In The Years (2008), Nobel Prize winner Annie Ernaux reflects on her life between 1941 and 2006. The book paints her personal experiences against the backdrop of a changing cultural climate, offering both a powerful portrait of a woman and a relatable depiction of post-war Western history.
At the age of 65, Ernaux wrote, "Finding a form for my future absence," because she realized that memory may become blurry over time. She sought to grasp her life and the passage of time, discovering that her personal history, shaped by changing times, is essentially shared by many.
The stage adaptation of The Years pays tribute to these themes of time and memory. An intergenerational cast, including Viviane De Muynck, Els Dottermans, Lien Wildemeersch, and Carine van Bruggen, embodies the female protagonist. The music is composed by Hendrik Lasure, who effortlessly moves between modern jazz and alternative pop, and surprised audiences in 2022 with his Dutch-language album Het wiel.
This theater production brings to life the universal themes of Ernaux’s work: identity, memory, and the changing times that touch us all.