DVD
Trances
Edition
Director-approved DVD special edition.
Languages
In Moroccan Arabic, with English subtitles.
Performers
Nass el Ghiwan (Omar Sayed, Larbi Batma, Abderrahman "Paco" Kirouche, Allal Yaala).
Publication Information
[Irvington, NY] : Criterion Collection, [2021]
Physical Description
1 videodisc (88 minutes) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 folded sheet (color illustrations ; 19 cm.)
Audience
Not rated.
Summary
"The groundbreaking Moroccan band Nass El Ghiwane is the dynamic subject of this captivating, one-of-a-kind documentary by Ahmed El Maanouni, who filmed the four musicians during a series of electrifying live performances in Tunisia, Morocco, and France; on the streets of Casablanca; and in intimate conversations. Storytellers through song and traditional instruments, and with connections to political theater, the band became a local phenomenon and an international sensation, thanks to its rebellious lyrics and sublime, fully acoustic sound, which draws on Berber rhythms, Malhun sung poetry, and Gnawa dances. Both a concert movie and a free-form audiovisual experiment, bolstered by images of the band's rapt audience, Trances is pure cinematic poetry."--Container.
Notes
Originally released as a documentary in 1981.
Special features: 2K digital restoration courtesy of The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project in collaboration with the Cineteca di Bologna ; introduction from 2013 by The Film Foundation's founder and chair, Martin Scorsese ; interview program from 2013 featuring director Ahmed El Maanouni, producer Izza Génini, musician Omar Sayed, and Scorsese.