From Moroccan auteur Hakim Belabbes, this haunting memory piece takes place in a small Moroccan town, where residents go through cycles of loss and happiness, coping with grief while life continues. Connected by family, friendship, and community, they both support and hurt each other through weddings, funerals, love, and forgiveness. As the living strive for hope and connection, the spirits of the dead remain close, watching over their loved ones.

The presentation features seven vignettes from Collapsed Walls (60 min). Following the film, Belabbes will be in conversation with Said Hannouchi, Director of the U-M Arabic Language Program. Q & A to follow.

About Hakim Belabbes
Hakim Belabbes was born in the Moroccan town of Boujad, where his father owned the only movie theatre. He earned a BA in American and African literature in 1983 from Mohamed V University in Rabat, Morocco, and an MFA in film and video from Columbia College in Chicago, where he is an adjunct professor in film direction and production. He is also the director of The Higher Institute of Audio-Visual Professions and Cinema in Rabat.

About Said Hannouchi
Said Hannouchi is the director of the Arabic Language Program at the University of Michigan. He earned a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2017. His research focuses on Arabic language learners’ intercultural communicative competence and intercultural identity development via study abroad experiences. Additional areas of interest include language policy in multilingual contexts and language education in Morocco and North Africa.