Events

Jocelyne Saab's cinema was shaped by the political struggles that swept across the Arab world in the 1970s. Now considered one of the most prolific independent filmmakers in the region, she began working in French television in 1973, when she was sent to Libya to interview Gaddafi. She also reported from war zones, notably covering the October War from both Egypt and Syria.

She later traveled to Western Sahara after the declaration of its independent republic to film “Sahara is Not for Sale” (1977), documenting the Sahrawi struggle alongside the guerrilla fighters of the Polisario Front against Moroccan and Mauritanian forces. As a result, she was banned from Morocco for life—an act that did not stop her from continuing to cover critical political issues and fighting against injustice.
This documentary remains highly topical till this day. It also stands a testament to Saab’s broader cinematic mission: to confront injustice, question dominant narratives, and tell the stories that others overlook. Through her lens, the desert becomes not a void, but a stage for resistance, resilience, and revolutionary hope.

Introduction by Mathilde Rouxel (expert in Arab cinema, curator). In the framework of the festival Culturescapes Sahara 2025.