{"id":5001,"date":"2026-10-09T00:03:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T00:03:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/?p=5001"},"modified":"2026-10-10T15:58:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T15:58:23","slug":"from-the-united-nations-ahmed-bouchlika-highlights-support-for-cinema-and-hassani-culture-and-the-creative-potential-of-moroccos-southern-provinces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/from-the-united-nations-ahmed-bouchlika-highlights-support-for-cinema-and-hassani-culture-and-the-creative-potential-of-moroccos-southern-provinces\/","title":{"rendered":"From the United Nations, Ahmed Bouchlika Highlights Support for Cinema and Hassani Culture, and the Creative Potential of Morocco\u2019s Southern Provinces"},"content":{"rendered":"

From preserving Hassani cultural memory to empowering creators, and from film-production support to regional broadcasting, Moroccan filmmaker and producer Ahmed Bouchlika presents an account of the cultural and developmental transformations taking place in the Kingdom\u2019s southern provinces before the Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. Drawing on his personal and professional experience, alongside figures relating to film and television production, he uses culture as a lens through which to examine Morocco\u2019s broader development trajectory and the messages it conveys to international, African, Arab and Maghreb audiences.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In his address to the Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly during its eighty-first session in New York, Moroccan filmmaker and producer Ahmed Bouchlika did not approach Hassani culture as a static heritage confined to a particular time and place. Instead, he presented it through a perspective that brings together memory, identity and production, linking the right to cultural expression with the ability to access the means of creativity, training and public distribution. His intervention carries particular weight because it draws on direct personal and professional experience. As a native of the Moroccan Sahara, Bouchlika grew up in a cultural environment shaped by poetry, music and oral traditions before making cinema a means of expressing that heritage and bringing it to wider audiences.<\/p>\n

The significance of his intervention also lies in the venue where it was delivered. The Fourth Committee examines political questions relating to Non-Self-Governing Territories, including the question of the Moroccan Sahara. Bouchlika chose to place culture, artistic creation and media production among the elements through which the transformation of the Kingdom\u2019s southern provinces can be understood. This choice shifts the discussion beyond the symbolic dimension of identity towards the conditions that allow identity to become a productive cultural practice, supported by institutions, resources and platforms, and capable of reaching audiences beyond its geographical boundaries.<\/p>\n

One of the central messages emerging from his remarks is that development cannot be measured solely through infrastructure and investment, important as both may be. It must also be assessed by a society\u2019s ability to preserve its memory, train new generations of creators and produce its own cultural representations. From this perspective, Hassani culture is not simply a heritage to be kept in archives. It is a living resource that can nourish cinema, television and the cultural industries, create professional opportunities for young people and strengthen the presence of the southern provinces in Morocco\u2019s national and international cultural landscape.<\/p>\n

The Constitution: From Recognition of Identity to Empowering Creators<\/h2>\n

In his address, Ahmed Bouchlika referred to Article 5 of Morocco\u2019s Constitution, which recognises the Kingdom\u2019s linguistic diversity and establishes Hassani culture as one of the components of Morocco\u2019s cultural identity, enriched by multiple influences. This legal reference was more than a formal citation. It provided a basis for connecting constitutional recognition with public policies that enable creators to express their identity, produce their work and bring it before audiences.<\/p>\n

The practical value of constitutional recognition depends on how it is reflected in people\u2019s lives and in the work of institutions. When cultural protection translates into support for production, training and distribution, heritage becomes a space for creative renewal rather than merely an object of celebration. When recognition remains confined to legal texts and public statements, however, the gap between a cultural right and its effective exercise remains.<\/p>\n

By emphasising the shift from preserving Hassani culture to enabling its creators to produce and innovate, Bouchlika places local creative professionals at the centre of the development debate. A filmmaker or producer needs more than recognition of the value of their culture. They need the material and professional conditions to make a film, access to training, distribution channels and platforms through which their work can reach audiences. These are the elements that ultimately determine whether cultural policy can generate lasting results.<\/p>\n

Fifteen Million Dirhams a Year: What Does It Mean for Saharan Cinema?<\/h2>\n

Discussing public support mechanisms, Bouchlika stated that, since January 2015, the Moroccan Cinematographic Centre has allocated an annual budget of 15 million dirhams to support documentaries documenting Saharan and Hassani culture. As presented in his intervention, this figure points to the existence of an institutional mechanism through which local culture can be translated into cinema, providing filmmakers with opportunities to document social and cultural memory and bring it to audiences through works that can circulate and participate in festivals.<\/p>\n

The significance of such a mechanism extends beyond the amount of funding itself. Documentary filmmaking can preserve oral accounts, testimonies and social experiences that might otherwise be forgotten. It can also introduce Hassani culture to audiences who know little about it. Yet a film requires a complete professional chain, including writing, production, filming, post-production, promotion and distribution. The impact of funding should therefore not be measured solely by the number of films produced. It should also be assessed through the quality of the works, the sustainability of production companies, the jobs they generate and their ability to reach audiences in Morocco and abroad.<\/p>\n

In discussing the presence of Saharan filmmakers at festivals, Bouchlika referred to several works and international appearances, including the film The Call<\/em>, which he associated with international festivals, including the Florida International Film Festival in 2006, as well as the Carthage Film Festival and the Ismailia International Film Festival, among others. The reference highlights the possibility of local productions crossing borders and allowing Hassani culture to enter into dialogue with different cultural experiences and traditions.<\/p>\n

International festival participation, however, should not be reduced to a list of awards or events. The broader development challenge is to build sustainable careers for filmmakers and producers, turn individual successes into a renewable cultural industry, and ensure that works can circulate. This requires distribution mechanisms, access to cinemas and digital platforms, and greater opportunities for Moroccan and international audiences to discover these productions.<\/p>\n

La\u00e2youne Regional Television: From Heritage Preservation to a Local Content Economy<\/h2>\n

Turning to the media dimension of his intervention, Bouchlika highlighted the role of La\u00e2youne regional television, launched in 2004, in documenting Hassani culture and preserving oral heritage. According to the figures he presented, the channel produced approximately 431 hours of in-house programming in 2025, in addition to 209 hours of external production intended in part to support local Saharan companies specialising in cultural audiovisual content.<\/p>\n

These figures invite a broader reading than a simple television production report. In-house production reflects a broadcaster\u2019s capacity to develop content rooted in its cultural and social environment. External production, meanwhile, creates opportunities for local companies to participate in programme-making, strengthen professional expertise and establish working relationships with a regional audiovisual institution. Television can therefore perform two complementary functions: preserving collective memory and contributing to the economic activity associated with audiovisual production.<\/p>\n

The actual impact of this model nevertheless depends on its ability to generate lasting opportunities. Production hours are a useful indicator, but they do not by themselves establish the quality of the content, the extent to which local companies benefit or the degree to which programmes reach younger audiences. Digital transformation also requires regional broadcasters to rethink distribution, develop content for mobile devices and online platforms, and treat audiovisual archives as cultural, educational and economic resources.<\/p>\n

From this perspective, the figures cited by Bouchlika open a wider discussion about the relationship between public media and territorial development. A regional broadcaster does more than transmit news or schedule programmes. It can help shape cultural awareness, introduce younger generations to their heritage and create demand for the services of local audiovisual companies. Achieving these goals also requires continuous training, innovation in storytelling, better audience analysis and the ability to produce local content that can compete in quality and appeal.<\/p>\n

Moroccan Women: From Representation on Screen to Active Participation in Development<\/h2>\n

Any examination of cultural and developmental progress in the southern provinces remains incomplete without considering the role of Moroccan women in these transformations. Women should not be viewed solely as characters appearing in films or as subjects addressed by television programmes. They can also be directors, producers, screenwriters, technicians and leaders of cultural enterprises, while contributing to the transmission of oral memory and the preservation of social heritage.<\/p>\n

This dimension calls for an examination of cultural development through the lens of equal opportunity and women\u2019s access\u2014particularly that of young women\u2014to training, funding and creative decision-making. It also raises questions about how women are represented in cinema and television. Do these works reflect the diversity of their experiences, ambitions and economic and social participation, or do they reproduce traditional images of women\u2019s roles?<\/p>\n

Including women in this discussion is not a symbolic addition to the cultural debate. It touches the core of human development. The broader the participation in cultural production, the greater a society\u2019s ability to express the diversity of its experiences and mobilise talent across its different communities. The development of cinema and media in the southern provinces can therefore help connect the preservation of identity with the empowerment of women and young people, turning creativity into a pathway for participation, professional independence and contribution to the local economy.<\/p>\n

The Message to the International Community: Development as a Language Through Which Morocco Presents Itself<\/h2>\n

Ahmed Bouchlika\u2019s decision to present his experience and the figures he cited before the Fourth Committee of the United Nations gives his intervention a significance that extends beyond the film sector. The international audience is presented not only with a political argument, but also with concrete elements relating to the Constitution, public funding, television production, creative professionals and the place of Hassani culture in public life.<\/p>\n

The strength of this approach lies in its ability to make cultural development part of the wider presentation of the Kingdom\u2019s southern provinces, using institutions, programmes and practices that can be examined and assessed. International recognition is not built through statements alone. Nor is the image a region projects to the world shaped solely by economic and political data. Culture also helps communicate a society\u2019s history and its ability to produce its own works, narratives and representations.<\/p>\n

For this message to have a wider impact, however, the figures and examples need to be documented, cultural works need greater opportunities for circulation, and Moroccan creators need to establish a sustained presence in international networks. An intervention at a United Nations forum creates an opportunity to present an experience; extending its impact depends on the continuity of projects and the ability to develop professional and cultural partnerships beyond the event itself.<\/p>\n

At the African, Arab and Maghreb levels, Hassani culture also offers opportunities for dialogue that extend beyond political geography. Music, poetry, storytelling and cinema can open channels of cooperation among artists, producers and cultural institutions. This heritage can support joint projects, professional exchanges and productions exploring cultural and human connections between societies, while respecting the distinctiveness of Morocco\u2019s experience and the diversity of its cultural components.<\/p>\n

This prospect becomes even more significant when linked to the development of the cultural industries. Artistic exchange then moves beyond symbolic participation and can create opportunities for co-production, distribution, training and economic value. The objective is therefore not simply to introduce Hassani culture to foreign audiences, but to establish it as a sustained component of Morocco\u2019s cultural presence across African, Arab and Maghreb spaces.<\/p>\n

Cultural Development: Sustainability and Territorial Equity<\/h2>\n

In concluding his intervention, Bouchlika linked constitutional recognition of Hassani culture with direct financial support and the availability of television production and distribution platforms. He presented this combination as evidence of the cultural transformation and development taking place in the Kingdom\u2019s southern provinces within the country\u2019s broader democratic and development process.<\/p>\n

His conclusion reflects a view of development based on interaction between institutions and local creative talent, and on the transition of culture from symbolic recognition to productive activity. Consolidating this model, however, requires the continued evaluation of public policies, their results and the areas that still need improvement. Sustainable cultural development cannot be measured solely by funding levels or the number of production hours. It must also be assessed through the ability of creators to sustain their work, the benefits accruing to local companies, the presence of productions in cinemas and on digital platforms, and fair access to opportunities for young people and women.<\/p>\n

The success of this experience also raises the question of territorial equity within the southern provinces themselves. How can access to funding and training be extended across different cities and localities? How can production be prevented from becoming concentrated among a limited number of institutions or participants? What conditions are needed to connect local cultural infrastructure with national and international distribution networks?<\/p>\n

These questions do not diminish the importance of the figures presented by filmmaker and producer Ahmed Bouchlika. Rather, they provide a natural extension of his argument. By referring to his professional experience, film-support mechanisms and television production figures, he offers the international debate a set of elements through which to understand cultural transformation in the southern provinces. His intervention also invites consideration of the next stage: one in which success is measured by the ability of institutions to turn available resources into lasting opportunities, by the capacity of creators to build a renewed cultural industry, and by the extent to which women and young people participate fully in shaping that future.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Bouchlika\u2019s intervention goes beyond praising support institutions to highlight the relationship between culture, development and identity. Its central message is that preserving Hassani culture means more than safeguarding its past. It also means empowering those who inherit it to produce its present and shape its future\u2014in Morocco, across African, Arab and Maghreb spaces, and on international platforms where the Moroccan experience can be presented through the work of its creators and the outcomes of its cultural and development policies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From preserving Hassani cultural memory to empowering creators, and from film-production support to regional broadcasting, Moroccan filmmaker and producer Ahmed Bouchlika presents an account of the cultural and developmental transformations taking place in the Kingdom\u2019s southern provinces before the Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. Drawing on his personal and professional experience, alongside […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5002,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,43,109,42,41,76],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-africa","category-asia-americas","category-cinema-diplomacy","category-europe-russia","category-middle-east","category-the-maghreb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5001"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5003,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5001\/revisions\/5003"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatique.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}