Since its creation in 2008, FIDADOC has offered a panorama of global documentary production, with the concern of respecting geographical balance and the diversity of cinematographic writing, while favouring works where strong characters, who embody a singular story, question us about the universal. As in previous editions, these works address the transformations of the world of which documentarians are the privileged witnesses, most often ahead of their time, as proven by the filmography of Italian director Stefano Savona, who agreed to come and share his artistic rigour and his permanent civic engagement.
Echoing the popular movements that have shaken Arab countries in recent months, several films selected to participate in this new edition come from Tunisia and Egypt. Singular works, very far from television journalistic treatment, or even mocking it directly. Thus, the 2012 edition will welcome several representatives of the new Tunisian wave to Agadir. This generation of filmmakers who, despite the lack of support from their State and their national television, show astonishing freedom and vitality. A lesson in efficiency and modesty that will not fail to interest young Moroccan directors, a selection of whose short films, between 6 and 38 minutes, is proposed as a pre-programme for the international competition sessions. These directors will also be able to draw inspiration from the mixing of genres operated by many films that dare an introspective approach, radical devices, temporal dilations, offering their viewers unprecedented sensory experiences.
To open this fourth edition, the organisers chose "Tea or Electricity" by Jérôme le Maire, whose "Love in the Palm Grove" had inaugurated the first FIDADOC in 2008. For the closing, Laurent Chevallier, jury prize winner in 2009 with "The Desert Nursery", will come to present "Life without Brahim", which Nezha Drissi had produced exactly 10 years ago. Two ways of sharing emotion with the public and the filmmakers who accompanied the professional journey of Nezha Drissi, founder of FIDADOC, who tragically passed away in December 2011 in an accident.
This edition of FIDADOC will be marked by a fervent tribute paid to the founder of this successful festival. Indeed, Nezha Drissi passed away in a tragic car accident at the end of 2011. As a producer and then as General Director of this Festival, Nezha worked all her life to create this South-South and South-North bridge essential for the good development of national documentary production. Today, it is up to the directors, producers, broadcasters, and film buffs of Morocco to realise her dream, to complete her project together. The Agadir International Documentary Film Festival must be their natural meeting place, a place for meeting and exchange in memory of the one who created this event, for the promotion of documentary film in Morocco.
-* Highlights of FIDADOC 2012
-* At the opening of the Festival, a tribute will be paid to Nezha Drissi based on archives edited by her friend Maureen Mazurek. Directors Laurent Chevallier and Jean-Luc Cohen will come to testify to their collaboration with the late director.
-* A major figure in contemporary documentary, Italian director Stefano Savona does us the honour of reserving for FIDADOC the first screening in Morocco of his film "Tahrir, Liberation Square".
-* Strong presence of Tunisian filmmakers through their films in competition and projects selected for professional meetings.
