Intertextual study of the play Il fallait inventer la mer (We had to discover the sea) and The language of the birds

The Il fallait inventer la mer (We had to discover the sea) play from Jean-Pierre Spilmont is one of the most successful adaptations from The Language of the birds of Attar Neyshaboori. Spilmont has tried to make some adjustments to the work of Attar, given the theatrical requirements of his adaptation, while staying true to the main storyline of birds’ travel toward Simorg. The most prominent changes made to the story line in this adaptation are as follows: the number of the valleys of love has been reduced to four, some of the birds’ character have been omitted, and finally the manifestations of Simorg’s character have been altered . In other words, given his worldly view point, Spilmont has presented a unique work adapted to the expectations of contemporary audience. This article attempts to answer the following questions while employing the intertextuality theory of Gerard Genette: Has Spilmont been successful in conveying Attar’s universal message in form of a contemporary play? and can contemporary audience relate to this work?