Date:
June 15, 2008
Time: 5:00PM
Location: Norris Cinema Theatre/Frank Sinatra Hall
Time: 5:00PM
Location: Norris Cinema Theatre/Frank Sinatra Hall
SCA Alumni Screening Series Presents: I LOVE HIP HOP IN MOROCCO
5:00PM on Sunday, June 15th
Norris Cinema Theatre/Frank Sinatra Hall
Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with Director/Producer Jennifer Needleman.
ABOUT I LOVE HIP HOP IN MOROCCO
This feature-length documentary follows the creation of Morocco’s first-ever Hip Hop festival, called ‘I Love Hip Hop in Morocco’, from its inception all the way to the stage.The film begins with a group of Moroccan Hip Hop artists who share a single dream: to rock a professional concert in each of their hometowns. But where are they going to find the money, the resources and the support in a country that doesn’t approve of Hip Hop? Not to be deterred, they look high and low for sponsors and ultimately partner with the American Embassy and Coca-Cola to realize the dream of the ‘I Love Hip Hop in Morocco’ festival.
The overarching narrative of the film is supplemented by glimpses into the lives of these characters, through interviews at home, in the studio and on the street. We meet DJ Key, a self-taught turntable prodigy who is torn between his love for Hip Hop and his devotion to Islam. We meet H-Kayne, a pioneer rap group on the verge of stardom who find themselves walking the line between honesty and censorship. We meet Fatima, a high school girl who’s trying to make it as a female rapper in an Arab man's world. And we meet Brown Fingaz, a kid from the hoods of Marrakesh who found his true identity in American Hip Hop culture and uses its vernacular to express himself in a way that his native tongue won't allow.
Although the organizers face roadblocks along the way – diplomatic bureaucracy, disputes over money, unscrupulous stage-builders, and general chaos of business in the Developing World – they pull it all off and the festival plays to massive crowds of young Moroccans in three cities, fulfilling the dream of the artists and catapulting Moroccan Hip Hop from the underground into the spotlight. This film reflects the thoughts and dreams of the true future of the Arab world: its young people. These are not the images portrayed by the media; they are the real people. And their views on America, Islam, and world politics in general, all told through song, might surprise a few people around the globe.
In Moroccan Arabic, French & English with English subtitles.
ABOUT THE DIRECTORS, JOSHUA ASEN AND JENNIFER NEEDLEMAN
The creative partnership between Joshua Asen and Jennifer Needleman began during their years at Brown University, when Jennifer DJ’ed and Josh promoted Hip Hop nights at local bars and nightclubs. After college, Jennifer went on to hone her writing skills as the star reporter for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, while Josh went to work for the famed New York Hip Hop label Roc-a-fella Records, spearheading their international promotions department. In 2004, Jennifer was accepted into the USC Graduate Screenwriting Program and relocated to Venice, California. At the same time, Josh received a Fulbright scholarship to research the impact of Hip Hop on Moroccan culture. Collaboration came naturally as the project blossomed into a feature-length documentary about the indigenous Hip Hop movement in Morocco. The two co-directed and co-produced the film while at the same time forming a production company, Rizz Productions, which currently has several film and television projects in development.To learn more about the film, please visit the website.
To view the full schedule of films during the Alumni Screening Series, click here.
Contact Information:
Alessandro Ago
213.740.2804
aago@cinema.usc.edu
