In the enchanting setting of the Windy City, between its majestic ramparts and its streets steeped in history, the Festival offers real immersion. Places like the French Institute, Dar Souiri, the Skala, or the Bastion Borj Bab Marrakech are transformed into supports for exhibiting photographic works of rare power. It’s not just a matter of visualizing “clichés”, but of interacting with stories, emotions and struggles captured on photo paper.
Picture storytellers
“Vivants” begins in December with the “Slow Down” experience in which Brahim Benkirane and Alexandre Chaplier invite the public to take their time. Their images evoke the forgotten roads of Morocco, these paths that force you to slow down and savor the moments. Each detour becomes an opportunity for unexpected encounters and unforeseen stories.
In Dar Souiri, the opening of the exhibition “Waha” by the artist Seif Kousmate takes place who, through his images, takes us to the oases of southern Morocco, places whose fragility is cloaked in resilience. In his photos the tensions between an endangered ecosystem and the efforts made to preserve this vital heritage are embodied. “Waha” delves into the daily lives of the inhabitants of these regions, in their daily struggle to coexist with a changing nature.
The journey continues with Anne-Lise Broyer and her work “Is this where we lived?”, where she invites the public to explore another Mediterranean than that of postcards. His photographs revive a collective memory still wounded by its past. She takes an intimate look at landscapes marked by disaster, but also by gradual reconstruction.
In “Ordinary Morocco”, Joseph Marando reveals photos that document real life, that of ordinary people and the daily lives that we forget. In this archive of a Morocco of forgotten stories, this native of Agadir recalls his attachment to his country of birth and his interest in his youth which he has already addressed in a documentary on illegal immigration.
-And then there is Reza, whose exhibition “Become Heaven” celebrates spirituality in all its forms, unifying perspectives in a common quest for peace and mutual understanding, beyond religious and philosophical divisions.
Words are needed!
Between these different photographic stations, moments of exchange and transmission connect and give meaning. A photographic walk with young local talent Zakaria Mtilk allows you to discover Essaouira in a new light, while a conversation moderated by Nathalie Locatelli, director of Galerie 127, opens a dialogue between photographers and audiences, on photography as a tool of memory . Workshops are also planned for applied arts students which complete this program and demonstrate the festival’s commitment to youth and the future of photography.
“Vivants” embodies the philosophy of the Rendez-vous de la photo and their ambition to discover and democratize the art of photography, through the creation of a space for exchange and communication channels between professionals and practitioners in the process of professionalization. This edition also invites you to slow down, observe and reconnect with your senses. In the unique atmosphere of Essaouira, who wouldn’t like to take a camera and stroll through the streets steeped in history, to become a photographer for a walk?
