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Gov of Dubai Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority Investment Corporation of Dubai
Emirates
ISO 9001 UKAS

DIFF FILMS

FOR THE YEAR 2010

TAGNAWITTUDE

  • 121

France / 2010 / Arabic, French dialogue with English subtitles / Colour / DVCam / 80 mins

Genre:

Cast & Credits

Director: Rahma Benhamou El Madani
Producer: Rahma Benhamou El Madani
Scriptwriter: Rahma Benhamou El Madani
Cinematographer: Rahma Benhamou El Madani
Editor: Yanis Polinacci
Composer: Gnawa Diffusion

Synopsis

According to the director of this fascinating new documentary, Algerian filmmaker Rahma Benhamou El Madani, the traditional practice of trance has captivated her ever since she was a small girl watching her mother meditate and enter a state of self-induced hypnosis. Years later, working in a local radio station, she was surprised to hear the music she associated with her mother in an album sent in to the station. The band responsible was called Gnawa Diffusion and they played a beguiling blend of 'Gnawa' music, fused with Western and Arabic elements. Fascinated, El Madani set out on an odyssey to discover the roots of this ancient and haunting sound. Through interviews with Gnawa Diffusion's Amzigh Kateb and Aziz Maysour, El Madani delves deep into the heart of traditional Moroccan and Algerian culture in a fascinating journey of custom and rituals across the Maghreb and Mali.

Contains: Violence 15+