Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui's dance production Ihsane, staged at the Edinburgh international festival, commemorates Ihsane Jarfi, a gay man tortured and killed in Belgium in 2012, while also paying tribute to the choreographer's own father, who died 30 years ago. Rather than dwelling solely on the horror of the crime, as Milo Rau's 2019 Edinburgh production La Reprise did, Cherkaoui uses the piece to explore the interconnectedness of lives, grief and healing, moving between brutal violence and moments of euphoric harmony and kindness.

The show opens with a communal Arabic class scene, featuring intricate choreography, live music from viola d'amore, piano, oud and percussion, and an ornate golden-doored set, before shifting to a harrowing depiction of Jarfi's death. Later sections reflect on the aftermath, featuring swaying ensembles under golden lighting, spoken texts on grief, and a mix of ritual and everyday imagery, including a tea ceremony and a football, punctuated by unsettling flashes of violence including a throat-cutting scene rendered through video design.