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Rhythms of Indian ocean

Saudi filmmaker is carrying his camera in his trip to the island of Zanzibar to document all the different musical rhythms surrounded by him.

  • Nizar Alaswad
    Director
    75th street, the devil's whispers, Yajuj VR
  • Fahmi Farahat
    Producer
    Saudis in America, American East, Three Veils, Yajuj: Curse of Iram
  • Mwera school students
    Key Cast
    "themselves "
  • Nomuhub volunteers
    Key Cast
    "themselves "
  • Amigo
    Key Cast
    "himself"
  • Obaid
    Key Cast
    "himself"
  • Juma'ah
    Key Cast
    "himself"
  • Latifa
    Key Cast
    "herself"
  • Warriors from the east
    Key Cast
    "themselves "
  • Nizar Alaswad
    Editor
    75th street, the devil's whispers, Yajuj VR
  • Ahmed Ibrahim
    Assistant editor
    the circle, the devil whispers
  • Abdullah Alsufiyani
    Post production supervisor
    A conversation goes between them
  • Kokym
    Music Composers
  • Abdulaziz Alaswad
    Music Composers
    LAST CHANCE TO FALL IN LOVE, 75th street
  • Warriors from the east
    Music Composers
  • Abdulaziz Alaswad
    Sound design
    LAST CHANCE TO FALL IN LOVE, 75th street
  • Khalid Fathelrahman
    Colorist
  • Sulf Alali
    Graphic design
  • Hadi Alnasser
    Equipment
  • Zahra'a Mohammed
    Equipment
  • Jumanah Algassab
    Production assistants
  • Albatool Abdullah
    Production assistants
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    ايقاعات المحيط الهندي
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Observational documentary, Musical
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 8, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    4,533 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Saudi Arabia
  • Country of Filming:
    Tanzania, United Republic of
  • Language:
    Arabic, English, Swahili
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal university
  • Bahrain Film Festival
    Manama
    Bahrain
    October 6, 2023
    Official selection
  • AIU Film Festival
    Kuwait
    Kuwait
    Official Selection
  • FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL ARABO AFRICAIN DU FILM DOCUMENTAIRE DE ZAGORA
    Zagora
    Morocco
    Official selection
Director Biography - Nizar Alaswad

A senior Architecture student who’s been involved in the arts since childhood. From a young age, he established himself well in the local theater production community. With a wide range of interest in art, music and volunteering. Before graduating from university, Nizar started working as a freelance graphic designer and co-founded “Cassette” a grassroot visual arts community. During the world health pandemic, Nizar got his first opportunity into the film industry as a PA in the feature film Kas-h, Directed by Abdulaziz Aldaughter. His passion for art and space transcends the screen by designing a film set for participants in a cinematic experience at the Saudi Film Festival, 2021 which took place at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, Ithra. He then started working as an Art Director and participated in 8 short films and 1 music video as well as a commercial music video for the Kudo francis.

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Director Statement

In August 2021, I arrived to Zanzibar as a volunteer in a mission to renovate a primary school, carrying my camera and another few equipment hoping that I will be shooting a film that will document my experience as a volunteer. With no preparation of what I will see in there.

As soon as I saw the old alleys of stonetown, as soon as I made my first interaction with locals, the idea of documenting my experience as a volunteer got totally vanished. My head started to hear all the different rhythms that is translating the street life and daily routine of Zanzibar. That rhythms did not leave my head during the week I spent in between the old alleys of stonetown, and the caress of children in Mwera school.

After re-watching my footage for thousands times, I realized that these rhythms are not something in my head, but it is the real life style of locals with a very rich, colorful and musical culture. There was not a single shot that does not contain a sort of dance, sings or whatever could provide us with hope.

I also realized that walking through the old alleys of is an experience that could activate all your five senses. You are not watching the street; you are living it! Besides the music that do not stop for a second, your eyes will be filled with rich saturation of colors wherever you look. In every turn you take, you will recognize the outstanding smell of spices, sneaking to you through the wooden windows mixed with the smell of coconut and potatoes. What you smell will get along with what you taste, the taste of the traditional food you buy from street vendors. Your hands will sense the texture of stones in every building’s façade... looking for a story to tell.

I took a year to translate this sensual experience into a motion pictures and overlapped sounds, in order to build it in a way that could activate the five senses of the audience, as the same way I felt right there.