Amazigh culture found an international voice at the tenth anniversary of the Amazigh Cultural Festival in Tizi-Ouzou on Saturday (March 20th).
By Kaci Racelma for Magharebia in Tizi-Ouzou – 22/03/10
The 10th annual Amazigh Cultural Festival in Tizi-Ouzou concluded on Saturday (March 20th) to acclaim and optimism for the future of Maghreb cinema.
"The festival, which is intended to re-launch Amazigh film, has been a resounding success," Tizi-Ouzou Maison de la Culture chief El Hadi Ould Ali said.
Moroccan director Mohamed Outmouloud Abbazie walked away with the Olivier d'Or for his feature film Itto Titrit. Omar Belkacemi's Dihia won best short film, and Abderrezak Larbi Cherif won best documentary for his film Kamel Hamadi, Ger Yenzizen.
Singer Lounis Ait Menguellet, playwright Slimane Ben Aissa and Ben Mohamed concluded the festival with a mixed performance: Menguellet provided music, while Aissa and Mohamed provided readings of Babor ghreq on the history of Algeria from Numidia to independence.
The Amazigh Cultural Festival also featured round tables and screenings of such films as Mourad Haimer's Le message du mur, Ahmed Djenadi's Thara Thmara, and Hocine Belhadjel's L'extra-terrestre.
Artist Ali Kellal praised the festival.
"With such ambition on the part of the authorities, it must be said that the future of culture as a whole and cinema in particular is promising in our region," he said.
Artists from around the world joined Kellal in Tizi-Ouzou, including India's Mohamed Anwar Khan and Bangladesh's Jasmin Anar Chawdhur.
"The public [in Tizi-Ouzou] are wonderful in the way that they pay attention to the cultures of other countries," Chawdhur said.
The Amazigh Cultural Festival demonstrated progress in Algeria, New Zealand singer Graeme Allwright said.
"I'm very happy to be back in Algeria, which I am visiting for the third time," he said. "My first visit was just after the country achieved independence, and the second was in 1983. I can now see that there have been major changes for the better in terms of culture and infrastructure."
France's Corine Myriam Catasiner applauded the festival's hospitality.
"I really appreciate the warm welcome we were given here and the willingness of the organizers to move forward in the field of cinema," she said.
One organizer, festival commissioner Si El Hachemi Assad, said that the festival had particular significance for the region's young people.
"We have young people who are asking for nothing more than to be listened to," he said. "We are here for them."
Amazigh culture can now stand proudly alongside others, writer Mohamed Ouaniche said.
"Viewing films in Tamazight is an excellent initiative," he said. "This leads us to believe that we can view the output of our artists alongside works that have had an influence on our culture."
Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/03/22/feature-02.
By Kaci Racelma for Magharebia in Tizi-Ouzou – 22/03/10
The 10th annual Amazigh Cultural Festival in Tizi-Ouzou concluded on Saturday (March 20th) to acclaim and optimism for the future of Maghreb cinema.
"The festival, which is intended to re-launch Amazigh film, has been a resounding success," Tizi-Ouzou Maison de la Culture chief El Hadi Ould Ali said.
Moroccan director Mohamed Outmouloud Abbazie walked away with the Olivier d'Or for his feature film Itto Titrit. Omar Belkacemi's Dihia won best short film, and Abderrezak Larbi Cherif won best documentary for his film Kamel Hamadi, Ger Yenzizen.
Singer Lounis Ait Menguellet, playwright Slimane Ben Aissa and Ben Mohamed concluded the festival with a mixed performance: Menguellet provided music, while Aissa and Mohamed provided readings of Babor ghreq on the history of Algeria from Numidia to independence.
The Amazigh Cultural Festival also featured round tables and screenings of such films as Mourad Haimer's Le message du mur, Ahmed Djenadi's Thara Thmara, and Hocine Belhadjel's L'extra-terrestre.
Artist Ali Kellal praised the festival.
"With such ambition on the part of the authorities, it must be said that the future of culture as a whole and cinema in particular is promising in our region," he said.
Artists from around the world joined Kellal in Tizi-Ouzou, including India's Mohamed Anwar Khan and Bangladesh's Jasmin Anar Chawdhur.
"The public [in Tizi-Ouzou] are wonderful in the way that they pay attention to the cultures of other countries," Chawdhur said.
The Amazigh Cultural Festival demonstrated progress in Algeria, New Zealand singer Graeme Allwright said.
"I'm very happy to be back in Algeria, which I am visiting for the third time," he said. "My first visit was just after the country achieved independence, and the second was in 1983. I can now see that there have been major changes for the better in terms of culture and infrastructure."
France's Corine Myriam Catasiner applauded the festival's hospitality.
"I really appreciate the warm welcome we were given here and the willingness of the organizers to move forward in the field of cinema," she said.
One organizer, festival commissioner Si El Hachemi Assad, said that the festival had particular significance for the region's young people.
"We have young people who are asking for nothing more than to be listened to," he said. "We are here for them."
Amazigh culture can now stand proudly alongside others, writer Mohamed Ouaniche said.
"Viewing films in Tamazight is an excellent initiative," he said. "This leads us to believe that we can view the output of our artists alongside works that have had an influence on our culture."
Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/03/22/feature-02.
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