Iraqi director Mokhallad Rasem has become the first from the Middle East to win the ‘Young Directors Project,’ an annual competition as part of the Salzburg Festival in Austria.

The competition, created by Montblanc together with Jürgen Flimm, a former director of drama of the Salzburg Festival, aims to promote and celebrate young, emerging theatre directors from around the world.  

Each year, four young directors are shortlisted to participate at the summer festival with an expert jury honouring the most convincing performance, innovative idea or unconventional approach to the questions of modern society.

The winner receives €10,000 ($13,292) in prize money and a Montblanc Limited Edition Mozart Fountain Pen, designed exclusively for the award and only available during the festival.

Rasem’s compelling interpretation of the tragedy Romeo and Juliet earned the judges’ final vote, said a statement.

Presenting three pairs of lovers from three different generations, and including love poems from both European and Arabic traditions, Rasem demonstrated the universal theme of suppressed love that transcends cultures and ages, it said.

Romeo and Juliet, performed in Dutch with German sub-titles, marked his debut with the Toneelhuis company and features leading Belgium actors.  

Maxime Harrar, managing director of Montblanc UAE, said:  “We are delighted that a young director from the region has been recognised in a global competition, and that Montblanc has played a role in spotlighting Mokhallad’s talent.  His creativity and ability to weave different cultural influences into a universally recognised story is remarkable, and we extend our heartiest congratulations to him.” - TradeArabia News Service