MOROCCAN MEMORIES IN BRITAIN

Westminster Academy, London

Address: Westminster Academy, The Naim Dangoor Centre 255 Harrow Road London W2 5EZ

5th – 7th December

Friday 5 December

5:00 - 6:00 pm

Formal opening of the exhibition at Westminster Academy followed by a small reception

Saturday 6 December

Opening hours for the exhibition:
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Music workshops for children

During these workshops, children will learn songs and rhythms from various musical traditions across Morocco. Mouna Eddrou and Simon Webster will share their energy, enthusiasm and rich knowledge of Moroccan culture: a captivating and entertaining session not to be missed! Mouna was born in Meknes into a family of musicians in the gnawa and aissawa traditions. She is a gifted percussionist

(a talent she shares with her husband Simon), singer and storyteller.

12:00 – 1:00 pm workshop 1
2:00 – 3:00 pm workshop 2

Advanced booking is strongly recommended. Email: mmibmusic@gmail.com

Henna designs by Karamah Arts

1:00 – 2:00 pm
2:00 – 3:00 pm

Sign up on the day

Film screening



11:00 am ‘Looking for my wife’s husband’
Dir. Mohamed Abderrahman Tazi
1994/ Morocco/ 100 minutes


Arabic with English subtitles

This Moroccan comedy parodies the intricate Islamic laws of polygamy. This colourful tale is set in a modern middle-class harem. The three women in the harem are wed to Hadj, an endearingly rotund gold merchant.

Each of the wives hails from a different generation. They get along quite well and have divided up their “wifely duties” evenly. Things are just swell until Hadj gets mad at the youngest wife and throws her out. Poor Hadj feels terribly guilty for his hasty actions. He misses her and wants her back. Unfortunately, according to Islamic law, he cannot remarry her until she weds and is rejected by another.

3:00 pm ‘Masaraat’
Dir. Saeed Taji Farouky
2008 / UK / 40 min
English and Arabic with subtitles

‘Masaraat’ meaning life journeys, is a film documentary showcasing different issues in the Moroccan community including their experiences living in the UK, identity, and generational changes.

Concert of Moroccan Chaabi music

4:00 – 6:00 pm

Ahmed Sais is an accomplished Moroccan chaabi (popular) musician, well loved in both London and Casablanca. His family originally hails from Jadida in the Dukala region of Morocco and much of his music draws on the music his grandfather played on the Soussi lotar (lute). Ahmed is himself a talented violinist and effortlessly weaves in the sonorously melodies of the instrument with the energetic beats of the chaabi: his is music to be danced to!

Sunday 7 December

Opening hours for the exhibition: 10:00 am -5:30pm

Music workshops for children

Combining music and technology, Khalid and Mohamed will lead children in an exciting and innovative composition workshop where they will learn how to sample clips of traditional Moroccan music and mix them with urban beats…the result: fresh young sounds where Morocco and Britain meet in the mix! Khalid Salik (percussionist) and Mohamed Achamaa (pianist) have played together for many years, including with the group London Rai and Algerian singer Cheb Nacim.

2:00 – 3:00 pm workshop 1
4:00 – 5:00 pm workshop 2

Advanced booking is strongly recommended. Email: mmibmusic@gmail.com



Henna designs by Al Karamah

3:00 – 4:00 pm
4:00 – 5:00 pm

Sign up on the day

Film screening

2:00 pm ‘I Love Hip Hop in Morocco’
Dir. Joshua Asen & Jennifer Needleman
2006 /USA / 80 min

This sincere documentary offers a glimpse of the burgeoning Moroccan hip-hop scene.

The film follows several of the nation’s most prominent hip-hop performers

H-Kayne, Fatima and Brown Fingaz, as they come together to organize Morocco’s first major hip-hop festival. Through this trying process emerges a candid dialogue into what it means to be true to hip-hop, and at the same time true to their culture, religion, family, and themselves.

4.00 pm Tenja
Dir. Hassan Legzouli
Morocco / 2004 / 80 min
Arabic and French with English subtitles

The adventure begins when Nordine tries to recover his father’s body and return it to his native Morocco.Nordine takes his first visit south since his entry was denied as a young boy. The trip takes an unexpected turn when Nordine encounters Nora, a city dweller abandoned in the middle of the night by her boyfriend’s raucous posse. She volunteers herself as guide and travel companion, and the pair quickly form a bond that transcends the miles they share. Roschdy Zem and Aura Atika exude palpable chemistry without even a touch. Legzouli uses interesting cinematic devices, including some innovative conversations between deceased father and son whilst on the road. When the duo reaches the valley of Nordine’s father’s birth, a stunning secret awaits them. The hospitality and compassion shown Nordine and Nora restore faith in the human condition.

SOAS

Address: SOAS Burnei Gallery, University of London Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

15th - 18th December

Monday 15 December

5:00 - 6:00 pm Formal opening of the exhibition at SOAS followed by a small reception

Moroccan Music Concert

7:00 – 9:00 pm
Brunei Lecture Theatre

An inspiring evening of music from the Sahara, to the North West Coast of Morocco, all the way to north and west London! First up are Harir Band, named after its founder, composer and violinist, Abdelkader Harir, who will play a selection of Andalousi-in spired compositions, reflecting Harir’s upbringing surrounded by the ancient Arabo-Andalucian musical traditions in North West Morocco. This will be followed by Gnawa musician Mustapha El Moumni and his band Gnawa Blues, who bring a fresh twist to the equally as ancient, yet utterly different gnawa music. Gnawa is traditionally performed as trance music for healing ceremonies across North Africa, with its roots in West Africa. Come prepared to be transfixed and enchanted by the sounds of the gumbri (lute) and the qaraqeb (castanets).

Tuesday 16 December

Opening hours for the exhibition: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

Seminar discussion:
Early connections: British Moroccan shared heritage

Speakers TBC

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Brunei Lecture Theatre

Film screening:

7:15 pm ‘Masaraat’ followed by a Q&A
Dir. Saeed Taji Farouky
2008 / UK / 40 min
English and Arabic with subtitles

‘Masaraat’ meaning life journeys, is a film documentary showcasing different issues in the Moroccan community including their experiences living in the UK, identity, and generational changes.

8:00 pm ‘Your Dark Hair Isan’
Dir. Tala Hadid
2005 / Morocco /13 min

In Your Dark Hair, Ihsan, a man returns to his homeland to rediscover the mother who left him. This emotive and vivid film explores the tragedy and romance inherent in memories. By blending dream sequence, flashback, and realism into one smooth wave, the film captures the surreal intangibility of reclaiming a past through fragments of memory. Both powerful and gentle, Your Dark Hair, Ihsan works as an evocative ebb and flow of past and present, memory and history, and departure and return.

8:15 pm ‘A nest in the Heat’
Dir. Hakim Belabbes
1992-95/ Morocco/ 45 min

This video essay chronicles the filmmaker’s journey from Chicago back

to his native Morocco. Nest’s climax, an emotional family gathering where Belabbes explains his break with tradition, is extraordinary.

Wednesday 17 December

Opening hours for the exhibition: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

Seminar discussion:
Morocco today: Key perspectives

Speakers TBC

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Brunei Lecture Theatre

Film screening:

7:15 pm ‘A Thousand Months’
Dir: Fawzi Bensaidi
2004/ France/Morocco/ Belgium/ 125 min
Arabic with English subtitles

A young boy and his chair prove inseparable in this leisurely Moroccan drama, set in a poor village in the Atlas Mountains during the month of Ramadan.

The year is 1981, and eight-year-old Mehdi (Fouad Labied) is preparing for his first fast. But with a dad in jail, a friend in the morgue, and a teacher’s chair to guard, it’s hard to keep his mind on holy matters. Slow to the point of inertia and full of obscure subplots, A Thousand Months nonetheless offers a valuable and compelling insight into a dying way of life.

Witness is a brief documentary of an abandoned Moroccan beggar woman whose insights and life experience make this the most affecting of Belabbes’ works.

7:30 pm ‘When the Sun Burns the Sparrows’
Dir. Hassan Legzouli
Morocco/1999/38 min

This half-hour film by Moroccan director Hassan Legzouli is a cinematic masterpiece of understatement and restrained emotion. The film tells the story of a day in the life of several characters in a remote Moroccan village and builds slowly but inexorably towards its cathartic climax.

8:15 pm ‘The Last Show’
Dir: Nour-Eddine Lakhmari
Morocco-Norway/ 1998/19 min

The Last Show is the story of ten year old Badr who lives with his parents in Safi, a coastal village in Morocco, where most of the men are fishermen. One day, a travelling marionette show arrives in the neighbourhood. Badr sees a performance where a Hydra -a sea monster- wins a fight with a fisherman and eats him. One evening when Badr’s father doesn’t return home from fishing, Badr seeks the help of the marionette proprietor to get his father back.

Town Hall, St Albans

Address: Town Hall, Market Place, St Peters Street, St Albans. AL3 5DJ

8th - 11th January

Thursday 8 January

4:00 - 6:00 pm: Formal opening of the exhibition in St Albans followed by a small reception

Friday 9 January

Opening hours for the exhibition: 10:00 am - 6:00pm

Guided tours of the exhibition for school children:

11: 00 pm - 12:00 pm
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Film screening:

4:30 pm Why, O Sea? (Alesh A
Lebhar?)
Dir. Hakim Belabbes
2006 / Morocco /87 min

Why, O Sea? provides a glimpse into the lives of three young Moroccan fishermen, with their primitive techniques and their supernatural lore of the sea.

For these young men, a life of the sea is predestined and they must reconcile themselves to a legacy which is double-edged: the sea, to which they have an unwavering connection, both nurtures their livelihood and threatens to unravel their tenuous existence.

Saturday 10 January

Opening hours for the exhibition: 10:00 am - 6:00pm

Music workshops for children

Mustapha El Moumni grew up in the Sahara in South Morocco surrounded by music of great rhythmic intensity. He has played with some of the finest gnawa musicians in Morocco and toured with them to the UK where he now lives, performing and teaching h

his mystical music to many. In this workshop he will teach some of the rhythms and songs that he grew up with, enabling participants to be transported to the Sahara and back again!

2:00 – 3:00 pm workshop 1
4:00 – 5:00 pm workshop 2

Advanced booking is strongly recommended . Email: mmibmusic@gmail.com

Henna designs by Al Karamah artists

3:00 – 4:00 pm
4:00 – 5:00 pm

Sign up on the day

Sunday 11 January

Opening hours for the exhibition: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Film screening:

11:00 am ‘Looking for my wife’s husband


Dir. Mohamed Abderrahman Tazi
1994/ Morocco/ 100 minutes
Arabic with English subtitles

This Moroccan comedy parodies the intricate Islamic laws of polygamy. This colourful tale is set in a modern middle-class harem. The three women in the harem are wed to Hadj, an endearingly rotund gold merchant. Each of the wives hails from a different generation. They get along quite well and have divided up their “wifely duties” evenly.

Things are just swell until Hadj gets mad at the youngest wife and throws her out. Poor Hadj feels terribly guilty for his hasty actions. He misses her and wants her back.

Unfortunately, according to Islamic law, he cannot remarry her until she weds and is rejected by another.

2:00 pm ‘I Love Hip Hop in Morocco’
Dir. Joshua Asen & Jennifer Needleman. 2006 /USA / 80 min

This sincere documentary offers a glimpse of the burgeoning Moroccan hip-hop scene. The film follows several of the nation’s most prominent hip-hop performers H-Kayne, Fatima and Brown Fingaz, as they come together to organize Morocco’s first
major hip-hop festival.

Through this trying process emerges a candid dialogue into what it means
to be true to hip-hop, and at the same time true to their culture, religion, family, and themselves.

4:00 pm ‘Masaraat’
Dir. Saeed Taji Farouky
2008 / UK / 40 min
English and Arabic with subtitles

‘Masaraat’ meaning Life Journeys, is a film documentary showcasing different issues in the Moroccan community including their experiences living in the UK, identity, and generational changes.

Henna designs by Al Karamah artists

3:00 – 4:00 pm
4:00 – 5:00 pm

Sign up on the day

Broadfield Stadium, Crawley

Address: Crawley Football Club, Broadfield Stadium, Brighton road, Crawlwy, West Sussex, RH11 9RX

15th- 17th January

Thursday 15 January

3:00 - 5:00 pm: Formal opening of the exhibition in Crawley, followed by a small reception

Film screening:

5:00 pm ‘When the Sun Burns the Sparrows’
Dir. Hassan Legzouli
1999 /Morocco/ 38 min

This half-hour film by Moroccan director Hassan Legzouli is a cinematic masterpiece of understatement and restrained emotion. The film tells the story of a day in the life of several characters in a remote Moroccan village and builds slowly but inexorably towards its cathartic climax.

6:00 pm ‘A Thousand Months’
Dir: Fawzi Bensaidi
2004/ France/Morocco/ Belgium/ 125 min
Arabic with English subtitles

A young boy and his chair prove inseparable in this leisurely Moroccan drama, set in a poor village in the Atlas Mountains during the month of Ramadan. The year is 1981, and eight-year-old Mehdi (Fouad Labied) is preparing for his first fast. But with a dad in jail, a friend in the morgue, and a teacher’s chair to guard, it’s hard to keep his mind on holy matters. Slow to the point of inertia and full of obscure subplots, A Thousand Months nonetheless offers a valuable and compelling insight into a dying way of life.

Friday 16 January

Opening hours for the exhibition:
10:00 am - 7:00pm

Guided tours of the exhibition for school children

11:00 pm - 12:00 pm
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Film screening:

5:00 pm ‘Your Dark Hair Ihsan’
Dir. Tala Hadid
2005 / Morocco /13 min

In Your Dark Hair, Ihsan, a man returns to his homeland to rediscover the mother who left him. This emotive and vivid film explores the tragedy and romance inherent in memories. By blending dream sequence, flashback, and realism into one smooth wave, the film captures the surreal intangibility of reclaiming a past through fragments of memory. Both powerful and gentle, Your Dark Hair, Ihsan works as an evocative ebb and flow of past and present, memory and history, and departure and return.

5:15 pm ‘Masaraat’
Dir. Saeed Taji Farouky
2008 / UK / 40 min
English and Arabic with subtitles

‘Masaraat’ meaning ‘life Journeys’, is a film documentary showcasing different issues in the Moroccan community including their experiences living in the UK, identity, and generational changes.

6:30 pm ‘Tenja’
Dir. Hassan Legzouli
Morocco / 2004 / 80 min
Arabic and French with English subtitles

The adventure begins when Nordine tries to recover his father’s body and return it to his native Morocco. Nordine takes his first visit south since his entry was denied as a young boy. The trip takes an unexpected turn when Nordine encounters Nora, a city dweller abandoned in the middle of the night by her boyfriend’s raucous posse.

She volunteers herself as guide and travel companion, and the pair quickly form a bond that transcends the miles they share. Roschdy Zem and Aura Atika exude palpable chemistry without even a touch.

Legzouli uses interesting cinematic devices, including some innovative conversations between deceased father and son whilst on the road. When the duo reaches the valley of Nordine’s father’s birth, a stunning secret awaits them. The hospitality and compassion shown Nordine and Nora restore faith in the human condition.

Saturday 17 January

Opening hours for the exhibition: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

Film screening:

11:00 am ‘I Love Hip Hop in Morocco’. Dir. Joshua Asen & Jennifer Needleman. 2006 /USA / 80 min

This sincere documentary offers a glimpse of the burgeoning Moroccan
hip-hop scene. The film follows several of the nation’s most prominent hip-hop performers H-Kayne, Fatima and Brown Fingaz, as they come together to organize Morocco’s first major hip-hop festival.

Through this trying process emerges a candid dialogue into what it means to be true to hip-hop, and at the same time true to their culture, religion, family, and themselves.

Music workshops for children

Moroccan percussion workshop with Chafik Kobitti (percussion & keyboard) and Mohamed Abdi (‘ud) will give workshops teaching children rhythms from all over Morocco, from the mountains to the medina.

2:00 – 3:00 pm workshop 1
4:00 – 5:00 pm workshop 2

Advanced booking is strongly recommended. Email: mmibmusic@gmail.com

Henna designs by Karamah Artists

3:00 – 4:00 pm
4:00 – 5:00 pm

Sign up on the day

Moroccan Music Concert

5:30- 7:00 pm

An inspirational concert of contemporary Moroccan-British compositions inspired by folk, classical and popular repertoire from Oujda to Meknes to London.

Civic Hall, Trowbridge

Address: The Civic Hall, St Stephens Place, Trowbridge Wiltshire, BA14 8AH

22nd- 25th January

Thursday 22 January

3:00 - 5:00 pm: Formal opening of the exhibition in Trowbridge followed by a small reception.

Friday 23 January

Opening hours for the exhibition: 10:00 am - 5:00pm

Guided tours of the exhibition for school children

11:00 pm - 12:00 pm
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Film screening:

4:00 pm ‘Your Dark Hair Ihsan’
Dir. Tala Hadid
2005 / Morocco /13 min

In Your Dark Hair, Ihsan, a man returns to his homeland to rediscover the mother who left him. This emotive and vivid film explores the tragedy and romance inherent in memories. By blending dream sequence, flash

back, and realism into one smooth wave, the film captures the surreal intangibility of reclaiming a past through fragments of memory. Both powerful and gentle, Your Dark Hair, Ihsan works as an evocative ebb and flow of past and present, memory and history, and departure and return.

4:15 pm ‘I see the Stars at Noon’
Dir. Saeed Taji-Farrouky
2004 /UK/ 52 min

I See the Stars At Noon is not only a portrait of a hopeful immigrant; it is also an exploration of the nature of documentary filmmaking and objectivity. The traditional relationship between filmmaker and subject is thrown into question when Abdelfattah asks why his life is being filmed for the benefit of European audiences, and what he deserves in return. Such issues are rarely dealt with in documentary film, and by addressing them head-on, I See The Stars At Noon stands out as a highly original and deeply personal look at the dilemma of illegal immigrants.

Saturday 24 January

Opening hours for the exhibition: 10:00 am - 5:00pm

Film screening:

11:00 am ‘I Love Hip Hop in Morocco’ Dir. Joshua Asen & Jennifer Needleman. 2006 /USA / 80 min

This sincere documentary offers a glimpse of the burgeoning Moroccan hip-hop scene. The film follows several of the nation’s most prominent hip-hop performers H-Kayne, Fatima and Brown Fingaz, as they come together to organize Morocco’s first major hip-hop festival. Through this trying process emerges a candid dialogue into what it means to be true to hip-hop, and at the same time true to their culture, religion, family, and themselves.

Music workshops for children

Combining music and technology, Khalid and Mohamed will lead children in an exciting and innovative composition workshop where they will learn how to sample clips of traditional Moroccan music and mix them with urban beats…the result: fresh young sounds where Morocco and Britain meet in the mix! Khalid Salik (percussionist) and Mohamed Achamaa (pianist) have played together for many years, including with the group London Rai and Algerian singer Cheb Nacim.

2:00 – 3:00 pm workshop 1
4:00 – 5:00 pm workshop 2

Advanced booking is strongly recommended. Email: mmibmusic@gmail.com

Henna designs by Karamah artists

3:00 – 4:00 pm
4:00 – 5:00 pm

Sign up on the day

Sunday 25 January

Opening hours for the exhibition: 12:00 pm 5:00pm

Film screening:

2:00 pm ‘Masaraat’
Dir. Saeed Taji Farouky
2008 / UK / 40 min
English and Arabic with subtitles

‘Masaraat’ meaning ‘Life Journeys’, is a film documentary showcasing different issues in the Moroccan community including their experiences living in the UK, identity, and generational changes.

3:00 pm ‘Looking for my wife’s husband’

Dir. Mohamed Abderrahman Tazi
1994/ Morocco/ 100 minutes
Arabic with English subtitles

This Moroccan comedy parodies the intricate Islamic laws of polygamy. This colourful tale is set in a modern middle-class harem. The three women in the harem are wed to Hadj, an endearingly rotund gold merchant. Each

of the wives hails from a different generation. They get along quite well and have divided up their “wifely duties” evenly. Things are just swell until Hadj gets mad at the youngest wife and throws her out. Poor Hadj feels terribly guilty for his hasty actions. He misses her and wants her back. Unfortunately, according to Islamic law, he cannot remarry her until she weds and is rejected by another.

International Society, Manchester

Address: William Kay House 327 Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PG

31st Jan & 1st Feb

Saturday 31 January

Opening hours for the exhibition: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Film screening:

11:00 am ‘I Love Hip Hop in Morocco’ Dir. Joshua Asen & Jennifer Needleman. 2006 /USA / 80 min

This sincere documentary offers a glimpse of the burgeoning Moroccan hip-hop scene. The film follows several of the nation’s most prominent hip-hop performers H-Kayne, Fatima and Brown Fingaz, as they come together to organize Morocco’s first major hip-hop festival. Through this trying process emerges a candid dialogue into what it means to be true to hip-hop, and at the same time true to their culture, religion, family, and themselves.

Music workshops for children

Moroccan story telling and music with multi-instrumentalist Hassan Erraji. Born in the colourful city of Marrakech in the South of Morocco, Hassan plays the qanun (zither), ney (flute), ‘ud (lute), violin and darbouka (drum) and will dazzle young and old with his performance of sounds and stories from his rich musical heritage.

2:00 – 3:00 pm workshop 1
4:00 – 5:00 pm workshop 2

Advanced booking is strongly recommended. Email: mmibmusic@gmail.com

Sunday 1 February

Opening hours for the exhibition: 10:00 am - 5:00pm

Film screening:

2:00 pm ‘Masaraat’
Dir. Saeed Taji Farouky
2008 / UK / 40 min
English and Arabic with subtitles

‘Masaraat’ meaning ‘Life Journeys’, is a film documentary showcasing different issues in the Moroccan community including their experiences living in the UK, identity, and generational changes.

2:45 pm ‘Your Dark Hair Ihsan’
Dir. Tala Hadid
2005 / Morocco /13 min

In Your Dark Hair, Ihsan, a man returns to his homeland to rediscover the mother who left him. This emotive and vivid film explores the tragedy and romance inherent in memories. By blending dream sequence, flashback, and realism into one smooth wave, the film captures the surreal


intangibility of reclaiming a past through fragments of memory. Both powerful and gentle, Your Dark Hair, Ihsan works as an evocative ebb and flow of past and present, memory and history, and departure and return.

3:00 pm ‘A Thousand Months’
Dir: Fawzi Bensaidi
2004/ France/Morocco/ Belgium/ 125 min
Arabic with English subtitles

A young boy and his chair prove inseparable in this leisurely Moroccan drama, set in a poor village in the Atlas Mountains during the month of Ramadan. The year is 1981, and eight-year-old Mehdi (Fouad Labied) is preparing for his first fast. But with a dad in jail, a friend in the morgue, and a teacher’s chair to guard, it’s hard to keep his mind on holy matters. Slow to the point of inertia and full of obscure subplots, A Thousand Months nonetheless offers a valuable and compelling insight into a dying way of life.

The Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh

Address: 54 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2LR

8th and 9th Feb

Opening hours for the exhibition: 12:00 am - 8:00pm



Music workshops for children

Moroccan story telling and music with multi-instrumentalist Hassan Erraji. Born in the colourful city of Marrakech in the South of Morocco, Hassan plays the qanun (zither), ney (flute), ‘ud (lute), violin and darbouka (drum) and will dazzle young and old with his performance of sounds and stories from his rich musical heritage.

2:00 – 3:00 pm workshop 1
4:00 – 5:00 pm workshop 2

Advanced booking is strongly recommended. Email: mmibmusic@gmail.com

Henna designs by Karamah artists

3:00 – 4:00 pm
4:00 – 5:00 pm

Sign up on the day

Film screening:

5:30 pm ‘Masaraat’
Dir. Saeed Taji Farouky
2008 / UK / 40 min
English and Arabic with subtitles

‘Masaraat’ meaning ‘Life Journeys’, is a film documentary showcasing different issues in the Moroccan community including their experiences living in the UK, identity, and generational changes.

6:30 pm ‘I Love Hip Hop in Morocco’
Dir. Joshua Asen & Jennifer Needleman. 2006 /USA / 80 min

This sincere documentary offers a glimpse of the burgeoning Moroccan hip-hop scene. The film follows several of the nation’s most prominent hip-

hop performers H-Kayne, Fatima and Brown Fingaz, as they come together to organize Morocco’s first major hip-hop festival. Through this trying process emerges a candid dialogue into what it means to be true to hip-hop, and at the same time true to their culture, religion, family, and themselves.

Sunday 9 February

Opening hours for the exhibition: 10:00 am - 6:00pm

Film screening

11:00 am ‘Tenja’
Dir. Hassan Legzouli
Morocco / 2004/ 80 min
Arabic and French with English subtitles

The adventure begins when Nordine tries to recover his father’s body and return it to his native Morocco. Nordine takes his first visit south since his entry was denied as a young boy. The trip takes an unexpected turn when Nordine encounters Nora, a city dweller abandoned in the middle of the night by her boyfriend’s raucous posse. She volunteers herself as guide and travel companion, and the pair quickly form a bond that transcends the miles they share. Roschdy Zem and Aura Atika exude palpable chemistry without even a touch. Legzouli uses interesting cinematic devices, including some innovative conversations between deceased father and son whilst on the road. When the duo reaches the valley of Nordine’s father’s birth, a stunning secret awaits them. The hospitality and compassion shown Nordine and Nora restore faith in the human condition.

2:00 pm ‘Looking for my wife’s husband’

Dir. Mohamed Abderrahman Tazi
1994/ Morocco/ 100 minutes
Arabic with English subtitles

This Moroccan comedy parodies the intricate Islamic laws of polygamy. This colourful tale is set in a modern middle-class harem. The three women in the harem are wed to Hadj, an endearingly rotund gold merchant. Each of the wives hails from a different generation. They get along quite well and have divided up their “wifely duties” evenly. Things are just swell until Hadj gets mad at the youngest wife and throws her out. Poor Hadj feels terribly guilty for his hasty actions. He misses her and wants her back. Unfortunately, according to Islamic law, he cannot remarry her until she weds and is rejected by another.

Fashion Show: Crafty Caftans

4:30 – 6:00 pm

Come and join us for the Crafty Caftans’ fashion show which includes the work of three talented artists: Nabila Khelloufi, Asia Faraji, and Karima Bint Daoud.

Explore the inventive use of colour, the richness of the fabrics, and the luxorious desplay to detail in each hand-made caftan.