First Man

What if your child asks if their family will be expelled from the country? What if you're aware that not only you, but also the next generation has to question: do I truly belong here? Theater maker and master storyteller Sadettin Kırmızıyüz launches his new series 'A Kind of Dutch' with FIRST MAN, a personal and compelling solo performance about how identity transcends from generation to generation. With humor, vulnerability, and sharp societal observations, he explores how the traumas and dreams of one generation influence the next, and whether having a migration background ever ceases to be an obstacle. On the day following the 2023 parliamentary elections, Sadettin stands in the kitchen with his ten-year-old son. Following the PVV's election victory, he fears that his grandparents will be expelled from the country for being Muslim. Despite his own worries, Sadettin reassures his teenage son: "We belong here, even if we have a surname that doesn’t sound Dutch. Even if we come from a Muslim family. Whatever happens, we stay here." That night, his mixed-heritage son goes to bed comforted. Sadettin, the parent, lies awake all night long. How did we come to this point? After years of Sadettin personally facing xenophobia and discrimination, his ten-year-old son is now facing the same issues? In the Kırmızıyüz family, multiple languages are spoken. Christmas, Ramadan, Easter, Eid, and Sinterklaas are celebrated by everyone. When politicians talk about an integration problem for people with a migration background, Sadettin does not feel addressed. They are doing well, aren’t they? Or does his son also need to exert extra effort because his grandfather migrated years ago? About Sadettin Kırmızıyüz Sadettin Kırmızıyüz (Zutphen, 1982) is an actor and theater maker. Since 2010, as the artistic leader of SADETTIN K, he has been creating productions that are strongly autobiographical and documentary in nature. Performances in which identity, politics, and history play a role and where personal and universal themes intertwine, such as Somedaymyprincewill.com, The Radicalization of Sadettin K, Citizen K, Monumental, and Return of the King. Sadettin is also seen in TV series like Dag en Nacht, Koningshuis de Musical, and Mocro Maffia, and the documentary "Home with the K Family" was made about him and his family by Uur van de Wolf.