Morocco : the past and present of Djemma el Fna /
Marrakech's famous square, a historic crossroad of Arab and Berber cultures, has for years stirred the imagination of Westerners. This documentary captures the color, romance and spiritual atmosphere that once led visitors such as Edith Wharton, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill to marve...
| Other Authors: | |
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| Format: | Video |
| Language: | English |
| Language Notes: | This edition in English. |
| Published: |
New York, NY :
Filmakers Library,
1996.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Connect to this streaming video (Alexander Street Press) |
| Summary: | Marrakech's famous square, a historic crossroad of Arab and Berber cultures, has for years stirred the imagination of Westerners. This documentary captures the color, romance and spiritual atmosphere that once led visitors such as Edith Wharton, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill to marvel at its magic. More than a tourist spectacle, the square with its storytellers, musicians, acrobats and snake charmers, embodies centuries-old cultural traditions. Our Moroccan guide informs us of the square's history as a destination for caravans from the Sahara and how from earliest times it has been a center for the dissemination of ideas. He weaves his way through the square which is overflowing with performers including the snake charmer, Blaid Farrouss and his young son who hopes to carry on his family s profession. We watch visitors enjoy their exchanges with people who at first appeared strange and exotic. In turn Moroccans show their interest in foreigners and the world beyond Morocco they represent. Always, our guide points to the importance of tradition and hospitality in the Arab world. |
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| Item Description: | Previously published as DVD. Title from resource description page (viewed May 24, 2011). Slide. |
| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (19 min.). |
| Audience: | For College; Adult audiences. |
| Awards: | Director's Choice, Atlanta Film and Video Festival, 1995 Middle East Studies Association, 1995 Museum of Modern Art, What's Happening? series, 1995 Silver Award, WorldFest, Houston, 1995 |