Trances

A film crew follow Morocco's avant-pop group Nass-El Ghiwane from gig to gig in Ahmed El Maanouni's renowned music documentary.

Curator's Note
Encountering Traces through Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project was formative. The film offers an intimate and unguarded window into Moroccan life, one that resists mediation or translation through dominant media frameworks.

What distinguishes the work is its seamless integration of archival material with live performance, creating a layered temporal experience where history and immediacy coexist. That gesture, of collapsing time through image and sound, became a lasting influence on my own practice.

The film also introduced me to Nass El Ghiwane, often referred to as “the Rolling Stones of Africa,” whose music opened up a broader engagement with African sonic traditions that continues to inform my work.

Traces remains a powerful example of cinema’s capacity to carry culture, quietly, precisely and on its own terms. Oh yeah, and the music is incredible. 

Kahlil Joseph (Guest Curator)