This documentary will give people a true insight into the traditional crafts and techniques that have been used by artisans for centuries, rooted in the history of Sefrou and Morocco as a whole. Not only will we get to hear from Mustapha and how he has dedicated his life to becoming a weaver, we'll get to see his work at the centre of its creation. This is a part of the world that few have even heard of, I want to capture it's beauty and bring attention to the creative work that goes on here.
Originally this piece was going to include a number of artisans in Sefrou and tie in with the work of 'Culture Vultures', an organisation who provide residencies to artist's worldwide who wish to be taught by the artisans through a series of interactive workshops. This was good but I felt I'd have been losing focus somewhat. My inspiration for this project sparked from several conversations I had with Mustapha, one of the artisans, in April 2016 when I first visited Morocco. His passion and love for his work shone through. The only trouble was that people are not able to find his work and appreciate it, he feels somewhat isolated in this community. My intentions are to focus the project solely on his journey, his work, the belief in his methods and his thoughts for the future of Sefrou and for the artisanal community.
Through developing my idea, I began to realise how I could create extended sequences that show some of the processes and methods used by Mustapha and record the individual sounds as well. How he interacts with his tools, the materials around him. Identifying the relationship he has with the environment around him is important. As I continued to think of how to approach Mustapha, I realised how my piece could help bring attention to his work, possibly inciting interest from the textile industry as well as helping to identify Sefrou as a beacon for creativity, a place where artists can get back to grassroots and be inspired.
Researching and developing my idea has helped me to flesh out what's important and what I need to do in order to make this documentary. Contextually speaking, I looked into some smaller documentaries for inspiration on how I could collate Mustapha's story as well as how best to film him working. Initially, I looked at 'Elgin Park' (D. Danny Yourd, 2015) a documentary that focuses on the work of Michael Paul Smith. He recreates a fictional town through models organised against working backdrops and photographs them. It is nicely shot and feels honest, natural. A man who spent time doing what he loves, eventually getting recognised for this and praised on the unique style and depth that goes into his work. A master of his craft, just like Mustapha and that becomes clear as you get to know the person. The extreme closeups on his models, mid shots as he paints the scenary are similar to what I'd like to achieve in my documentary, I will go one step further and make these sequences substantial enough to stand on their own, not just serving as supporting material.
'Elgin Park' (2015)
Another short film that inspired me and helped develop my idea comes from Ryosei Suzuki and it's entitled 'The Artisans of Morocco'. It captures the atmosphere of a working community in Marrakech and focuses on the unique sounds of artisans working. If you close your eyes, it becomes a soundscape, a blend of materials colliding together, tools being used to forge new pieces. Each sound corresponds to a specific action that has a role in the overall process. I'd like to experiment with the combination of sounds that come from Mustapha's workshop, as well as in the medina and around Sefrou. Suzuki's film show's each artisanal tool in action in a fast cut but the mix is edited well so it works whether you watch or just listen. I'd like to show the beauty and let the images/sounds speak for themselves in as natural a way as possible. Through the development of my idea, I will ensure that 'Mustapha the Weaver' gives a fresh look at the traditional artisanship of Morocco and provides an insight into the life of a man and his 400 year old loom.
Stills from 'The Artisans of Morocco' (2013)
Bibliography:
Elgin Park (2015) D. Danny Yourd. [Online] Available from: https://vimeo.com/116577464 [Accessed: January 8th 2017]
The Artisans of Morocco (2013) D. Ryosei Suzuki [Online] Avilable from: https://vimeo.com/70304558 [Accessed: January 9th 2017]