The cold Boston rain was no match for the warmth inside a Northeastern theater this past Sunday evening. People of all ages and backgrounds gathered to watch movies and short films from Morocco and Algeria.
They could all feel that the Amazigh heart beats in Boston.
“We are here to show the people who we are – as people, as a culture, as heritage, as history,” says Zouhir Naghala, president of the Amazigh American Network Organization, the group that put on the event in partnership with the Northeastern North African Student Association and the Tazzla Institute for Cultural Diversity, with support from the Bank of Africa Foundation.
Over six hours, roughly 60 people gathered to watch the carefully curated lineup of movies from North Africa. Starting with the 5min documentary “Initiation to Amazigh Music and Dance” by Dounia Productions, “Izuran” (The Roots) by Djamal Bacha was shown from Algeria, while other movies like “The Sound of Ruins” by Chkiri Lahoucine and Ayrouwen (Once Upon a Time) by Brahim Tsaki as well as the 2024 film “The Corpse on the Shore” by Aksel Rifman offered a look into Amazigh communities in Morocco. All of the films were in Tamazight with English subtitles.
“Ticrad”, a movie made in Kabyle in Algeria by Amazigh director Idir Benchabane, was an obvious crowd-pleaser. In the film, Mr. Benchabane interviews elderly Amazigh women from around Algeria who got traditional tattoos as young women. He asked them about their experiences, the history of the tattooing tradition in Amazigh culture, and their feelings about their tattoos now.
At the end of the event Mr. Benchabane, who was born and raised in Algeria but has lived most of his life in Canada, attended the festival and answered questions about his film from the audience. The event ended with live Amazigh music playing as attendees danced, mingled, and visited a table showcasing Tuareg art and culture.
While the films brought attendees in from the rain, the warm community – and perhaps the traditional tea and sweets – is what kept them there. Mustapha Akebdan, an AANO board member, says this is the best part of these events.
“The community is really the beautiful aspect of the event,” Mr. Akebdan says. He is originally from the north of Morocco, and has lived in Boston for 25 years.
For Sabrina Taileb, who is Amazigh and was born and raised in Algiers, the event was an opportunity to learn about her own culture.
“You know how we always think we know everything? There’s always room for growth. It was actually very eye-opening. I’m familiar with Amazigh history, but it’s still nice to see life in rural areas,” Ms. Taileb says. She has lived in Boston for 25 years and attended Northeastern.
The film festival is always held at a university for two reasons, according to Mr. Naghila. The first is to reach the right audience of people who want to learn about cinema and culture. The second is to encourage young members of the Amazigh community to become more involved in AANO.
In January, AANO will put on its most popular event – a gathering for Yennayer, the Amazigh New Year. On average, around 300 people attend the celebrations which feature music, dancing, face painting, Tamazight writing, and food.
Mr. Naghala, who is from Morocco and has lived in the U.S. since 2008, says the film festival is a means to get together as a community.
“We are not doing this for any type of income,” Mr. Naghala says. “We’re doing it solely to promote our culture within our community, and also to people outside our community who are willing to learn about the culture, the people, and everything in between.”