Category: all things moroccan
I managed to miss this, somehow: Mohamed Choukri’s cult classic, Al-Khobz Al-Hafi (For Bread Alone) has been made into a movie, starring none other than the enormously talented Said Taghmaoui (if you don’t know Taghmaoui, you’ll probably remember him for his role as Captain Said in David O. Russell’s Three Kings, and as the Beur youth in Mathieu Kassovitz’s La Haine, among many others.) Those not familiar with Choukri get a little background from the Morocco Times:
Born during a famine in the Rif mountains, Choukri moved with his family to Tangier. His childhood was spent in abject poverty; eight of his brothers and sisters died of malnutrition or neglect. During his adolescence, Choukri worked for a time as servant to a French family.
Following one of many family disputes, he left the house at the age of 11, embracing a life of homelessness and petty crime. He then returned to Tangier, where he experienced the violence of the 1952 independence riots. These early experiences provided him with material for his first and most famous book, “Al-Khubz Al-Hafi” (For Bread Alone) written in 1972 but not published in Arabic until 1982.
At the age of 20, he decided to learn to read and write classical Arabic – a decision that transformed his life. After mastering the language, he became a teacher and writer, finally being awarded the chair of Arabic Literature at Ibn Batuta College in Tangier. Choukri died of cancer in 2003 at the age of 64.
I once met Said Taghmaoui, when he was at the Sundance Film Festival to promote Hideous Kinky, in which he co-starred with Kate Winslet. (The movie is based on Esther Freud’s novel by the same name.) He was surprised to see another Moroccan in Park City, Utah, shook my hand enthusiastically, and was extremely charming. Doesn’t hurt that he’s got so much talent. I do look forward to seeing the movie, if it ever comes out in the States.
The 11th Casablanca International Book Fair, which takes place from 11 to 20 February, features Spain as a guest of honor. Among the many events planned are tributes to Ahmed Sefrioui, Driss Chraibi, Abdellatif Laibi and Juan Goytisolo, as well as readings by Moroccan authors Edmond Amran El Maleh, Mohamed Tozy et Mohamed Bennis.
In related news, Morocco’s Minister of Culture complained about low readership in the kingdom. No word on what he plans to do about it.
Reuters reports that producer Dino De Laurentiis has opened CLA Studios, a huge new film studio in Ouarzazate, in the south of Morocco. The piece glosses over the fact that DeLaurentiis’ partner in the project is Moroccan producer Said Alj (the A in CLA) but I suppose that’s not surprising. Among the movies that will be made at CLA is Baz Luhrman’s Alexander, with Leonardo diCaprio as the Macedonian leader.
You’ve probably seen Ouarzazate, even if you’ve never been there. It was the backdrop of many epic movies (Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia, etc. ) It really is one of my favorite cities in Morocco. It’s also hotter than hell, so go there in winter. It’s gorgeous.
Although I hadn’t heard of 1940s film star Virginia Mayo, the Newsday obit caught my eye because of this little tidbit:
As a young star known for her ash blond hair, peaches-and-cream complexion, green eyes and curvaceous figure, Mayo caught the fancy of the sultan of Morocco, who wrote her a fan letter in which he proclaimed her to be “tangible proof of the existence of God.”
I’ll say.
In the wake of the murder of Theo Van Gogh, Holland’s tradition of burying its head in the sand with respect to immigration issues appears to be changing. In the Sunday Observer, Jason Burke reports on some of the reactions, which sound rather classical–requests for tougher immigration laws, oversight on mosques, etc. but no word on desegragation, education, and so on. Still, whichever direction Holland’s immigration and identity issues are resolved, other countries are watching:
The implications of the murder go beyond the Netherlands. The Home Office and senior British race relations specialists are watching developments there closely. Scores of MPs and officials have visited the country in recent months to view what has happened to ‘the Dutch model’.
Read the rest here.
The NY Times has an interesting article about Spain’s effort to integrate its Muslim (mostly Moroccan) population under the new Zapatero regime. Crucial to this effort is ensuring that financing for mosques comes from local sources, rather than foreign ones, particularly Saudi. Some are citing the separation of Church and State as an argument against government subsidies, but others point to the fact that Catholic clergymen receive salaries from the Spanish government. Spain’s ability to fully integrate its Muslim population seems to me to depend on whether it can start by having fair practices.