EN

Irene Gutiérrez Torres & Rola Zamzameh

Meet the artist – Reel Borders & Cinemaximiliaan

Join us for a conversation and film projection with Irene Gutiérrez Torres (VUB, Reel Borders) & Rola Zamzameh (Cinemaximiliaan).

Reel Borders studies how borders are imagined through film. Reel Borders presents a collection of shortfilms made during a participatory film workshop in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, on the border with Morocco. These films offer a unique view of the world through the eyes of these women, bringing their stories and experiences to the forefront in a compelling and authentic way. Participatory cinema thus becomes a powerful tool for advocacy and empowerment for these women, allowing them to raise their voices and share their perspectives with the world.

Cinemaximiliaan is a platform by and for newcomers in Belgium, with a love for cinema and other artistic and cultural practices of storytelling, aiming for warm dialogues with the people of their new homeland.

Irene Gutiérrez Torres

Reel Borders – Moroccan women’s film collection

Join us for a screening of short essay films created during a participatory filmmaking workshop in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa bordering Morocco.

Thirteen women produced these short films over a three-month Participatory Filmmaking workshop situated in Ceuta. Participatory Filmmaking employs collaborative techniques enabling groups to create films about issues they deem significant.

The films’ narrators are cross-border Moroccan women working in domestic service, residing irregularly in Ceuta and representing approximately eight hundred women. These individuals have become part of a larger group of long-term undocumented migrants across Europe. The films do not show faces; this choice serves two purposes: to preserve their anonymity and to comment on their status as ‘invisible women.’ Instead of showcasing faces, the films focus on spaces. We view their world through their eyes, not ours.

Participatory filmmaking serves to elevate their voices and bring their stories to the forefront. For these women, participatory filmmaking is not just a medium—it’s a powerful tool for advocacy and empowerment. The films will be showed in loop during the whole festivalweekend.