Le Bled (Buildings in a Field)

Overview

Jem Cohen and Luc Sante were invited to Tangier to collaborate on a short film in a city where neither had ever been. While en route from the airport to the city centre they found themselves drawn to the landscape outside of the car windows. A massive construction project was under way in all directions and they were by struck by the epic scale and seemingly incomprehensible plan of the development. Although charmed by the old city itself they were drawn to return together to this puzzling zone on the city’s outskirts.

Accompanied by Sante, Cohen shot the film using small gauge Super 8 film in just a few days. Cohen edited the footage while Sante wrote the voice over. The whole film was completed in under two weeks.


April 2011

This project was part of Sharjah Biennial 10

Crew and credit

Directed by Jem Cohen and Luc Sante
Camera and editing by Jem Cohen
Written and narrated by Luc Sante
Produced by TAMAAS