The Moroccan filmmaker Ali Essafi (*1963) is currently the guest of the DAAD Berlin Artists' Program. His documentaries are a form of the politics of commemoration. They are focused on people on the margins of society and examine the repressed (cultural)-historical events of his country to fix them in the memory of the present. SHEIKATES BLUES (2004) portrays traditional singers revered for their voices but at the same time despised for allowing themselves the freedom to sing about injustices towards women. Featuring archive footage and statements by an underground militant WANTED! (2011) paints a picture of 1970s Morocco, the "years of lead" about which the official history books are quiet. OUARZAZATE MOVIE (2001) gives main roles for once to the inhabitants of Ouarzazate who usually earn a living as extras in international film productions that range from "Asterix" to "Gladiator". (bik) (20. & 21.4.)
