Hordaland Kunstsenter

Tameksaout – La Bergère (The sheperdess) by Ivan Boccara is the chronicle of a family of shepherds roaming the Altas Mountains in Morocco. The shepherdes’ name is Tahmiddoucht, she is an old lady who does not seem to age. Together with Hammou she has since a young age tended to a small herd of goats in the highlands. A life of toil and alms to maintain a home. Today they cut branches off trees in the barren hills to feed the livestock, and the days are focused on maintaining the fire. A life made up of flour and water, wood, wool, tea and prayers. It is a portrait of an old woman and a man, their children and grandchildren who face a changing world, fading memories and a Berber culture in transformation.

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 Ivan Boccara,artist and filmmaker (1968, lives and works in France and Morocco) studied cinema and Berber history and civilization in Paris. His work includes numerous documentary projects in the mountains of Morocco on Berber communities. He is interested in strong characters, communities, minorities, and issues faced by populations whose ways of life intersect traditions and modernities. He also works as a photographer and chief operator for contemporary artists including Francis Alys, Etienne Chambaud, Bérangère Vantusso, and Opiyo Okach. He is committed to teaching and advising in the audiovisual and documentary domains.