My Lost Home by Kamal El Mahouti (France/Morocco, 2001, 19 minutes, BetaSP)

Synopsis:
On the eve of its demolition, Moroccan-born filmmaker Kamal El Mahouti revisits the housing project in Saint-Dénis, France, where he lived from the age of six. His delicate, impressionistic document probes the graffiti-covered walls, broken windows, and empty stairwells of a bleak apartment block to retrieve the memories of an immigrant family, its difficulties and rituals.
In French and Arabic with English subtitles.

Post-screening panel discussion with filmmaker Nadine Shamounki, Charles Anderson (NYU) and Joseph Massad (Columbia University)

Biography:
Kamal El Mahouti is a French writer and director of Moroccan descent. Born in Casablanca in 1963, Kamal moved to France at the age of six. He studied film at the University of Paris VIII where he completed the 16 mm short, Once Upon A Time on the 14th of July 1945 as part of the "Memoirs of the City" series commissioned by the city of Saint-Denis. In 2001 he received a Brouillon d'un Reve (Dream Scribbling) production grant from the Société Civile des Auteurs du Multimédia (S.C.A.M.) to direct the documentary My Lost Home. In addition to making films, Kamal has directed six original stage productions in and around Paris. He has also conducted many acting workshops for adults and children. Kamal’s most recent projects include directing the DV short The Locals Have Talent, produced for the city of Saint-Denis and writing the feature screenplay Bladi.

Festivals & Awards:
EXODES Est-ce ainsi que les hommes vivent in 2002 at le Cinema l'Ecran à Saint-Denis
Arab Cinemas Biennial, Arab World Institute, Paris, 2002, in competition
Havana Biennial, 2003