or that we may feel a little lonely at first. Even one person can bring about a big change.

Author: Isabel Minhós Martins, Ana Pêgo, Hedvika Řezáčová, Apolena Vanišová
Translation: Nikola Skulinová
Concept and Direction: Apolena Vanišová
Music and Sound design: Petr Zábrodský
Performers: Hedvika Řezáčová

Photo by: Johana Střížková

Supported by: Capital City of Prague, Ministry of Culture Czech Republic, State Fund of Culture Czech Republic
The book Plasticus maritimus was published in Portuguese for the first time and this production was made with the permission of the Editor of Planeta Tangerina, Portugal. All rights reserved.

Text © Ana Pêgo and Isabel Minhós Martins
Illustrations © Bernardo P. Carvalho
An English translation of the book will be published in 2020 by jakost.