Al-Halqa, In the storyteller's circle

  • Al-Halqa, In the storyteller's circle
© Courtesy of Films From the South (Film fra Sør) 2011, Oslo
Genre : Biography
Type : Documentary
Original title : Al-Halqa - Im Kreis der Geschichtenerzähler [Original title, Germany]
Principal country concerned : Column : Cinema/tv
Year of production : 2010
Format : Feature
Running time : 90 (in minutes)

On Djemaa el Fna Square in the Moroccan city of Marrakech, Abderahim El Maqori tells stories that he has been collecting in his mind and heart since he was a child.
Now that he is growing older, he is teaching his son Zoheir the tricks of a dying trade. In the Halqa, the storyteller's circle, the boy practices his skills and his father provides blunt criticism.
Once Zoheir, who got his name from a story that Abherahim told the day he was born, is ready for it, he and his father travel to Fez, the intellectual capital of Morocco, for the ultimate test on the large city square.
The camera follows the pair on their journey, which is interspersed with stories about ghosts, kings, shoemakers and animals, and we get to see the special bond between father and son, who certainly do not agree with one another all the time.
Zoheir has to find his own style for a new generation of listeners, who do not only want to hear about days long past, but also get information about things like AIDS. For the rest, the Halaiqi are not alone in wanting to keep the folk traditions intact.
Zoheir's favorite actor Mohamed Hassan El Joundi explains why he records stories of bygone eras in his studio: stories nurture people and teach them to have ambitions and dreams.


Among fortune tellers, snake charmers and food stalls on the Jemaa el Fna Square in Marrakesh, hundreds of people gather every evening in halqa, the storyteller's circle. One of the most popular story tellers is Abderahim. Now, he is trying to pass the gift of telling stories on to his son Zoheir who takes the task very seriously. The art of storytelling is under pressure by the influence of music videos, TV shows and movies. In 2008, Jemaa el Fna was included on UNESCO's list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, and the work to ensure the survival of these oral and cultural practises is ongoing. This documentary is a beautiful depiction of a father and son united in their love of storytelling. mft - Films From the South (Film fra Sør) FilmFest 2011, Oslo

Documentary

Country: Germany, Morocco
Year: 2010
Runtime: 90 min

Director: Thomas LADENBURGER
Writer: Thomas LADENBURGER
Cinematographer: Thomas LADENBURGER

Cast: Abderahim el MAQORI, Zoheir el MAQORI

Language: Arabic
Subtitles: English
Producer: Thomas LADENBURGER
Production company: Thomas Ladenburger Filmproduktion



Director, DP/Camera, Producer: Thomas Ladenburger
Sound: Mohamed Simou
Editor: Lena Rem
Dramaturgical Advice: Andrew Hood
Voice Recording: Jens Scheuter
Sound Mixing: Ansgar Frerich
Sound Editing: Daniel Weis, Jens Scheuter

Protagonists
Abderahim El Maqori
Zoheir El Maqori
Mohamed Hassan El Joundi

Interpreters
Mostapha Ounaddam
Mohamed El Haouzi
Anas Abbag



Original Title: Al-Halqa, Im Kreis der Geschichtenerzähler
English Title: Al-Halqa, In the storyteller's circle
Country of production: Germany
Year of completion: 2010
Running Time: 90 minutes
Recording Format: HDV
Final Format: HDCAM SR / Digital Betacam / Betacam SP
Aspect Ratio: 1:1,78 (16:9)
Color: Color


______________________


ALLEMAND
Abderahim ist einer der besten Geschichtenerzähler auf dem Djemâa El-Fna.
Er will, dass sein Sohn Zoheir in seine Fußstapfen tritt. Doch Zoheir schämt sich, Geld vom Publikum zu verlangen.
Sein Vater nimmt ihn mit auf eine Reise durch Marokko, auf der Zoheir erkennt, dass zum Erzählen von Geschichten viel mehr gehört als nur Stimme, Rhythmus und Intonation.
Er muss als Erstes seine eigene Geschichte kennen.


Regie, Kamer, Produktion: Thomas Ladenburger
Ton: Mohamed Simou

Protagonisten
Abderahim El Maqori
Zoheir El Maqori
Mohamed Hassan El Joundi

Dolmetscher vor Ort
Mostapha Ounaddam
Mohamed El Haouzi
Anas Abbag

Dramaturgie / Montage: Lena Rem
Dramaturgische Beratung: Andrew Hood
Sprachaufnahme: Jens Scheuter
Tonmischung: Ansgar Frerich
Tonbearbeitung: Daniel Weis, Jens Scheuter

Originaltitel: Al-Halqa, Im Kreis der Geschichtenerzähler
Englischer Titel: Al-Halqa, In the storyteller's circle
Genre: Dokumentarfilm
Produktionslandt: Deutschland
Jahr der Fertigstellung: 2010
Lauflänge: 90 minunten
Aufnahmeformat: HDV
Endformate: HDCAM SR / Digital Betacam / Betacam SP
Seitenverhältnis: 1:1,78 (16:9)
Color: Farbe
________________

NORVEGIEN
Blant spåmenn, slangetemmere og matboder på Djemaa el Fna-plassen i Marrakech samles hundrevis av mennesker hver kveld i såkalte halqa, fortellersirkler. I en av disse står Abderahim. Han er en av de mest ettertraktede historiefortellerne på plassen. Nå lærer han bort sine talegaver til sønnen Zoheir, som tar oppgaven svært alvorlig. Den kulturelle arven skal videreformidles, men må også tilpasses nye generasjoner med lyttere som heller vil se musikkvideoer, TV-serier og filmer. I 2008 ble Djemaa el Fna ført opp på UNESCOs liste over verdens immaterielle kulturarv og arbeidet for å verne kulturelle praksiser som muntlig fortellerkunst er pågående. Dokumentaren er en vakker skildring av en far og sønn-relasjon som bæres oppe av kjærligheten til fortellerkunsten. mft - Films From the South (Film fra Sør) FilmFest 2011, Oslo

Land: Tyskland, Marokko
År: 2010
Spilletid: 90 min

Regissør: Thomas LADENBURGER
Manus: Thomas LADENBURGER
Fotograf: Thomas LADENBURGER
Skuespillere: Abderahim el MAQORI, Zoheir el MAQORI

Språk: Arabisk
Undertekst: Engelsk
Produsent: Thomas LADENBURGER
Produksjonsselskap: Thomas Ladenburger Filmproduktion

Genre Documentary


FESTIVALS

21st Films From the South (Film fra Sør) FilmFest 2011, Oslo, Norway

Festival des Deutschen Films

24th Pärnu International Documentary and Anthropology Film Festival

10th Amal Euroarab Filmfestival

34. Duisburger Filmwoche

Pravo Ljudski
5th Human Rights Film Festival Sarajevo

27. Kasseler Dokfest

23e International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Epos International Art Film Festival
Tel Aviv

Organizations

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  • Media, Sports and Entertainment Group (MSE)
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  • Alliance Française VANUATU
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  • FURTHER ARTS
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  • RDC : Groupe TACCEMS
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  • Niger : ONG Culture Art Humanité
  • Collectif 2004 Images
  • Africultures Burkina-Faso
  • Bénincultures / Editions Plurielles
  • Africiné
  • Afrilivres

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