Achewiq, the Song of the Brave Women

    Achewiq, le chant des femmes-courage

    • Elina Kastler
    • France
    • 2022
    • 16 min
    • World Premiere
    • IDFA Competition for Short Documentary

    Kabylie, in the north of Algeria, is a region where Berber culture is still very much alive. The residents know that life can be hard, but last summer was exceptional: fires reduced entire hillsides to ashes, and even ancient olive trees perished.

    The women of Kabylie deal with their suffering through achewiq, a musical form in which long, improvised lines of song explore the great issues of life. Practitioners have become scarce, but director Elina Kastler found some who were willing to be filmed. These women have been through a lot: the struggle to preserve their culture, the departure of their children, the death of their husbands. Singing evokes many emotions and at the same time is a release.

    Achewiq shows the resilience of these women. Even after disaster, they sow the seeds for the next harvest and laugh together at the absurdity of existence. Kastler allows them to shine, in their finest clothing, no matter what the future may hold for them.

    Credits

    • 16 min
    • color
    • DCP
    • Spoken languages: Berber, French
    • Subtitles in: English
    Director
    Elina Kastler
    Production
    Le Fresnoy - Studio national des arts contemporains
    Co-production
    Alpha Tango Studio
    Cinematography
    Juliette Barrat
    Editing
    Maxence Tasserit

    IDFA history

    2022
    World Premiere
    IDFA Competition for Short Documentary

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    IDFA history

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