A special screening was organised by Global Diversity Foundation (GDF) and the Moroccan Biodiversity and Livelihood Association (MBLA) at the Institute François of Marrakech on 24th of October, as part of the first Harvest Festival curated by Louisa Aaraas (GDF) and Gary Martin (founder of GDF) in collaboration with numerous community members and partners.
Right after the film screening a roundtable took place with Association Nomades Saghro pour le développement delegates Mohamed Rachyd accompanying Icho Ben Youssef (main protagonist of the film) alongside to Dr.Eda Elif Tibet (filmmaker and visual anthropology lead at GDF), Dr.Soufiane M’Sou (MBLA) , moderated by Dr. Abdellah Agrahz (MBLA) and Nessie Reid (Co-Director GDF).
From human rights to climate change, education and the future of next generations to the importance of native language in maintaining culture , to collaborative and participatory filmmaking, together we asked; how do we enact societal change and what further could we do in building bridges as we spoke through the power of transformative storytelling, arts , science and cinema.
Harvest Festival Teaser filmed and edited by Eda Elif Tibet (Visual Anthropology Lead, GDF).
Harvest Festival Marrakech draws on the tradition, present in many parts of the world, of holding an annual celebration around the time of the main harvest, which varies from place to place. Harvest festivals celebrate abundance and liberty in the broadest sense. Beyond the historical bounty of food and seasonal break from agricultural work, they have evolved to embrace a sense of community and a recognition of diversity. Harvest Festival emphasises the “local”: agroecology, biodiversity, culture and gastronomy performed and produced in the Marrakech-Safi region and beyond. As a collective endeavour, its success depends on a coordinated but autonomous effort of many community members and partners.
