Private Project

The journey of Ibn Battuta

This documentary tells of how Sabah, an Algerian choreographer and director based in Palermo, one day met a group of young migrants. They tell her about their stories, the hurdles they had to overcome in Africa and on the sea. The movements of the bodies, and the entire choreography of the experimental show of dance and theatre that this encounter would engender, take shape before Sabah’s eyes as she listens to their tales.
She takes inspiration from the story of Ibn Battuta, the Amazigh “Marco Polo” brought back to life as a guide for the migrants.
“The dream of any artist is to take men and women who are strangers to the world of art and culture, and introduce them to it” she says.
On scene, actress Khadra tells about the suffering, torments and abuse suffered by all women who cross Libya. The children seized from their arms and gone forever.
The ballet troupe tell of the sea and of its immortal soul, aggregate of the souls of all the beings who have crossed it. Beyond the show, Sabah’s dancers have merged with the migrants, shared their feelings, grown with them.
This documentary of Sabah Benziadi and Micheangelo Gratton tells of the anguish of those who have crossed the desert. That desert where they would have given anything for a drop of water. A drop of the water that would eventually drown such a great number of them on their way to Europe.
What draws them together as survivors of all these horrors is post-traumatic syndrome, as psychologists call it, despair and madness as corporally expressed by Sabah.

  • Sabah Benziadi (Algeria/Italia)
    Director
  • Sabah Benziadi
    Writer
  • association culturel SABAH
    Producer
  • Khadra Benziadi
    Key Cast
    "follie"
  • EL KAHINA
    Key Cast
    "Corp de Ballet"
  • Ganna Groupe
    Key Cast
    "imigration"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Le Voyage de Ibn Battouta . رحلة ابن بطوطة
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Feature, Music Video, Short, Television, Other
  • Genres:
    corto, immigration, dance, algeria, arabe, africa, theater, italia, human, amnesty, integation, integrazione, africani, arab film fest, travel
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 2 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 12, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    14,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Algeria
  • Country of Filming:
    Algeria, Italy
  • Language:
    Arabic, Italian
  • Shooting Format:
    35mm
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Sabah Benziadi
    Rights: All Rights, Video on Demand
Director Biography - Sabah Benziadi (Algeria/Italia)

Sabah benziadi Director and choreographer from Algeria

Art director of the film festival “MigrArt Film Fest Caltabellotta” Ministry of culture Italy.
Event management and President of the SABAH cultural association, public relations Coordinator, partnership Project Manager of the Arab movies and Mother Language.
Sabah Benziadi is Director and choreograph born in Algeri; She has an extensive knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music and theater and dance based on the Arab culture thank to a long dance research activities made in the context of the experimental dance theatre with the ambitious purpose of create a cross-border Cinema.
She has a strong ability to coordinate the movement of the body and the harmony between the movements of the limbs when the whole body is in motion.
She is an appreciated ambassadress of Theater dance, she took part in several international festivals and concerts.
All these activities gave her the required experience to create new performances which received prestigious awards allowing her to take part in important international festivals and film exhibition. She won the award of merit at the Festival of Babylon in Iraq and the critical acclaim and in the Europe.
She worked as choreographer for Italian and foreign television in particular in the Mediterranean basin collaborating with famous international artist like Franco Battiato and Cheb Khaled. In a particularly vibrant period of changes Sabah Benziadi created her “Experimental Dance Theatre” aiming to create a meeting spot between different culture with choreographies and music.
She formed the dance group "El Kahina", which was admired all over the world. Particularly appreciated for the figures and the choreographies of his dances, which do not evoke lascivious sensations but amazement for the grace of the movements, suggestion of magical atmospheres and joy of living.

She realized the following works:
Convito
Of Plato theatrical representation Dances and Choreographies by Sabah Benziadi At the university letters and philosophy of (PA)
Das Mozart Liebe
Nachbarschaftshaus, Loini Ubler Haus Monaco, Norimberga, Germania
Aziza
Inauguration of the Castle Gardens of Aziza Castle.
Museo La Tonnara
an opening event of the Tonnara of Favignana 2009.
A THOUSAND AND ONE VEIL
Presented as part of TAO ART 2004 at the Greek Theater of Taormina
VEILS OF ALGIERS
Prose - presented as part of a dedication to Assia Djebar Venice Pordenone
MED MY LOVE
Award of merit given to the dancer Sabah Benziadi at the Festival of Babylon in Iraq
she was Jury Venice Film Festival for Cicae, Orizzonti "Bienale di Venezia 2014"
THE FORMS OF THE SAND
Ariston Theater <Ministry of University and Scientific Research and Technological > Higher Artistic Training.
HOUDOUD
-Mediterranean Festival of Bisceglie / Trani / Conversano/ Lece/ Rome .
I WANTED TO SEE YOU DANCING
With Franco Battiato - Triennale Milano
wrought iron
Festival of OTONO Madrid The Theater dance with Franco Battiato
thousand and seven veils
Oriental dance theater at the Temple of Selinunte, Taormina, Agrigento.
the clandestine palm
Segesta festival 2010 at the ancient theater of Segesta

Editing : Michel Angelo Gratone

info: cult.sabah@gmail.com

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