El Gusto
North American Premiere

El Gusto

Viewpoints
| Ireland, United Arab Emirates, Algeria | 88 MINUTES | French, Arabic
Documentary, Music
A beautiful rhythmic cocktail of Andalusian, Berber, Arabic, and Flamenco traditions, chaabi music was the heart and soul of cosmopolitan Algiers in the 1940s. When the war of independence tore apart the peaceful Muslim and Jewish communities that came together to play this joyful, sometimes scandalous music, its greatest practitioners were flung back to France or scattered across an austere and increasingly authoritative Algeria. Fast-forward to 2003, when filmmaker Safinez Bousbia serendipitously discovered some old photographs of a music class from the '40s in an antique shop in Algiers. Inspired, she spent the next several years tracking down a group of friends kept apart for five decades to stage an extraordinary reunion concert.

This spirited documentary is a celebration of the power of music to transcend national, social, and religious boundaries. Bousbia's still-fiery subjects, now 70 to 100 years old, pour all their pent-up emotion into both their music and an enlightening chronicle of the antithetical effect liberation had on the region's multicultural dialogue. She and cinematographer Nuria Roldos make gorgeous use of Algeria's crumbling casbah, winding the camera through its labyrinthine passageways and soaring above it for sun-dappled panoramas.

Cast & Credits
Directed by
Safinez Bousbia
Safinez Bousbia was born in Algeria and educated in Switzerland, the UK, and the UAE. She worked as an architect before making films, including the documentary X-Kids (2004), through her Dublin-based Quidam Productions. She collaborated with Damon Albarn to produce the El Gusto orchestra's first album.
Editor
Françoise Bonnot, A.C.E.; Julien Villacampa
Director of Photography
Nuria Roldos
Composer
Orchestre El Gusto
Primary Cast
Mamad Haïder Benchaouch, Rachid Berkani, Ahmed Bernaoui, Abdelkader Chercham, Redha el-Djilali, Mohamed el-Ferkioui
Screenwriter
Safinez Bousbia
Director
Safinez Bousbia
Co-Producer
Eikosi Productions
Producer
Safinez Bousbia, Heidi Egger
Associate Producer
Phillipe Maynial, Babylone Productions

Contacts
Acquisitions Executive
Michael J. Werner
Fortissimo Films
Van Diemenstraat 100 Amsterdam, 1013 CN
Phone: +31 20 627 3215
michael@fortissimo-hk.com
http://www.fortissimofilms.com
Sales Agent
Winnie Lau
Senior VP, Sales & Acquisitions
Fortissimo Films
Van Diemenstraat 100 Amsterdam, The Netherlands 1013 CN
Phone: 0031206273215
winnie@fortissimofilms.com
http://www.fortissimofilms.com
Print Return
Laura Talsma
Fortissimo Films
Van Diemenstraat 100 Amsterdam, 1013 CN
Phone: +31 20 627 3215
laura@fortissimo.nl
Main Contact
Courtney Noble
Fortissimo Films
Van Diemenstraat 100 Amsterdam, 1013 CN
Phone: +31 20 627 3215
courtney@fortissimo.nl
http://www.fortissimofilms.com
* Rush Tickets available at venue except for
Beacon Theatre
Rush will be offered when advanced tickets for a screening or event are no longer available at venues other than Beacon Theatre.
The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.

 

Co-hosted by:

Margaret Mead Film Festival

Newsletter

Subscribe for festival news, exclusive offers, programming updates, and more!
Get Festival Updates

Tribeca Festival Partners

Presenting Partner
Signature Partners
Presenting Partner
Signature Partners
Presenting Partner
Signature Partners
Presenting Partner
Supporters
Presenting Partner
Friends of the Festival
Presenting Partner
Media Friends of the Festival
Presenting Partner
Media Friends of the Festival
Presenting Partner
Industry Partners
See all partners