25/10/2025
Huomenna Kirjakahvilassa esitetään dokumentti liittyen Länsi-Saharaan. Länsi-Sahara on Afrikan viimeinen siirtomaa, jonka tilanteesta tiedetään Suomessa valitettavan vähän. Turun Rauhanpuolustajat suosittelee katsomaan tämän dokumentin!
FIN:
Sunnuntaina 26.10. klo 17 Turun Kirjakahvilalla esitetään dokumentti "HAIYU - Rebel Singer Mariem Hassan and the Struggle for a Free Western Sahara" (2024) Afrikan mantereen viimeisestä siirtomaasta, laulaja Mariem Hassanin elämästä, ja kulttuurisesta vastarinnasta.
Dokumentin jälkeen on mahdollisuus kuulla ohjaajien ajatuksia dokumentin aiheesta, kolonialismista ja vastarinnasta Länsi-Saharassa ja yhtäläisyyksistä ja yhteyksistä Israelin ja Marokon asuttajakolonialististen projektien välillä. Näytös on ilmainen ja sen järjestää ryhmä Turku with Palestine -kollektiivin aktiiveja.
ENG:
On Sunday 26th at 5 pm, we will screen the documentary "HAIYU - Rebel Singer Mariem Hassan and the Struggle for a Free Western Sahara" by Saharawi Voice and RåFILM.
[2024 | 90 mins | Standard Arabic, Hassanyia dialect and Spanish with English subtitles]
The screening is organized at Kirjakahvila (Vanha Suurtori 3) and is free of charge. After the film, we are honored to have two of the directors, Anna Klara Åhrén and Alex Veitch, join us for a discussion on the documentary, colonialism and resistance in Western Sahara, and the connections between the struggle for liberation in Western Sahara and in Palestine.
By the request of the directors, all voluntary donations and profits from coffee sales will be sent to Gaza via Turku with Palestine.
SYNOPSIS:
In the Sahara desert, the voice of one of North Africa's greatest singers still echoes. A voice that has uplifted and given hope to a forgotten struggle. Mariem Hassan’s life and music have been deeply affected by the ongoing tragedy committed to the Sahrawis throughout the colonial era continuing up to this very day. Her songs have been given comfort and hope, and have been used as a tool in the fight for independence in Africa's last colony, Western Sahara.
The documentary intertwines the life narrative of Mariem Hassan with her relentless quest for the territory’s liberation. Through interviews with family, friends, poets, soldiers and fellow musicians, viewers gain insight into Mariem's important influence. Archival footage and personal anecdotes paint a vivid picture of a woman whose artistry transcended borders and touched the hearts of those who listened.
The film is made in collaboration between the filmmaker collectives RåFILM from Sweden and Saharawi Voice from the Western Sahara refugee camps in Algeria. The title "Haiyu" – meaning to encourage in Arabic – reflects both Mariem's rebellious spirit and the collective determination of a people in their ongoing struggle for a free Western Sahara.
The event is organized by individuals in Turku with Palestine. More information: https://rafilm.se/haiyu
