A film programme curated by Furtado Melville featuring two remarkable works by Moroccan artists: the short film "The Smuggler" (2006) by Yto Barrada and the feature film "About Some Meaningless Events" (1974) by Mostafa Derkaoui. After the screenings artist and cultural activist Laila Hida will introduce and reflect on the films.
The Smuggler follows the story of T.M., who has been making routine trips to Ceuta, a Spanish enclave, for the past 30 years. Her objective is to smuggle back fabrics, clothing, and branded goods that shop owners in Tangier have ordered. Despite the constant surveillance by tax and customs officers, T.M.’s age works to her advantage, as they rarely search inside her coat at the border. Against the backdrop of black curtains, T.M. demonstrates how she wraps her body with piles of fabric and finally dons a long djellaba, completely concealing the "tax-free" smuggled goods.
In alignment, De quelques évènements sans signification (About Some Meaningless Events) is a politically charged film which delves into the early post-independence era of Morocco after its liberation from French colonial rule. The film is set in Casablanca, where a group of filmmakers initiate discussions with the locals about their expectations and hopes for the emerging Moroccan national cinema. However, the plot takes a turn when a disgruntled worker accidentally kills his superior, prompting the filmmakers to investigate the motives behind the killing. The film was shot between January and April 1974, and it was never screened in Morocco. The authorities banned it immediately, considering it inappropriate for Moroccan audiences.
About Some Meaningless Events [De Quelques Evenements Sans Signification] by Mostafa Derkaoui 1974, Morocco, 78 minutes, Arabic & French, with English subtitles
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The Smuggler by Yto Barrada 2006, Morocco, 11 minutes, silent
About Some Meaningless Events [De Quelques Evenements Sans Signification]
by Mostafa Derkaoui 1974, Morocco, 78 minutes, Arabic & French, with English subtitles
3 May 2023
start program: 20:30h
pre sale tickets: WORM
Boomgaardsstraat 71, Rotterdam