Amazigh Cinema as a form of resistance: Challenging traditional narratives in Mohamed Bouzaggou’s Iperita (2017)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34630/e-rei.vi14.7427Palavras-chave:
Amazigh Cinema, gender representation, Riffian movies, intersectionality, oppression, resilience, collective memoryResumo
Moroccan mainstream cinema has always marginalized the narratives of the Riffian people. By suppressing the Amazigh language, the interests and lived experiences of the Riffians were put on the periphery. However, by creating their movies in their own language, Amazigh people give voice to individuals and make their struggles visible. In this connection, Riffian movie makers portray the stories of the Riffians in the postcolonial era. These movie makers dig into history to resurrect the Riffians’ collective memory, expose the layers of oppression to which their compatriots are subject, and highlight their resilience. Therefore, this article analyses the Riffian movie Iperita through an intersectional lens by examining how the filmmaker seeks to depict the Riffians. To achieve this, the article examines how the film subverts the conventional cinematic gaze by unveiling the ways individuals strategically dismantle oppressive structures. It is therefore argued that Iperita offers a counter-narrative to the colonial discourse, the Western feminist perpetuation of the latter, and the national discourse that has always placed Amazigh and Riffian culture on the periphery. The film serves as an example of Amazigh movies in which the subaltern reclaims their identity, resilience, and self-agency.
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