AÏT ATTA: Nomads of the High Atlas (Morocco)
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DVD available in September 2023. DVD - Universities, Colleges: $295 DVD - Public Libraries and K-12 (circulation only): $49 Community Screenings (DVD or MP4): $295 Digital File (Life-of-File MP4) $395 |
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Synopsis
The Ait Atta tribe of the High Atlas mountain range in Morocco preserves their ancestral right of access to the agdal, a communal land management system that dates back hundreds of years. The film follows Ben Youssef family’s arduous transhumant journey from the desert-like landscape of Nkob to the green pastures of Agdal Igourdane, throughout uneven terrain of steep climbs and descents of these High Atlas mountains. They migrate each summer with their 800 goats, donkeys, mules, camels and dogs, as they embark on this formidable journey on foot.
Ait Atta is a cinematically stunning and sensorial ethnographic film on the incredible movement and (im)mobilities of the family and their herd, the film juxtaposes the hopes and constraints, obligations and sacrifices of a family torn apart between their traditions and their need to adapt to modern life. Stretching over the past, present and future, the film provides an intergenerational perspective on the essence and the very challenges of nomadism within an ever-transforming Moroccan society.
Credits
Filmmakers: Inanc Tekgüc & Eda Elif Tibet
Music: Tunde Jegede Aikyo Brahim Frigbane
77 minutes | DVD release: 2023
Spoken Language: Tamazight
subtitle languages on DVD: English, French, Arabic, Catalan
Director: Inanc Tekguc
Coming from Cyprus, Inanc works as a photographer and videographer complementing his perspective with an MA in Visual Anthropology, which he got from the University of Kent (UK), focusing on community-based conservation and biocultural diversity. His interests took him to a few places around the world such as Kenya, the Philippines, Malaysia, India, and Morocco for independent research, volunteer work or contributions to projects of researchers.
These experiences include the use of photographs and videos for geo-tagging and community mapping, inter-community training in the use of visual tools, and visually documenting multidisciplinary research training and workshops.
His photo story depicting the motivations of Kenya’s Samburu tribe to take on community-based conservation earned him the 2nd place in a global travel photography contest organized by National Geographic’s Jason Edwards and the World Nomads scholarship program.
Director: Eda Elif Tibet
Eda Elif Tibet is an independent documentary film maker and a visual anthropologist from Istanbul. She filmed and directed award winning documentary films under her own label KARMAMOTION a non- hierarchical collective run by academics, artists and activists. Her recent films are; Ait Atta Nomads of the High Atlas (2020) , Awakening a Fairy Tale (2020), Ballad for Syria (2017), Refugee Here I Am (2015), Hey Goat! (2014) AMCHI (2013), 28 Days on the Moon (2012).
Reactions to Ait Atta
This film is an important historical document of an ancient tradition, a true gem of gift to the future generations". Peter Biele, Co-Producer of Star Wars.
"This is an outstanding account of an endangered culture, a beautifully made poetic film with a long and long after life." Tala Hadid, Award Winning Moroccan filmmaker"
