I was very excited about the idea of being part of a Film Festival in Morocco and to finally meet the people I have been exchanging emails with.
I felt really grateful and honoured to be selected for this bursary and knew I had to put it to good use: this I thought will help me to further develop my skills as a producer and curator and will consolidate my existing working relationships, create new ones and allow me to be networking as an artist abroad. Additionally I wanted to create further possibilities for other artists and new exchanges between Morocco, Italy and the UK.
So off I went on my cheap and cheerful EasyJet flight that from Bristol took me directly to Gibraltar, this was not only the cheapest way to reach Tangier but it would allow me to pass through Spain, which is something I am always happy to do, considering my Spanish background and my need to reconnect with this country, both as an individual and as an artist.
On the 14th of April 2016 I arrived in Gibraltar where I stayed for one night to leave early the next morning by walking through Spain to the town of La Línea de la Conceptíon. I felt as if I was in an Asterix cartoon: the very friendly British Gibraltar on one side with its imposing rock, and in 2 minutes of walking through the border here I was in Spain: nice, loud, colourful, markets, food etc. I felt at home. I had to leave though, so I caught the bus to Algeciras where I bought my ferry ticket to Tangier Ville, (this included the bus to the port of Tarifa where my ferry would leave from).
15th April. Arrival in Tangier. After a few hours of easy sailing, here I was at around 2 p.m. in the port of Tangier, curious to meet Mr. Azedin El Ouafi, the director of the Cap Spartel Film Festival and I must admit I was a bit apprehensive, thinking “am I completely crazy: in a country where I don’t know anyone meeting someone I don’t know”, etc. etc.
Taxi drivers started to ask where I wanted to go and I replied always “I am waiting for someone”, then the other question; Where are you from?…. Italian, … to continue our conversation that started in French, developed in Spanish and ended in Italian. I knew then this was my kind of place: where people spoke several different languages simultaneously, always a good sign of openness.
My taxi driver offered to help me and ring Mr. Azedin El Ouafi to tell him where I would be waiting for him.
Azedin arrived accompanied by Mrs. Najat Bentahayen, the founder of Observatoire Marocain de l’Image et des Medias OMIM, the association that supports the festival. They welcomed me and took me to my hotel where we shared some delicious Moroccan tea and some fine traditional patisserie. They gave me the introduction package with the programme of events, discussed details of my participation there both as juror and as presenter in the festival and invited me to go and have dinner with them and meet some of the artists that had already arrived. We also arranged a meeting for the next day as the Festival was starting early.
The programme was really interesting: with a variety of guest speakers (including myself) coming from different backgrounds: artists, philosophy professors, writers, actors, film makers, musicians. There were diverse workshops and exhibitions (film, photography, acting). A list of invited featured films shown parallel to films competing and coming from different countries: Finland, Italy, Spain, France, USA, Morocco, Portugal, Luxembourg, Brazil, South Korea, China and Canada.
Here is link with the opening ceremony of the festival and some traditional singing and music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n57js0glJx8
This was the third edition of the Cap Spartel International Film Festival and the title was: “Cinema and the Arts”(CINEMA & DIALOGUE DES ARTS).
Different speakers were invited to make a presentation about the link and development of films and a particular art: Drama. Circus, Fine Arts, Writing and I was invited to present Cinema and Dance due to my Dance background. It has been my main passion as an artist to integrate different disciplines, so this gave me the opportunity to dig deeper into research of my own interest in this connection, to present it amongst professionals (including Jacques Fieschi a notable French screen writer, actor and film director who has participated several times in Cannes and well known for the screen writing of films like Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud, a Heart in Winter) and to write an article that will be published for the next film festival in a book amongst other essays by the presenters.
I also took the opportunity during the festival to interview a few people and here are the links:
Azedin El Ouafi Festival Director:
The meaning of Cap Spartel and its location:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_26k4twju7g
Azedin thanks me for my participation at the Festival
FILM and ARTS, why this title?
AN OPEN INVITATION TO NEW ARTISTS TO TAKE PART TO THE NEW CAP SPARTEL 4TH EDITION.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8uC6L9z4AY
Najat Bentahayen founder of OMIM, speaks about the relation between theatre and Visual Arts through film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqcbI-xXxb8
Jacques Fieschi and Visual Arts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo9RD9cwoQE
Fadma Kaddouri: a visionary artist originally from Morocco
but now living in France since her family immigrated there when Fadma was very young.
I approached Fadma after her screening as I thought her film was actually part of an installation. and I was right! Fadma talked about the times when the way immigrant families talked to their relatives in Morocco by sending each other audio tapes of different important events like a birthday, a festivity etc.
Consequently in her film/installation she collaborated with another artist to reproduce those moments and the whole project was quite deeply emotional and overwhelming. We are now in touch and we are planning to collaborate in the future.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-UllarZXcA
The festival took place between the 16th and the 19th of April 2016 in several locations around the city:
The French Institute, Instituto Cervantes, The main Tangier Cinema and the University of New England.
I did my presentation about Film and Dance in the French Institute and as it was very well received. I really enjoyed the experience and I am looking forward to do more presentations and research in the near future. Further, this made me realise that putting my different skills and knowledge as an artist and choreographer together I can become very powerful and put my work and efforts to different uses.
The competition in the Festival was divided between Documentary Films and Fiction. There were two juries composed for each category.
I was invited to be part of the Fiction Jury along with Mr. Jacques Fieschi the French screenwriter and Mr. Othman Achera-Maroc a philosophy professor from the Institute of Beaux Arts of Tetuán.
It was arduous trying to make a choice as all of the short films were truly amazing in their differences. A tremendous experience for me also to be on the other side of the fence, judging an international competition.
At the end we awarded the prize for 2 films:
“The Silence Of Our Friends” by Lina Linpiainen from Finland for the inventiveness in the usage of drama and shots within one location, unusual in the way the story developed and gripped your imagination.
This was awarded together with:
“Mascarados” by Andrea Prado from Brazil, for the striking visuals, connection with architecture and choreographical direction.
The atmosphere here has been very welcoming and friendly,
Tangier is a truly international town with its historical roots in its port, open to the Mediterranean, and willing to embrace different cultures. Its background is deeply connected to Spanish culture though the main European language is still french due to its colonisation.
Tetuán Galeria Saida, a little jewel to be discovered in an ancient town.
http://saidaartcontemporain.com
I left Tangier to reach the town of Tetuán where I met Carlos Jiménez Moreno, the gallery Director and his wife Mareta Espinosa.
Carlos was a professor of aesthetics in the University of Madrid and an art critic and curator. He has recently opened Galeria Saida with Mareta a Spanish painter. He had asked me to meet him and to bring my portfolio. After our meeting he then asked me to present a performance in his gallery. I was truly delighted for the offer and I am at present working on this project. After our work meeting Mr. Jimenez kindly agreed to be interviewed by me.
Here is the following interview where Mr. Jimenez explains about his work, the developing of this new Gallery, his views on contemporary art in Morocco and what he wishes to bring there.
https://soundcloud.com/user5382725/carlos-jimenez-moreno
New recent developments resulting from this travel:
I felt it was really important to connect with other artists and curators from a Muslim country due to what we are facing in everyday political pressures and the media forcing upon us a distorted and restricted view of fears of other cultures.
Dialogue amongst us is fundamental to produce new views and understanding of each other’s cultures and find new ways of collaboration and living together.
I found that meeting Mr. El Ouafi and Mrs. Najat Benthayan and other artists from Morocco has helped me to expand my knowledge and understanding of this not so different culture in my opinion. Above all we felt close and united through our shared Mediterranean traditions and cultures. I felt really at home there, as much or more than I have ever felt here in the UK, despite my living here for the last 35 years.
We all wanted to carry on and work together as result of this journey, and to forge new collaborations:
I curated 2 new events recently in the beginning of November 2016 in Venice where the films from Cap Spartel Edition 3 have been exhibited in Palazzo Mora, and an introduction to the 4th Edition of the Cap Spartel edition Festival was presented in the CZ Theatre in Venice.
New collaborations have been expanded between associations, notably among:
European Cultural Centre, Artemotion, OMIM, Cap Spartel Film Festival, Municipalita’ Venezia, Murano, Burano, Associazione Culturale librilib(e)ri, Commune Urbaine de Tanger, Centro Culturale Zitelle 95.
I am now working to bring the festival here to the UK, and to open a call out to artists here for the new edition, so watch out in opportunities for the new call out.
The theme will be “MIGRATION”.
Come and join us at the 4th edition and share with us a brilliant experience where I will be again acting as a juror and exercising my role of Manager of Foreign Relations for the festival.
Beyond this, I have been invited by Mr. El Ouafi to curate a new exhibition in Tetuán, so again watch out in the opportunity section in the near future.
