NEOM

LOCATION

Altair’s suicide – new experience.

NEOM, it’s a big deal on our team.
It’s been a subject of conflict – and it’s going to be again, since I’ve just gotten back in touch with them a little bit. From a distance, but now I’m over the hump.

Neom, this is a city that does not exist.
Given the size of it, it’s a complete region that should have several cities.
So far so good.
Neom, it’s a whole world of the future that should come out of the ground.
Until then, everything is going very very well.
Especially since Altair wants to be the first model of theatre of the future, entertainment of the future and all and everything.
In the end, it’s too good to be true: a city of the future, a theatre of the future, it’s all right, it’s settled, you’re made to go together.

And then… as all the French say, you mustn’t dream. It was too beautiful.

Neom will be located in Saudi Arabia.
This city is the realization of the will of the very famous Prince of Saudi Arabia : Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud – you know, the one who scares everybody: people of his own family, journalists, everybody.

I’ve known Neom’s envy for quite a long time.
I found this idea absolutely brilliant. And since I am nobody and I don’t care about politics at all, I am not afraid of the Prince – who doesn’t know me and probably never will.
So, when we started inventing Altair during the summer of 2018, obviously I had thought of proposing the project for Neom.

Big clash between us: Neom is not possible, because of the too radical side of Muslims – and no artist will want to come and gna gna gna patati, patata.
And what about women? Have you thought about women, Barbara? You’re going to have to marry anyone to be able to work there (well, the objection worked on that point) – in the end, their answer was : No.
But I wasn’t too convinced.

And then there was the politics: from the information I had in France, Neom seemed dead and buried – so I forgot about this fight.

But… how can I say that?
I never really forgot.
Not long ago, I’ve been hearing that Neom’s been leaving again.
So I went for a little peek.
And this morning, I snapped.

Yes, I put my full name and Altair in the long list of people who are interested in Neom and have something to propose.

Yes, if I can drag Altair into this, obviously I’m going to try.

Okay. Normally, if Neom contacts me back, I lose all my “old” French. That’s silly, because they’re the most experienced. I’m not talking about Altair’s suicide to make a nice headline. Yes, from a reasonable point of view, choosing Neom is a bit of a suicide on my part.
I would keep them in -off – but still, all my seniors in the performing arts, they know the job and the pitfalls very well.
But I know myself: if I can do it, I’ll go. Because I’m interested in it – because it amuses me – because I don’t care what “people think” “people say” to such an extent that it’s hard to imagine.

And then the prince said that the laws of Saudi Arabia would not apply in the region dedicated to Neom. So I trust him. He will – he’s a smart man.

I’ll try to go further.
I don’t know how that’s gonna play out.
But I’m going to try it – I’m going to close the hatches, I’m not listening to any more advice, no more warnings, no more “do you realize? but you never listen to anybody” – and I’m going to try it.
I’ll keep my friends here and my old professionals if Neom isn’t interested.

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