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CIRTEF - Productions
- Country:
BELGIUM - Submitted Films:
- 99
- Registered since:
- 22.08.2004
- City:
- Bruxelles
- Contact Person:
- Guila Thiam
- Contact Email
- cirtef@cirtef.org
Location of CIRTEF - Productions
Description:
Le CIRTEF est une Association professionnelle dont le fonctionnement repose sur : # Une Conférence générale biennale organisée avec un organisme de radiodiffusion du Nord ou du Sud ; # Un Bureau de Direction qui se réunit chaque année ; # Un Comité Exécutif du Bureau composé du Président et des quatre vice-présidents ; # Un Secrétariat général organe exécutif du CIRTEF. Les moyens d'action du CIRTEF sont le Secrétariat général, situé à Bruxelles, dirigé par un Secrétaire général et qui comprend le personnel d'encadrement et d'exécution autorisé par la Conférence générale. Le Secrétariat général est l'organe exécutif du CIRTEF ; il entretient des relations privilégiées avec l'Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) qui est observateur de droit aux sessions du Bureau de Direction et de la Conférence générale. Le Cirtef et l'OIF ont certaines activités communes : * organisation de séminaires de formation des personnels ; * organisation d'une "Banque de programmes télévision" ; * réunions régulières de concertation avec les directeurs de programmes de télévision et de radio ; * co-responsabilité du Fonds de soutien à la Production audiovisuelles du Sud ; * stand commun lors de certaines manifestations du secteur de l'audiovisuel. CONTACT: cirtef@rtbf.beFilms in the catalogue:
Title / Date
Catalogue
Country
50... and One World - Alexander Vlad / 2000
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Synopsis: Like a writer invaded by his thoughts, Alexander Vlad, with a military rhythm presses the keys of the typewriter. This fanfare of letters tells a story: his story. From the remote memories to the 1989 revolution, Alexander sees again his whole life in front of him. He remembers his fears, distresses, unending days, loneliness... he remembers when he was chased by the political police. Only books could allow him a glance to the exterior world... After the revolution, nothing was the same. If until now, in waiting for the future, I was too young... after the change, I suddenly became too old... but I have no regrets."
50... and One World - All my Landscapes / 2000
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Synopsis: Zeljka Corak is an art historian, writer and translator. She published several books on architecture, urbanism and art history.
Although Zagreb and Dubrovnik are her preferred urban landscapes as well as the main subject of her historical researches, she also finds her creative inspiration in Split and on a small island of the Adriatic Sea.
In this documentary, guided by her, we discover the architectural beauty of these Croatian cities as well as the beauty and meaning of the selected objects of Zelka Corak's setting.
50... and One World - Carl de Souza, writer / 2000
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Synopsis: Carl de Souza is a Mauritian writer of Indian, French and African origins. At 50, he describes events that had a great impact on his life: his beginning in writing, the publishing of his book "La Sang des Anglais", his passion for badminton, biology, his wedding with Geneviève, the birth of his children etc. Now, the writer is worried about the American influence and the rise of materialism on his island. He hopes that the 3rd millennium will be devoted to mankind. He sees aging like a state of spirit to be appreciated with a certain peace in mind.
50... and One World - Florence Barrigha, a Brief Encounter / 1999
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Synopsis: In the years following the colonization of West Africa, several women wanted to do business. They had fabrics printed in the West and sold them back in Togo; they were called Nana Benz because they could afford Mercedes Benz. In fact, the expression Nana Benz means freedom, pride, success and the courage of women. This movie brings out the story of one among the seven Nana Benz of Togo: Mrs Florence Barrighah. The story of Florence is fascinating. Her course is original because for the first time, a woman doesn't become a Nana Benz by heritage but by shrewdness and subtlety. In less than four years, she succeeds in penetrating the extremely closed world of Nana Benz. She has chosen a trade that is today going through a great crisis... Florence is among those people whom events forced to reinvent their lives and conditions to exist.
50... and One World - I Will Never Leave my Island / 1999
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Synopsis: This movie opens on a magnificent sunset on a beach where people are dancing the moutia and Victorin, on the drum, plays a song that evokes life in Diego Garcia. This drum player is the protector of black parrots, a bird only found in the valley of Mai. Also found in this garden is the country's pride: the world's biggest coconut, the sea coconut. Victorin works for the environment saving and protection. He is today proud of his numerous successes because he has allowed many species to survive. Despite his many travels, his heart remains in the Seychelles. Victorin thinks of Diego Garcia, of good and bad memories of the past. What bothers him the most is the future of his children and the protection of the environment.Finally, this nature lover hopes to spend the next fifty years of his life in his Garden of Eden, the valley of Mai.
50... and One World - Journey Back to Neng Khouang / 1999
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Synopsis: Souddala Choudaphone was born in Xiengkhoun, a northern province of Laos which has been a terrible battleground during the Laotian war. At 50, he returns to his village with his wife to see family members left behind. Today, this former soldier and commandant wants to wage another war, not against the American army (like hitherto) but against the country's worst enemies: poverty and famine. What magical weapons is he going to use at the beginning of this new century?
50... and One World - Kazungu, The Half-caste / 1999
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Synopsis: Fiction or reality? In his mother's language, his name is Kamanayo, but in our language it means: "accept the life that destiny has for you". George Kamanayo was born in 1947 from a Rwandan mother and Belgian father and is, above all, the pure product of the colonial time. His parents were separated because of their skin colour, their culture and the spirit of the time. Born out of wedlock, Kamanayo is in three ways a forbidden fruit. His mixed blood has allowed him to leave his native land and study in the country of the white man: Belgium. However, he has always felt torn between two cultures. It is only at an adult age that he looks for his father. At 50, he finally understands the meaning of his name.
50... and One World - Konomba, the motley destiny / 2000
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Synopsis: In "La Statue de sel", Albert Memmi wrote "One who wants to sit on two chairs, at the end finds no place to sit"
This is not the case of Konomba, former prefect, music teacher and bearer of magic powers inherited from his father. This fifty-year old man has one foot in modernity and one foot in tradition and he perfectly deals with these two worlds.
We are facing a many-faceted person: respected fetishist, a well organized polygamist, inspired painter, highly skilled dancer, talented musician, musicologist... In brief, Konomba is syncretist.
50... and One World - Mrs. Ibouna / 2000
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Synopsis: Neither black, nor white, Mrs. Ibouna is albino. Not an enviable condition in her country and everywhere else in Africa. She, and people like her, are marginalized and hardly accepted.
Albino people are surrounded by several myths: bearers of bad luck, they don't die, they simply disappear, etc.
For a long time, Mrs. Ibouna suffered the curses and superstitions ascribed to albino people. Today, she claims to be happy because in spite of her condition she managed to fight and have a wonderful life with her five children, her husband and an occupation she likes.
50... and One World- My World / 2000
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Synopsis: Meeting oneself! What a challenge! In this self-portrait, the director, Gheorghe Sfaiter, finally leaves the back-scene and shares with us moments that had an impact on his life. The filmmaker remembers scents of his childhood: the smell of sheep, apples, raisins... He looks back at his youth during communism, his beginning in the job... Very few Romanians of his generation have dared to open themselves in front of cameras. Today, Gheorghe breaks the doors of silence; in 26 minutes he will try to take us through the 50 years of his life in Romania.
50... and One World - Nana, The Course of a Farmer / 2000
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Synopsis: Nana's father died when she was three years old. At 7, like all other young girls, she was farming and selling the crop to get some money to go to school. For many years, Nana had to fight to gain education aiming to a better life. Today, she is "citizen responsible for tourism in Madagascar", president of an association for action, founder of a medical centre and of a small carpentry. At fifty, this many-functions woman unveils the reasons of her success.
50... and One World - Nomad / 1999
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Synopsis: Who is this modern times nomad? Ahmed Salah, twice a Djiboutian marathon Olympic medallist is still active on the international scene representing his country. In 1998, he won the 20 km marathon of Paris and the marathon of Amsterdam. This fervent representative of African and Djiboutian nomads continually struggles at each and every trial and marathon. Between Djibouti and Nice, movement is the leading word of his life marked by countless incidents, pitfalls and surprises.
50... and One World - Once Upon a Time... Gun Morgan / 1999
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Synopsis: Jean-Paul, alias Gun Morgan, is both a musician and a medical delegate. Married and the father of two, he turns upside down the world of music as he involves his whole family in television concerts, dressed up with traditional colors. They quickly became popular in Ivory Coats. In this movie, Gun Morgan introduces his family to us and unveils some parts of his life. Despite criticism, the family remains a myth for its fans. You will discover a special man through this production.
50... and One World - Pascal l'Africain / 1999
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Synopsis: Pascal l'Africain is a very philosophical character. In this movie, he talks about his life, his childhood, his past, his attachment to the spirit of the ancestors. A painter and a sculptor, he asks questions through his works; by sculpting, he tries to bring forms to light. Pascal l'Africain illustrates the life of a character who is both very modern and traditionalist. At 50, he is convinced that the 21st century will be the continuity of the closing century. However, he cannot help but dream of changes; his personal vision makes him an absolutely original person.
50... and One World - Pasko Kuzman, Archaeologist / 1999
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Synopsis: For Pasko Kuzman, archaeology is an almost mystical experience. The continuation between the past, the present and the future is, for him, such evidence. Through archaeology, he establishes contact with distant ancestors. Searching the "archives of the soil", is a way to discover what we are.
In this beautifully shot documentary, we share Pasko Kuzman's attachment to his country, Macedonia, inexhaustible source of researches and discoveries. "You first have to know and love what is nearby in order to value what is far away, says Kuzman.
50... and One World - Silence's Masks / 1999
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Synopsis: Fatma Ben Saïdane was born in Tunis on December 25, 1949 in a small traditional house of the medina. She is raised in a dual culture: European and Arabic-Muslim. At 24, she lands her first play role in Paris. Back in Tunis, she becomes a primary school teacher and ties up again with the Tunisian play, for which she receives an award for feminine interpretation in 1978. Her extraordinary talent granted her admiration and deep respect from her fans. This movie tells the story of a great multi-faceted actress capable of becoming many characters... all different.
50... and One World - Solange, the Boatwoman / 1999
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Synopsis: Solange, who is about fifty, does her trade on water along with her boatman and daughter. In her canoe loaded with bamboos, food, materials, etc. she crosses every single day the Aheme River, which takes her to its waterside markets. She has not been to school, but she knows enough to carry on her mother's trade. The beautiful music moves us to discover this simple and very charming woman.
50... and One World - Sunshine Colour / 1999
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Synopsis: "Couleur soleil" is the story of a Senegalese paint artist. Marked by an eventful life, Penda tirelessly fights to promote Senegalese art. Almost 50, she teaches artistic expression in a small school in a popular neighbourhood of Dakar. During the movie, Penda will try to illustrate through a painting, her outlook on the African women of 2000. This wonderful documentary presents the testimony of a captivating and amazing woman, who knocks over prejudices and the traditional image of the African woman.
50... and One World - Suzanne, a heart of dreams / 1999
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Synopsis: At 50, Suzanne goes through her personal diary. The pages reveal her youth only made of time of tears, cries, anguish and suffering. Like Cinderella, Suzanne was ill-treated by her stepmother. Once she is out of this abyss of calamity, she entirely gives herself to the cause of children in her country. Her dedication leads her to become the director for the promotion and protection of the family and children and to write several publications on the topic. Today, she spends her days with children with behaviour disorder. We end up discovering in this movie, the fervour and the passion of the mother of rascals.
50... and One World - The Dresser of Africa / 2000
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Synopsis: Senegal is known for its beautiful colours and its culture. This big country has a good number of writers, artists, painters, musicians, fashion designers... who share the same passion: show their pride for the mother country. All the projects of Oumou Sy are devoted to Africa. This dress, jewel and costume artisan dreams of dressing Africa with new ideas, beauty and dignity. Oumou Sy personifies the modern African woman. She finds her inspiration in people around her and, in return, she gives them all her love.
50... and One World - The Life of a Village Teacher / 2000
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Synopsis: At 50, Saïdou is a polygamist and the father of 11 children, he is a primary school teacher in a rural zone. His job is not only limited to teaching reading and writing to the children of the village, but he also teaches physical education and is in charge of many social activities. On the cultural plan, he is an activity leader. Saïdou has therefore an important role in his village. In this production, he shares his fears and his outlook on the evolution of time.
50... and One World - Van Chan, a Cambodian Dancer / 1999
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Synopsis: Mrs Van Chan was born in Kampong Thom, a small city located in central Cambodia. At 14, she enters the Fine Arts school and chooses traditional dance. In 1975, her family is arrested and assigned to farming and building dikes and dams, just like all the members of the "new people". At the fall of the Pol Pot's regime, her husband is appointed chief of district of Baraï and she becomes assistant director for culture and information. Hardly has happiness started, that her husband is killed by the Red Khmers, today, she is a teacher of traditional dance and supports alone her family. This production illustrates, with serene and purely Asian pictures, the struggle of an artist who wants to preserve traditional Cambodian dance, as well as the cultural heritage of her family.
Arts and Crafts I - Born in the Forge / 2003
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Synopsis: A village called Yohonou has become an influential location, renowned for its forges and their products, as well as for its ceremonies. While, in the past, blacksmiths were using electric wires as raw material, nowadays they use non-operating pipes to manufacture tools and ritual objects. Blacksmiths are also believed to have mystical powers. Formerly, the forge and the place of healing were not kept separated.
Arts and Crafts II - Ciwara / 2004
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Synopsis: From the beginning, the Ciwara mask has been created to reward the best worker of the village. Its making is surrounded by sacred rituals coming from the mythical world of Bambara knowing. These rituals are transmitted from generation to generation.
While the sculptor responsible for the making of the Ciwara is carefully choosing the tree and sculpting it with great attention, craftsmen and workers of the village are racing to obtain the Ciwara. The weaver, the potter, the blacksmith and the farmer covet this significant recognition of their well-done work.
After a short deliberation, a jury of wise men grants the trophy to the most deserving, leaving the others slightly bitter. Nevertheless, the granting of the Ciwara is always a great moment of celebration for all the villagers.
Arts and Crafts II - From Boura to Boubon / 2004
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Synopsis: In 1975, a young boy takes home a small statuette that he found while he was playing. He has just happened to discover an important archaeological site in Niger where searchers unearthed hundreds of pots and statuettes which are testimonies of ancient times.
This tradition of pottery-making is still alive today. Ibrahim Ousmane and Harintha are among those who are making their living out of this craft. They speak about it with love and in detail.
Arts and Crafts II - Later Rouz / 2004
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Synopsis: Mickey Arnephy is a potter in Seychelles. He sees this craft from old age as a form of art. For him, being a potter is like being an artist for the form, the colour, the drawing and the display.
He turns clay into utilitarian or decorative objects with an omnipresent concern for creativity. His circle sees him as a genuine artist who tries to transmit to young people not only techniques of pottery but also the sense of creativity.
Arts and Crafts II - Nyogbo's Ancestor / 2004
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Synopsis: In a remote village on the way to the high summits of Togo, a new traditional chief is being designated. Although he is very respectful of rituals and traditions, he claims to be also modern and open in his approach to problem and conflict solving.
The respect of the tradition in this village means, among other things, the respect of the sacred seat, the chief seat. Lasmote Kodjo is the sculptor in charge of making the seat for the new chief. We are following him in the forest where he carefully chooses a tree and pulls it down, and in his workshop where he will shape the seat in the trunk according to the chief’s expressed desires.
The seat is becoming a sacred object at the occasion of a celebration and procession to which all villagers are invited.
Arts and Crafts II - Sacred Fingers / 2004
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Synopsis: Benin is, for sure, a country where animism is kept alive in spite of strong pressure from Islam and Christianity. A few men, especially given and qualified for the interpretation of gods' wishes and for searching causes and authors of wrongdoing, are asked to become “Fa” priests. Roger has just been chosen to become one of these priests.
For 5 days, Roger will have to go through initiatory ceremonies: preparation, entrance in the sacred forest, the making of objects related to “Fa” (including the “Legba”), the purification in the backwater and finally the transforming of the “Legba” into a sacred object.
Although he is conscious of the consequences of his new role in his family life and in the practice of his job as a teacher, Roger will accept the requirements of his duty.
Arts and Crafts II - The Last Mortar / 2004
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Synopsis: In Congo, when a woman gets married, she has to own a mortar which will usually be offered by her parents. Therefore, mortar makers still exist. This craft is usually practised and transmitted from father to son. Kanza is a mortar maker.
His age and the increasing difficulties he is now facing in the practise of his craft, lead Kanza to take an early retirement and go back to his village. We are following him in steps leading to the making of his last mortars. After compiling with formalities with the administration and the Chief of the village, Kanza gets in the forest with his assistants; he carefully selects a tree and pulls it down. He cuts it, sculpts and carves it. He makes out of this tree an object to which many women are still attached in spite of more performing new electric appliances.
Arts and Crafts I - Mangal Sutra / 2003
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Synopsis: The Mangal Sutra is a sacred jewel of gold that symbolizes happiness. It is worn by the bride the day of her wedding. Although its design can vary according to the jeweller, the necklace is composed of several segments: the medallion, the earrings, and the black pearls. Since it is the first gift that the bride obtains from the groom, she always wears it as a sacred bond of marriage.
Arts and Crafts I - Wassakoumba / 2003
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Synopsis: The Wassakoumba is a musical instrument played in the initiatory ritual ceremonies for girls. It is made of seven strips of calabash gourd, each of which has its own meaning. The Wassakoumba was formerly used when warriors went into battle, as its music was meant to bring them luck. If one of the strips broke the villagers knew that their warriors would come out victorious.
Arts and Crafts I - Yemadje / 2003
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Synopsis: François Yemadje is a cloth-dyer. He has taken over his grand-father's business to perpetuate the tradition of his ancestors. The wall hangings depict historical facts, legends, proverbs, etc. They are pieces of art that require finesse, imagination, creativity and the sense of aesthetics. Highly appreciated by the local population, these wall hangings, exhibited in artisan centre, are sold mainly to tourists.
Cities: Gao, the Port Made of Sand / 2005
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Synopsis: "The harbour made of sands" made disappear, a long time ago, the trone of the Songhoy empire, but certainly not the memory of its huge territory which, in the 15th century, spreaded from the Atlantic Ocean to Agadez, from Guinea to Teghaza. Gao, located between the Niger River and the Sahara, is an exemple of multi-ethnic co-existence and understanding.
Crea-genious: Fish Smoke House / 2005
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Synopsis: Fishing is an important source of incomes in many village in the South of Benin. Fish smoking is the most efficient way to preserve it in sometimes extreme conditions. Traditional smoking is long and doesn't guarantee the best results. Djibril Gado Idrissou invented a smoke house which transformed this activity. It allows a uniform smoking of the fish in large quantity.
Crea-genious: Math-es-el / 2005
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Synopsis: Confronted to the lack of interest of his students for mathematic and convinced that everything around us is driven by digits and numbers, Professor Berin wanted to find the best way to facilitate the learning of mathematic to his students. He invented a game that radically changed the apprenticeship of mathematic in his school.
Crea-genious: Mokito / 2005
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Synopsis: Mokito is 40 years old, he has two wifes and many children. Handicaped since his childhood, Mokito had overcome his physical handicap without complex. He owns a workshop of car general mechanic. He is also a taxi driver. With ingenuity, he adapted the machanism of his car to be able to drive it himself.
Crea-genious: The Magic of Clay / 2005
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Synopsis: In Madagascar, traditional stoves used to cook use a lot of wood and coal in a country already facing a lack of these resources. Marcel Rakotomalala found a solution. He used clay as a insulating material for his stoves. Clay increases the effectiveness of the stove and the quality of the cooking. Furthermore, it saves up to 50% of energy source.
Crea-genious: Toyi surprises / 2005
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Synopsis: In Togo, as in most countries of the region, the cheapest way to increase agricultural production is to increase the agricultural surface. Unfortunately, most of the farmers are unable to sow larger areas in the short sowing period. Mechanical and manual sowing technics are not efficient or adapted. Toyi Mouzou invented a semi-automatic sowing stick that accelerate significantly the rythm.
Crea-genious:washing feet / 2005
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Synopsis: Water pollution namely caused by cloth washing in rivers and creeks is becoming an important environmental concern in some regions of Guinea like Foutah.
Alganissou, searcher at Conakry university, found an economical solution to facilitate the task of women as well as to protect the environment. He invented a washing machine working by a pedal and gear mechanism. This washing machine working without electricity is as efficient as the usual washing machines used in the cities.
Crea-genius: A Seed of Hope / 2005
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Synopsis: Fonio is a cereal cultivated exclusively in Africa. It grows almost everywhere even on inhospitable lands. Fonio is tasty, easily digestible and dietetical. However fonio's shelling is so long and fastidious that it prevents women to serve it frequently. Sanoussi Diakité invented a machine that reduces by 75% the time needed for the shellng of fonio.
Crea-genius: Vaccination, a legitimate hope / 2005
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Synopsis: In Africa, malaria kills more people than any other desease. Unfortunately, because of costs involved, only a minority can have access to effective treatment. In this documentary, Professor Ogobara Doumbo underlines the importance of observing basic precautions against malaria. He also explains the nature of research conducted by his group to find a vaccin.
Development - Desert's Trainers / 2001
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Synopsis: Revealed at the time of important dryness, the progress of the desert into the land is ascribable to climatic changes and human activities. Concentration of livestock on a small piece of land results in the disappearance of edible vegetable species. Every year 250,000 hectares of forest are cleared up to meet the energy needs for heating and cooking.
Technical solutions to fight the advance of the desert are proved to be limited. Nowadays, the emphasis is rather put on the involvement of local communities in the search for solutions and on the display of traditional strategies.
Development - Right to Speak / 2001
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Synopsis: Appeared 15 years ago in Burkina Faso, local radios are nowadays educational and development tools serving namely women's groups and peasants. In Banfora, as the result of an extended campaign leaded by a women's organisation through local radio, the public opinion became sensitive to the risk with the practice of excision.
In Saponé, local radio has been created to put an end to drift from the land of young people. The staff is made of volunteers. Small gifts such as eggs or chickens are given by peasants by way of salary. Radio improved the family life and is now an essential tool for the villagers.
Encounters - Born inside /
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Synopsis: Zénab dreams of becoming the African Madonna. Sociology student and sculptor, Moussa Sidimé is born in a well-known sculptor family. In his family, boys and girls are initiated to this art form in their chilhood. Two worlds in counterpoint; the transient one and the traditional one that crosses ages.
Encounters - Burning with Zeal /
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Synopsis: Fafa studies law and dreams of becoming a singer.
Artist-painter, descendant of King Béhanzin, Hervé lives in the mythical city of Abomey. Since he has been asked to design the sleeve of the first Fafa's disc, he takes the train for Cotonou were he will meet her.
Encounters - Click / 2001
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Synopsis: Sylvain is a photographer. Perline is member of a Malagasy popular theatrical company. While Sylvain was taking pictures of a wall, a few steps from him, Perline's company was performing. "Hey, photographer! Take pictures of us", said Perline.
This production draw the portrait of these two young talented people who are evolving in two different spheres of activity.
Encounters - From Thread to Painting /
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Synopsis: Chouchou Lazare, clothe designer; Junior, painter-illustrator. The designer rent a boutique to release his new collection. Junior will create the billboard. Two individuals who have dreams, wounds and are still questionning their life.
Encounters - Glamour and Net / 2002
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Synopsis: The first one is a tenniswoman and a medicine student; the orther is a dyer and law student. At the occasion of a popular feast, Fatoumata is stroke by the beauty of Mimi's boubou. Mimi invites Fatoumata to her workshop. For both of them, it's the starting point of the discovery of each other's world.
Encounters - Italga / 2001
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Synopsis: Ra-syn is a Rap singer. Mike plays football in the Cameroon women's national team. Everything goes well for the rapper who is working on the launch of his first CD. Seriously injured while she was playing in South Africa, Mike doesn't know if she will be able to play foot again.
Both are evolving in a society where their life style is not yet well accepted.
Encounters - The Challenge /
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Synopsis: A young blind man playing music, performing theater and practicing jogging; a young and resourceful radio animator who, with rudimentary means, created a community radio. The young blind man is invited by the radio animator to come and share his experience with the listeners.
Encounters - The Future in a Throw /
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Synopsis: After the death of her mother, Dalenda leaves her village and goes to Conakry. She earns her life by reading people future in cowries. One day, she receives Marie, a young actress who also works at the museum. Marie wants to know what her future will be like. A fory into the interior world of Dalenda and Marie.
Encounters - The Need to Know /
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Synopsis: Two young women: Diawara, 18, actress, who decides to go back to schoom; Awa Bah, student and writer. They are both driven by the same quest: to increase their knowledge of the French language to have a beter chance to achieve their dreams.
Foumban, The Kingdom City / 2006
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Synopsis: For the last six century, the capital of the Bamoun kingdom forge its own identity that the many hazards of the history didn't altered. Foumban, the independant, is calling its future like it answered its past. Foumban shined at the beginning of the 20th Century with its "Roi Soleil", Njoya. Still today, we praise this king who encouraged the expansion of arts and literature. The current King, Mbombo Njoya protects this heritage and promotes local democracy namely through an annual celebration called Nguon which offers the possibility to any member of the community to criticise freely the organisation of the kingdom.
Mahajanga ve? / 2005
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Synopsis: The beautiful Bombetoka Bay once invited fishers to open the door of this island to the world. Then came Africans, Indians, Arabs, European...
The "City of flowers" is a blossom were the past meets the florishing present. Which new door can be open today on a world that ignorer the value of such a site? In Mahajanga, what does time mean? Past, present, futur... everything here depends on winds and spirits.
Matters of Taste III - Baobab / 2003
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Synopsis: Like tamarin, the baobab is a sacred tree whose every single part, such as bark, leaves, fruits, is used in cooking or traditional medicine.
We are discovering products coming from baobab through a Senegalese woman in the North of Benin.
Matters of Taste III - Colour Bissap / 2003
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Synopsis: Bissap, made of sorrel flowers, grows all over the Senegalese territory. White, pink or red, Bissap is always prepared the same way: macerated or boiled and then flavored and sweetened. Served as warm or cold drink, its taste is pleasant and slightly acid
Matters of Taste III - Millet Messi / 2003
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Synopsis: In Togo, 60% of millet culture is used for the making of the local beer. Leftovers are used to feed animals. Millet trading is women's business from the seed to the transformation into beer, flower or millet-sorghum.
Matters of Taste III - Niebe / 2003
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Synopsis: In Niger, Niebe is the third most important food-producing culture after millet and sorghum and the first leguminous plant. Because of its nutritional value, niebe contributes a balanced diet for the Nigerian people.
Matters of Taste III - Saffron's Virtues / 2003
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Synopsis: A black and white hanging indicates this condiment's tradition in the marriage history in Mauritius.
The colour of saffron, its transformation and its use brings images of quality.
Matters of Taste III - Tamarin / 2003
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Synopsis: The tamarin tree comes from tropical, eastern and central Africa. Its fruit, the tamarind, is used in human diet. It's prepared as jam, compote or refreshing dink. Traditional medicine also use it as a laxative, a diuretic and healing substance. Moreover, it is also used for its medico-magic virtue against madness, impotence and sterility.
Matters of Taste III - The Soumbara / 2003
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Synopsis: Soumbara also called savannah's mustard is a product resulting of the transformation of the nere's fruit. It is in the centre of social and cultural relations in the region of production.
Matters of Taste III - Yinian, a Guinean Drink /
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Synopsis: Yinian is a refreshing drink made of ginger, sugar and lemon juice. It's served at the time of ceremonies such as baptisms, marriages and burials.
Matters of Taste IV - Cinnamon in Seychelles / 2004
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Synopsis: Brought in Seychelles two centuries ago, cinnamon was, in the fifties, the pillar of the country's economy. Although tourism is nowadays the main industry, cinnamon remains important.
Still exploited in traditional manner, cinnamon is, of course, used in cooking to flavour the dishes but also as a much appreciated massage oil.
Matters of taste IV - Coconut / 2004
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Synopsis: In Mauritius, coconut, this symbolic fruit, is considered as a treasure. Prepared in various ways, coconut constitutes the essential base in Mauritius cooking. Potatoes filled with coconut powder make a delicious cake. Its juice quenches and its milk mixed with any cocktail gives a special taste to any tropical spirits. Coconut oil has some therapeutic virtues. Finally, coconut also has a religious meaning.
Matters of Taste IV - Corn in Togo / 2004
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Synopsis: For the "Guins", an ethnic group from Togo, the traditional New Year, called "Epe Ekpé" is a good occasion for eating a dish made of corn called "Yaka Yokin". Of course, it's not the only occasion. This cereal has its own special place in the daily life in Togo. It can be eaten boiled or roasted, on the ear or not and even as couscous. A drink is also made of corn. Its flour mixed with palm oil is also used for rituals.
Matters of Taste IV - Magaria in Niger / 2004
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Synopsis: The magaria or jujube is a protected species in Sahel.
This tree has multiple uses. Fruits can be eaten fresh or dry, leaves are use to feed animals, once dried and transformed, the powder is used in pharmacopoeia as well as roots and barks. A much appreciated cake is made of flour extracted from the fruit.
Even branches are used as fence to protect the fields from animals. Finally, jujube is part of a mixture used as purifying oil for the bride.
Matters of Taste IV - Odika / 2004
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Synopsis: Odika is an almond extracted from wild mangos of the gabonese forest identified during the colonial period. Odika's gathering constitutes a subsistence economy.
Almonds are dried and fried before being crushed and put in a jar until it gets dried again. Grated, it is served as a sauce with fresh or smoked fish or with meat.
We produce also odika-based chocolate called "indigenous chocolate". Finally, odika has medicinal virtue: its powder is used as cataplasm for wounds.
Matters of Taste IV - Saka-saka / 2004
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Synopsis: Saka-saka or manioc leaves is a cultivation originating from South America. In Congo the saka-saka is the national dish. Its cultivation and cooking is a lucrative activity for women.
The palm nut is essential to the cooking of saka-saka (with vegetables, corn, dried shrimps, spinach and cabbage). Saka-saka -based stew are rich in iron and proteins. It's also used for medical cares (measles, skin problems) and as well to feed animals.
Matters of Taste IV - The Ndtouah / 2004
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Synopsis: In the Cameroonian forest, even today, we can meet men and women searching for mango tree and especially their fruits. While men are using the mango pulp as lure for trapping wild animals, women are breaking the stone of the fruit to collect the almond.
This almond is a basic ingredient of several much appreciated dishes. It may also be transformed and used as an ointment.
Matters of Taste IV - Yam / 2004
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Synopsis: This tuber of tropical origin is produced in the Savalou region. Only women, symbol of fertility, can lay the tuber on hillocks and cover it with straw to protect it from solar rays.
Yam culture also means a ritual ceremony taking place in the dynasty's sanctuary. After having paid a tribute to the ancestors, the king of the community accepts yam. From that moment, everybody can eat it.
This African potato contributes to the development of local economy. It's sold on local market as well as exported. Yam lovers can eat it fresh, boiled, grilled, fried or dried as well as pasta, couscous or fritter
Porto Novo, The Rainbow City / 2006
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Synopsis: According to the legend, three hunters coming from Nigeria founded the "rainbow city". The city became an empire with the Ada-Fon people coming from the actual Togo. Who can remain insensible to the richness of the architecture in this site of memory, between the very well preserved hut of Te-Agbanlin, the first emigrant Adja-Fon, the fabulous fresco illustrating the genealogy of Porto Novo's kings and the futurist Songhaï project.
Small Happiness - Discovering Colour Behind Bars / 2003
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Synopsis: Painting has become a source of joy and intellectual liberation for a young prisoner in Mauritius. Here, he tells us about his new "art de vivre".
Small Happiness - Electronics and the Ostrich / 2003
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Synopsis: Adam, a genius of electronics, pays a visit to his home town, 1200 kilometres from Niamey. He has come back with a project: an incubator for ostrich eggs... But will this enterprise seduce the villagers?
Small Happiness - The Second Life of Ano Mambo / 2003
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Synopsis: Victim of a car accident, Ano is brought to the morgue by his friends and family who were convinced that he was dead. Quite by chance, a doctor detected a light breath of life in Ano whom relatives were already mourning. Ano who by some miracle survived the accident, and in spite of his amputated arm, nowadays wants to sing the joys of life in a music band.
Small Happiness - Yayoudokhandene, The Lady of Saint-Louis / 2003
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Synopsis: Every day, Aminata pays a visit to fishermen and shopkeepers of fruits and vegetables. They are used to helping her to find everything she needs to cook meals that she afterwards distributes to ill people at the local hospital. This good-hearted Lady is now very well known in Saint-Louis.
Togoville, Between Shadows and Light / 2006
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Synopsis: Togoville is remarkable for its traditional architecture; small houses made of red earth and straw roofs.
In this city, 15,000 people share a faith deeply rooted in the "Nyigblin" cult, a feminine divinity represented by the python a peaceful snake.
Togoville, this corner stone of the togolese history, continue to hide and fold in the secrecy of the religion. Today, some aspects of the ancient struvtures linked to its political power are the cause of manipulations and rivalry between families. Why such an isolation? What is this dynasty, Is this a real kingdom?
Tradional Homes VII - My Soukhala's Land / 2001
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Synopsis: At the extreme North of Togo lives an ethnic group called Moba. As breeder, their only wealth is their herd. They live in round huts whose walls are made of beaten earth and roof of straw. These houses are built in circle around a central yard and linked together by a thick wall.
Every man, when he gets married, receives a hut from the head of the village. These huts are grouped together in hamlets called "soukhala". The soukhala can shelter several successive generations. However, nowadays, the growing number of soukhalas dramatically reduces the land suitable for cultivation.
Traditional Homes V - Earth, Brick, Chicken / 1999
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Synopsis: In the Central African Republic, women work from morning to night. Bedtime is the only time they rest. Women living in the suburb of Bangui know this well. In these neighbourhoods, the countryard is the main living area. People use their houses essentially for sleeping. The yard serves as both a dining room for families and a playground for children.
Among the work undertaken by men - young men in particular- is brick making. They extract clay from the marshes and the inner walls of water ducts. Once kneaded, the earth is placed in a wooden mould for shaping. The resulting brick, when dry, is solid and shock-resistant. Using these clay bricks, the people build or add extensions and then roughcast the walls with cement. The construction work is done by an experienced mason.
All types of structures can be seen in the neighbourhoods of Bangui. People build according to their tastes and, of course, their pocketbooks. From the most modest to the most lavish, these homes have one thing in common: earth bricks. What sets these homes apart is the amount of money invested in the wormanship and finish. Cement helps protect the bricks from eroding. After the construction is complete, the house is inaugurated in pure African tradition: by sacrificing a chicken to bless the house and its occupants.
Traditional Homes V - Fanalintcho / 1999
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Synopsis: In the past, the men of Falla, a village in Niger, built huts using solid, flexible branches, while the women wove mats out of palm leaves to cover these homes. Today, however, few huts remain. They've been replace by banco houses. Originally, granaries were built of straw and located outside the village. Today, they're placed close to the house and also made of earth or banco, which better protects the rice and tobacco stored in them from rain and animals. The people usually collect clay from the river banks, mix it with rice scraps, and form bricks. With these, they erct houses that are much sturdier than huts. Traditional methods, however, are still used to construct a fana. This special dwelling is occupied by newlyweds on their wedding night and then torn down the next morning. The men unearth the roots used on its construction, but the women assume the rest of the work. Their first task is to make a wedding bed. It must be as solid a bed as one built for eternity. The people believe that a child conceived on this wedding bed will never go hungry or thirsty because the roots (or fanalintcho) used to build the hut will confer on the child the power to graw water and food from the earth.
Traditional Homes VI - Bwa, The Child of the Do / 2000
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Synopsis: The Bwa people live in Middle-West of Burkina Faso. They are well-known for their courage and pride. The work of the land makes their good name and gives them honour and prestige. They mainly grow millet, corn, sorghum and cotton (or white gold). When the sowing season comes, men settle in the fields. After harvests, they go back to the village. Garrets being full, their security is guaranteed until the next season. Then, they celebrate.
A Bwa village is in harmony with the life of its inhabitants. And the house is at the centre of their life. There are still several houses built by the ancestors whom are venerated and with whom the Bwa remain united in order to establish a bridge between yesterday and tomorrow.
The blacksmith has a great authority over the community because he is the owner of the fire power. He is the one who makes tools (hoes, picks, knife, machetes) as well as weapons for the protection of the community. Besides being mediator in conflicts, he is alleged mystical powers and responsible for the continuity of rituals and cults.
In the housing structure, garrets take up an important place. A well-done construction in clay lasts more than fifty years. There are many well packed down roofs; skylights and gutters are looked after. In winter time, women add another layer of clay to prevent water infiltration.
Traditional Homes VII - Burundi's Batwa / 2001
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Synopsis: The Batwa people are a Burundi's minority ethnic group. Every family built its own hut according to a well defined process. In the sharing of the tasks between men and women, the large part goes to women.
These little huts are made of a single room, without comfort. Their construction seems temporary: a heritage of the past of this nomad people now being settled. The Batwa are craftsmen, blacksmiths or potters who are now becoming farmers and practice breeding.
Traditional Homes VII - M'Hong's Valley / 2001
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Synopsis: We are in a region in the North-West of Vietnam where the M'Hong people live. We call them the masters of the mountain. They practise the growing of rice in terrace. Courage, solidarity and happiness characterize them.
Their house shelters the whole family, sometimes until four generations. Everyone assumes his/her own share of responsibilities and work.
Traditional Homes VII - The Bafut Kingdom / 2001
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Synopsis: In the Graceland, the "Royal" huts of the Bamileke chiefs' domains, with their hierarchy, their palaces, their rich sculptures, and their rituals, are the pride of this ethnic group. These impressive constructions are made of bricks and tiles.
Other members of the community are living in slightly more modest homes.
The hut of the newly wed couples has only one room used as well as kitchen and bedroom. Walls are made of several layers of bamboo covered with straw.
Traditional Homes VII - The Bobo Madare / 2001
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Synopsis: For the Bobo Madare, solidarity is not a vain word. Any important matter is decided and made in community including the construction of a house.
Animist rituals come before the building of a house and attest of the always lively presence of the tradition for the Bobo Madare. Houses walls are made of clay with a roof made of wooden beams, straw and well packed down clay.
Traditional Homes VII - The Mpati / 2001
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Synopsis: The farmer often has is land far from the village. Since it's better to be close to make the most of his land and to reap what he has sown, he often decides to build a hut as a second house. This house called "mpati" can also be used by the community or by a passing traveller.
Contrary to what is usually done in several other African ethnic groups, the construction of the mpati is not a community matter: two or three men are doing it alone. Once the land is chosen and ancestors invoked, the work starts: clearing of the ground, collect of herbs for the roof, choice and cutting of needed trunks, etc.
Traditional Homes VI - Kroumen, The Call / 2000
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Synopsis: The Krou people live in the South-West of Ivory Coast between Cavally river and San Pedro.
Krou live in community in the respect of the sea and the earth. Land work is the main resource. Men and women skills to take advantage of their environment gave them a kind of economical comfort. A long tradition of sea and land work, of hunting as well as farming maintained everyone's subsistence. Food and physical security guaranteed a stable and harmonious social development.
Family is at the centre of the community, marriage is the cement. The marriage procedure is made of four phases: agreement, confirmation of the commitment, offering of gifts from husband's family and finally the official handing over of the bride to her new family.
The building of a hut is a community matter. A round shaped Krou house has no room. It's based on four pillars: one for the head of the family, another for the kitchen, a third one for the strangers and the last one for the children. The wall has two windows and four doors set in it. Their habitat is the result of Krou's skill, ingenuity, experience, tradition and creativity.
Traditional Homes VI - My Wife's Teuleuk / 2000
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Synopsis: Mousgoum's traditional huts are better known as shell-hut. The Mousgoum, as well as their neighbour the Massa and the Moudang settled along the Logone River, the border between North Cameroon and South-West Chad.
In spite of their unique shape, the shell-huts are becoming scarce; this genuine traditional habitat is disappearing at the benefit of standardized houses. Nevertheless, shell-hut reaches a level of perfection unrivalled in the history of traditional African architecture.
Because of the hot days, houses have no window and only a small entrance. To build a shell-hut, workers are largely using the pottery techniques.
Mousgoum lay their huts in a circle of about 20 meters. A "sare" is made of several huts: one at the entrance for the head of the family, another of the left side of the entrance for the first wife, eventually a third one on the right side for the second wife, with the veranda and the kitchen. At the back, an enclosure for the cattle and, in the centre, the main attic shared by the whole family. The site may also include two or three other huts for older children who live there with their wife and children.
Traditional Homes V - Indian Heritage / 1999
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Synopsis: Legend has it that Mauritius was God's inspiration for heaven. The Portuguese, in 1507, were the first Europeans to step foot on the island. In 1538, the Dutch disembarked here and named the site after Prince Maurice of Nassau. They also introduced sugar cane here. In 1715, the French arrived, followed a century later by the English in 1810. With the English, the sugar cane fields spread to the plains and valleys.
Mauritius has developed in large part thanks to labourers who began migrating from India in 1834. They hoped for a better future and worked diligently. Yet they also dreamed of their distant land and gradually re-created their old environment. Their first houses were low cottages built with wooden structures and straw roofs. After a cyclone killed 1,200 people her in 1892, the labourers and free Indians began to seek out more durable material. To strengthen their homes, they added columns and thatching. The low walls were hand-covered with cow dung and earth. The walls were built with a mixture of water, slaked lime, sand and clay.
In 1945, another cyclone took the lives of 400 people. As a result, the islanders began in the fifties to construct houses that were even sturdier and covered in sheet metal. When cement was introduced, the wood floor gave way to concrete. In the sixties, concrete also replaced the sheet metal. Originally built without an architect, these homes eventually changed form and design, especially for wealthier islanders during the sugar boom in the seventies.
Traditional Homes VI - Tata's Call / 2000
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Synopsis: The Otanmari people live in the North-West of Benin at the bottom of the Atacora cliffs. They are farmers. Every family has to build and own its tata. The material is clay. The true Otanmari is the one who, even after having left the village, never cut with his roots; it's the one who still owns his tata in the village. It's a matter of pride.
The tata has a strong symbolic meaning. For example, the entrance is always turned towards the West because bad spirits, cold wind and rain always come from the East. The symbolism also concerns the structure of the tata. The ground floor represents the heel and the death. It's always dark and it's where we can find the family fetishes as well as the cattle. The terrace settled on the roof represents the surface of the earth and allows access to other parts of the habitat and conic shaped attics on the top of tatas. On the terrace, there is a hole called "tabota" from where arrows were thrown to fight assailants. Water from the roof seeps out along a gargoyle called "the penis of the tata". The construction of the tata is the result of a community work in which everyone gives the best to perpetuate the tradition.
Traditional Homes VI - The Return / 2000
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Synopsis: Thanks to the fluidity of its shape, Vietnamese habitat is very refined and in search of a balance between the useful and the pleasant; a testimony of ancestor's wisdom.
In Vietnam, the house, the village and the people are part of the same entity. For most of the Vietnamese, "there are only three important events in a man's life: to buy a buffalo, to get married and to have his own house built".
The house is a sacred cradle, a link between generations. It's a place where not only bodies are gathering but also minds. The house is a whole universe, harmony between material and spiritual. First, women's room, where rice is also kept as well as furniture.
The number of compartment is always uneven (1, 3, 5 or 7). Main compartments are in the front; the altar always in the centre and on each side, the living space and the men's space. There are also the kitchen, the yard, the garden and stables. The main compartments are linked together by wooden doors allowing an easy circulation of fresh air.
Villages are settled in places favourable to life, circulation, development of agriculture and crafts: on the top or at the foot of mountains or along rivers. Every village take pride of its pagoda, genuine art work.
Traditional Homes VI - Tissa Ouirguane / 2000
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Synopsis: In Morocco, the Douar are the result of the settling process of the nomads. Originally, Douar was referring to a gathering of tents. Their closeness was a guarantee of security. Furthermore, Douar are always settled on mountain ridges or sides still for security concerns but also because of the fertility of the soil. The natural environment is the country side at the foot of the Middle Atlas. The farming is extensive and the breeding is performed in several enclosures within the Douar. The architectural concept integrates everything linked to the daily life of the peasant: cattle and food stock.
For the construction, they use local material: wood, stone, straw and stubble, reed cane, string, earth and water; a total of seven materials. A Douar is usually made of a living room for the family, a veranda, a terrace "Doukana", a yard "douira", a kitchen and a shelter for the cattle "Nouala".
In this structure organized into a hierarchy, the "douar" is the missing link between the casbah and the ksour.
Traditional Homes VI - Watchi: Romeo and Akoelevi / 2000
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Synopsis: The Watchi people live in the South of Togo. There, the blacksmith commands respect, he has some powers: he is also healer. The land belongs to the community in which everyone has its own speciality, a product that he can exchange with other members of the community or sell at the market.
Only the board of guardians can decide on the construction of a house. The family will have to ask for the help of the village people.
True to tradition, the construction will have four right angles. Corners of the house recall the permanent search for hidden and secure places for the peoples.
Traditional houses are slowly disappearing. New houses built with stronger material proved to be more resistant to bad weather. Old people fear those changes. What will happen with traditional values?
Traditional Homes VI - Wodaabe, The Interdict / 2000
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Synopsis: The "Wodaabe" people live in the centre of Niger between the huge Sahara and savannah. We call them "Wodaabe" (taboo) because they don't want to be like the others. They are fighting for their living: against the dryness of the climate and against those who want to change them.
The interdict: to mix with others, to be part of another group. During the "Gerwol", the large gathering of this people, women choose a husband for one, two or three years. All young men get ready to compete between them to be chosen. They wear make up and costumes. The brightness of teeth and the slimness of the nose are among the main criteria of beauty.
The "Suudu", the traditional hut, is two meters high on a diameter of three meters and is always built facing West.
The construction is a matter of women, often aunts of the bride.
Women can choose another husband the year after: they keep their "suudu" and children. Men are owner of livestock and can be chosen by another woman.
Traditional Homes V - Olébé / 1999
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Synopsis: The Doua and the Ossendo clans once lived far from here. But their former region was racked by wars with large hostile tribes. One day, they decided together to relocate. They headed in the direction of the sun until they reached a suitable area for settling down. That area was Likouala in northern Congo.
The communal home in the village is called olébé. It's the site of quarrels, debates and initiations. It's also a place for storing belongings. When strangers visit, they're offered room in the attic. In the centre of the olébé, a fire burns continually as if to lend life to the village. The women use this earth to prepare manioc and cook meat. The meat comes from animals that the men hunt while women are farming the land.
Several months before a new olébé is to be built, the people begin preparing the thatching for its roof. The rest of the work takes only a day. Before sundown, the villagers hail their new olébé, which, according to legend, their ancestors will closely watch over.
Traditional Homes V - The Mvet Player / 1999
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Synopsis: According to legend, the Fans of Cameroon migrated from afar. Their original homeland was crossed by a large river that provided the families with food. But all around them lived hostile tribes. The Fans decided to pull up stakes. They travelled a long way. At the end of their trek, the survivors came to a vast forest where they settled down.
Today, the forest still supplies the Fans with the stakes, rattan, vines and raffia the use to build their huts. Stakes planted in the ground hold up the frame, which is reinforced with earth mixed with water. The roof is covered with pre-woven mats. A hearth used primarily for meal making is built in the corner inside the hut. Hung above the hearth is a rack for storing various items.
For the Fans, the forest is a vital resource. It provides not only building material but also all the elements needed to vary and balance their diet.
Traditional Homes V The Royal Palaces of Abomey / 1999
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Synopsis: Built since the 17th Century according to the same principles, Abomey's royal palaces reveals the genius of this legendary architecture. The palace's plan, with its vast courtyards and several rooms is conceived to protect the sovereign's intimity and to establish its authority.
before acceding to royal functions, the
futur king had to built ist own princely palace. Made in the image of the royal palaces, ordinary houses are built with red earth.
Traditional Homes V - The Rugo / 1999
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Synopsis: In Burundi, the family dwelling is called a rugo. The houses in Mukike, a village in the Mugamba region, look completely different for those in Bujumbura, the capital of this small central African country. In Mukike, the houses look as though they're wearing straw hats. In hilly areas, homes are built at the foot of the hills. Fields and fences surround the houses and everywhere you look is cows with impressive horns.
Cows are very important to the locals, who spend considerable time caring for their animals. Next to the parents' hut in the concession are huts for cows and calves, a hut for older children, and a granary for storing corn.
Besides a central courtyard, a rugo has two other yards, one in the front and one out back. Entry into the rugo is from the front yard. The backyard is usually reserved for the hearth, which consist of three stones for holding the cooking pot. Built above the hearth is a rack used to protect certain items from the humidity. The smoke rising from the hearth blackens everything in the house, including the inside of the roof top. A shelf is also put up to hold baskets and other items used especially in processing and preserving milk.
Traditional Homes V - Tozeur, The Mirage Oasis / 1999
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Synopsis: Located on the gold and salt route and the palm and spice route, Tozeur is a city shaped by the ever changing dunes and mirages in the south of Tunisia. But Tozeur's mystery perhaps lies in the water that crosses the desert to give sustenance to the city's oasis and palm groves.
Thanks to this water, brickmakers in Tozeur can create the solid bricks used in local architecture. Water and clay are mixed with earth. The mix, after fermenting overnight, is moulded, sprinkled with palm tree ash, and dried in the sun. The bricks are then placed to "cook" in ovens fuelled by dried branches from the oasis.
Contemporary architects use solid bricks and abstract patterns to decorate the new buildings. They respect the aesthetic of the ancestral medine of Tozeur, although the ramparts space. Climatic demands and a desire for privacy have imposed a protective and introverted form of architecture: few openings in the facades, narrow alleys, and open passages that allow people to meet in the cool shade to chat.
The resident of Tozeur, who are more gerdeners than farmers, have made palm groves an extension of their homes. The palm trees protect the fruit trees, which in turn shield the vegetable gardens.
Traditional Homes V - Zagoura, The Oasis Haven / 1999
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Synopsis: Ancestral Zagoura lies in the southern part of Morocco. The area is dotted with oases, palm groves and mountains and warmed by a Saharan climate. Traditional construction is carried out with local natural resources: clay, rock, palm tree branches and reeds. As a result, the architecture is well adapted to the climate. Restoration work on older buildings is helping rejuvenate Zagoura and preserve its heritage.
The construction work requires very skilled labour. The contractor must finish the work in record time - just after the date-picking season and before the start of the rainy season. Several types of local earth are mixed with water to create a uniform magma that will be placed in a formwork called a "coffin". Gradually whole wall sections will be put up to form the outside enclosure of the home in the region. The buildings above the alleys are made of raw earth without any roughcast. Zigoura owes its majestic elegance to the many towers that rise from the high walls.
A favourite meeting place for the locals is the souk. Here, merchants and customers from the town and countryside pick up their daily essentials as well as supplies for festivities. For some, celebration can last several days. Others, however, head back to work the next day. Throughout the ages, Moroccans have preserved a strong spirit of solidarity whenever it's needed.
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