Trio Gilu in CC Guldenberg in Wevelgem

The project Saudades of the Future is inspired by three poets of past centuries, Karoline von Günderrode (1780-1806), Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) and Selma Meerbaum-Eisinger (1924-1942), three women whose work was not recognized during their lifetimes. Saudades is an untranslatable Portuguese word that would mean something like miss, lack, homesickness. "I miss you" in Portuguese becomes "I have saudades of you" and it is very common to end a private letter with this word. "Matar saudades" - literally "kill saudades" means doing everything again with someone that we missed with this person, catching up again, hugging the loved one or going for a walk. It is a longing that fulfills you, like looking across the ocean.

Both Karoline von Günderrode and Emily Dickinson could not express or act freely because they were women, while Selma Meerbaum-Eisinger was a young Jewish girl when Hitler came to power. These three poetesses perhaps felt saudades for the future.

Gilu invited three young composers - Helena Cánovas i Parés (1994, Spain), Ruben De Gheselle (1991, Belgium) and Martín Letelier (1987, Chile) - to set their poetry to music, each choosing one poet.

These new compositions led director Hugo Portela Larisch (b. 1991, Portugal) to put one question at the center of the project. What does it feel like to grow up as a woman?

A poetic project that reflects on the issue of tribute and our impact on the future of society.