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  7. Bitter Waters: The Struggle of the Sahrawis

Bitter Waters: The Struggle of the Sahrawis


Followed by a talk with Javier Toscano, Minetu Hamdi, Nadjet Hamdi and Sale Mohamed Sayed al Bashir

Curated by La Jaima de Tiris and Javier Toscano

أنا موجود (I Exist)
Mohammed Mhamdi, Algeria, Western Sahara 2013, 5 min. No dialogue.

El viaje de Jadiyetu (Jadiyetu's Journey)
Javier Toscano, Mexico 2020, 7 min. Arabic (Hassaniya) with English Subtitles

Mutha y la muerte de Hama-Fuku (Mutha & the Death of Hamma-Fuku)
Dani Suberviola, Spain 2021, 25 min. Arabic (Hassaniya) with English Subtitles

Territoire Perdu (Lost Land)
Pierre-Yves Vandeweerd, Belgium 2011, 75 min. Arabic (Hassaniya) with English Subtitles

The Western Sahara is a former Spanish colony in Northern Africa which has been occupied by Morocco since 1975. The UN considers it a non-self-governing territory and has called for a referendum on its status, but Morocco has repeatedly boycotted any path to a definitive solution. In the meantime, the Sahrawis have established a government in exile -– the Polisario front –– based in refugee camp outposts in Southern Algeria. From there, they organize and mobilize against the occupation of their land and the Moroccan record of human rights abuses. The collection of films selected here reflect on the Sahrawi experience in exile, telling the stories of a culture of resistance against injustice, domination, and oblivion. (JT)

La Jaima de Tiris is a group operating in Germany, and especially Berlin, to raise awareness of the situation of the Saharawi people. Through exhibitions, lectures, and film screenings it aims to bring the history, struggles and culture of Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa, closer to the general public.

Nadjet Hamdi is a representative of the Polisario Front in Germany and has previously served as a diplomat in Austria.

Minetu Hamdi grew up in the refugee camps in Algeria and is currently spokesperson for the Saharawi Diaspora in Germany.

Sale Mohamed Sayed al Bashir is deputy representative of the Polisario Front in Germany who previously held diplomatic duties in Brussels.

Javier Toscano is a documentary filmmaker and interdisciplinary researcher based in Berlin.

MUTHA & THE DEATH OF HAMMA-FUKU, Dani Suberviola