About Some Meaningless Events (De quelques événements sans signification)

With film scholar Omar Berrada in conversation with David Schwartz

Dir. Mostafa Derkaoui. Morocco. 1974, 76 mins. DCP. In Arabic with English subtitles. Banned on release, and long considered lost, Moroccan filmmaker Mostafa Derkaoui’s film is an astonishing experiment in political documentary filmmaking, destined to find its place now as a milestone of African cinema. A group of filmmakers argue about what a true Moroccan cinema should be; the discussion flows from a bar into the streets, as passers-by are interviewed. An act of violence by a dock worker dramatically raises the stakes, and adds a layer of complexity to a truly audacious film that is as inventive as its free-jazz score. An exciting rediscovery, the film was found in the archives at the Filmoteca de Catalunya in Barcelona in 2018. The screening will be introduced by Omar Berrada, a writer and curator who teaches at Cooper Union and is the director of Dar al-Ma’mûn, a library and artists residency in Marrakech, and followed by a discussion. North American premiere.

Tickets: $15 ($11 seniors & students / $9 youth ages 3–17 / free for Museum members). Order tickets online. (Members may contact [email protected] with questions regarding online reservations.)