Latest news with #Casablanca
eNCA
6 hours ago
- General
- eNCA
Moroccan women embroider 'art with purpose'
In a small village on the coast of southern Morocco, women gather in a house to create collaborative works of textile art, and also earn a living. Several hunch over large canvasses, embroidering their latest piece at the women-only workshop, in the village of 400 people. Some of their works have been shown internationally. "This project has changed my life," said Hanane Ichbikili, a 28-year-old former nursing student turned project creative director. "And yet I had never held an embroidery needle before," she told AFP. Just 19 percent of Moroccan women hold steady jobs, according to official figures, and in rural areas they are particularly affected by poverty, unpaid labour and a lack of opportunity. An artist with roots in both Morocco and France has tried to make a difference. Margaux Derhy founded the workshop in 2022 in her father's native village of Sidi R'bat, around 70 kilometres south of Agadir, to fulfil her "dream to make art with purpose". The project uses textiles and old photographs to explore her family heritage before they left the country in the 1960s, turning sepia-toned portraits and scenes into large silk-and-linen canvases. The North African country was a protectorate of France before gaining its independence in 1956. - Creative process - The project is more than just personal for Derhy -- it also provides local women in the small fishing village employment. "I wanted to be engaged on the ground," said Derhy, adding that she hired 10 local women to work full-time for a monthly salary exceeding Morocco's private-sector minimum wage of 3,045 dirhams ($330). The women's hands glide over frames that were once used by Paris's prestigious Maison Lesage, the world-famous embroidery house that has worked with some of the greatest names in fashion. The creative process is collaborative, with Derhy drawing an outline and the team then gathering to choose the threads and colour palette for each section. A canvas can take up to five months to complete. The finished works, priced at up to $5,620, have been shown in exhibitions in Marrakesh, Paris and Brussels. Future exhibits are planned for Casablanca's L'Atelier 21 and Tabari Artspace Gallery in Dubai. The workshop has also helped to challenge perceived ideas about women in the village. "At first, some of the women had to hide to come because it was frowned upon," said Khadija Ahuilat, 26, who oversees operations. - 'A blessing' - She said some people thought the project "was nonsense, and a woman should stay at home". "But we managed to change that. I'm very proud to have contributed to this change, even if on a small scale." Her mother, Aicha Jout, 50, a widow who once gathered mussels and raised livestock to support her family, is now one of the embroiderers. "It changes a lot for me to be here," she said. "I love the idea of embroidering on pictures, but also of passing on the craft to other women." AFP | Abdel Majid BZIOUAT Jout learned to embroider at the age of 12, and has trained the rest of her mostly single or widowed colleagues. "There aren't really a lot of job opportunities here, so when the chance came I didn't hesitate for a second," said Haddia Nachit, 59, one of the workshop's most efficient embroiders. Her nickname among the women is "TGV" -- after France's high-speed train. Seated next to Nachit, Fadma Lachgar, also 59, said the work allowed her to help her family. "Resuming embroidery at my age, after 20 years of stopping, is a blessing," she said. By Kaouthar Oudrhiri
France 24
18 hours ago
- Business
- France 24
Moroccan women embroider 'art with purpose'
Several hunch over large canvasses, embroidering their latest piece at the women-only workshop, in the village of 400 people. Some of their works have been shown internationally. "This project has changed my life," said Hanane Ichbikili, a 28-year-old former nursing student turned project creative director. "And yet I had never held an embroidery needle before," she told AFP. Just 19 percent of Moroccan women hold steady jobs, according to official figures, and in rural areas they are particularly affected by poverty, unpaid labour and a lack of opportunity. An artist with roots in both Morocco and France has tried to make a difference. Margaux Derhy founded the workshop in 2022 in her father's native village of Sidi R'bat, around 70 kilometres (45 miles) south of Agadir, to fulfil her "dream to make art with purpose". The project uses textiles and old photographs to explore her family heritage before they left the country in the 1960s, turning sepia-toned portraits and scenes into large silk-and-linen canvases. The North African country was a protectorate of France before gaining its independence in 1956. Creative process The project is more than just personal for Derhy -- it also provides local women in the small fishing village employment. "I wanted to be engaged on the ground," said Derhy, adding that she hired 10 local women to work full-time for a monthly salary exceeding Morocco's private-sector minimum wage of 3,045 dirhams ($330). The women's hands glide over frames that were once used by Paris's prestigious Maison Lesage, the world-famous embroidery house that has worked with some of the greatest names in fashion. The creative process is collaborative, with Derhy drawing an outline and the team then gathering to choose the threads and colour palette for each section. A canvas can take up to five months to complete. The finished works, priced at up to $5,620, have been shown in exhibitions in Marrakesh, Paris and Brussels. Future exhibits are planned for Casablanca's L'Atelier 21 and Tabari Artspace Gallery in Dubai. The workshop has also helped to challenge perceived ideas about women in the village. "At first, some of the women had to hide to come because it was frowned upon," said Khadija Ahuilat, 26, who oversees operations. 'A blessing' She said some people thought the project "was nonsense, and a woman should stay at home". "But we managed to change that. I'm very proud to have contributed to this change, even if on a small scale." Her mother, Aicha Jout, 50, a widow who once gathered mussels and raised livestock to support her family, is now one of the embroiderers. "It changes a lot for me to be here," she said. "I love the idea of embroidering on pictures, but also of passing on the craft to other women." Jout learned to embroider at the age of 12, and has trained the rest of her mostly single or widowed colleagues. "There aren't really a lot of job opportunities here, so when the chance came I didn't hesitate for a second," said Haddia Nachit, 59, one of the workshop's most efficient embroiders. Her nickname among the women is "TGV" -- after France's high-speed train. Seated next to Nachit, Fadma Lachgar, also 59, said the work allowed her to help her family. "Resuming embroidery at my age, after 20 years of stopping, is a blessing," she said. © 2025 AFP
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Warped killer butchered helpless student and put body parts in post
Hundreds of citizen detectives were determined to learn the identity of depraved Luka Magnotta months before he committed a brutal murder, even warning authorities he was set to kill Like several well known killers before him, twisted Luka Magnotta started out by abusing animals before he progressed to human slaughter. The murderer's sick online video of pet torture called '1 boy 2 kitten' would eventually prove to be his downfall after a group of animal loving citizen detectives tracked him down. Now 42, Magnotta is behind bars in Canada for killing Chinese international student Jun Lin, 33, who he had met on a dating site. Back in May 2012, he filmed the sick murder of his victim and posted it online, calling it '1 Lunatic 1 Ice Pick'. Posted on a gore site, the horrific video showed Magnotta in dark clothing towering over blindfolded Lin as he stabbed him a hundred times. The depraved murderer later dismembered his victim's body before mailing it to various political parties in Toronto, sparking a huge police search. His video contained clues - a poster for the movie Casablanca was above the bed, while New Order's track True Faith was playing in the background. And hundreds of cat-loving detectives were already on Magnotta's trail, coming close to catching him for his sick torture of animals. A year and a half before he murdered Lin, a Facebook group had been mobilised after Magnotta posted footage of a figure in a dark green hoodie suffocating two tabby kittens using a vacuum and plastic bag. They spent thousands of hours analysing photographs for clues and metadata which they handed to law enforcement, convinced that just like serial killers like Ian Brady, the as yet unidentified Magnotta would go onto kill humans. The internet sleuths identified a wolf blanket on the sick footage as one that retailed on eBay and could be shipped internationally from the US. From plug sockets to the size of the twin beds in the clip, everything was analysed to try and find the video's location. The breakthrough came when one of the sleuths received a message: "The name of the kitten vacummer you are looking for is Luka Magnotta." Searching online found the man named seemingly living the life of a jet-setting top model, with wild rumours suggesting he had dated both Michael Jackson and Madonna. Narcissistic Magnotta had created a false online profile for himself - in reality he was born in Toronto and became a stripper and porn star. Convicted of defrauding a vulnerable 21-year-old woman, he later filed for bankruptcy and in his quest for fame entered reality TV shows and created countless websites and news articles about himself. When he failed to become a star he progressed to kitten torture, which did capture the public's attention for all the wrong reasons. Now armed with a name, the determined internet sleuths tracked Magnotta to a location in Toronto where police found he had already moved out. The twisted torturer next made a video called 'Python Christmas ', which showed a live kitten being fed to a snake, before another showing a kitten being drowned in a bathtub. The sick clips were filmed in Islington, North London and Magnotta went onto meet a reporter from The Sun newspaper who had been alerted by the citizen detectives. Chillingly, the killer later sent an email to the reporter which warned: "Next time you hear from me it will be in a movie I am producing that will have some humans in it, not just pussies... Once you kill and taste blood it's impossible to stop." Magnotta's warning sadly came true five months later. After body parts were distributed, the killer's studio apartment in Montreal was found complete with a blood soaked mattress and he became one of Interpol's most wanted. And it was a Berlin internet cafe worker, Kadir Anlayisli, who snared him in the end - the eagle-eyed news lover recognised the killer looking up articles about himself. Magnotta had achieved his dream of being famous and in 2014, he was jailed for 25 years in Montreal for first degree murder. He will become eligible for day parole in June 2034. His story was told on Netflix docu-series, Don't F**k with Cats'.
The National
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
'It's how we speak': Gad Elmaleh on the language of Moroccan humour
A formative moment in Gad Elmaleh 's comedy career arrived as a child in the family home in Casablanca. After watching a romantic film, he turned to his parents and told them he loved them. Elmaleh recalls how his mother's reaction didn't go according to script: 'she just looked at me and said, 'what do you think this is, a French movie?''. Speaking to The National ahead of Friday's show at Etihad Arena – part of Abu Dhabi Comedy Season – the Moroccan-born French comedian, 54, describes the exchange as the essence of Moroccan humour – zippy and often used to deflect unexpected emotion or introspection. 'We come from a culture where real communication rarely exists. Sitting down and talking about everything just doesn't happen. So to say real things, we go through humour. It's how speak," he says. 'Sometimes when I was a kid, if someone was angry, it would come out as a joke. If you wanted to say something to a girl, or talk about feelings, you'd tease or make a funny comment. Humour is our filter. It's how we manage awkwardness.' The instinctive approach served him well. After moving to France in his late teens, Elmaleh hit the open mic circuit in Paris, where his quirky, autobiographical style gained traction and made him one of France's biggest international comedy exports. With television specials in both French and English, Elmaleh built a career on both sides of the Atlantic, supporting the likes of Jerry Seinfeld in the US and lending his voice to animated films including the French dub of Despicable Me, where he voiced Gru, and A Monster in Paris, voicing the character Raoul. That progression was aided by the indirect mentorship of Seinfeld. 'For me, as a beginner in English, it was such a great opportunity to go on stage in front of an American audience every single night, do my 15 minutes as an opener, and then stay backstage watching him do stand-up. It was a masterclass for me,' he says. 'He didn't always give me specific advice, but I learnt something every day just by being around him. We still talk all the time. We laugh. He's obsessed with comedy, and so am I.' That road to Paris and Hollywood, is also rooted in childhood experiences from his homeland. Elmaleh continues to make regular visits to Morocco, where he draws inspiration from everyday interactions. 'This is where my comedy DNA is,' he says. 'I'll give you an example: I was back in Morocco not long ago, spending time in Casablanca with a comedian friend. We were just walking the streets, watching people interact, and I told her, 'Is everyone here a comedian? What's going on?'' 'Every person we met had a way of saying something important without making it uncomfortable. They would tease, laugh at themselves. It wasn't a performance – it was just daily communication.' It's a form also absorbed from his father, an amateur mime, whose movements inspired some of the nervy mannerisms in Elmaleh's performance. He recounts the memory, naturally, with a touch of Moroccan wit. 'I don't really remember my dad teaching me anything. But I saw him perform. I copied him. It just became natural,' he says. 'Today when I'm on stage, it's physical, it's facial, it's slapstick and that's all from him. Now, of course, my father says the only reason he didn't become an international star was because he didn't want to take all the light away from me. He's lying.' His Abu Dhabi set, performed in French, will draw on some of his personal experiences shaped by navigating cultures, traditions and languages. All of this makes Abu Dhabi a fitting setting for a show that speaks to its diverse Francophone communities. 'The fact that I'm coming to Abu Dhabi is already material,' Elmaleh says. 'A French-language show in the Emirates, with people from everywhere, is funny before I even start talking. They speak the same language, but not the same culture. That's what makes it interesting. You've got French speakers from Morocco, Lebanon, Switzerland and Belgium, each with their own references and sense of humour. It's a mix of people who understand the words but not always in the same way. I like that complexity. It keeps me on my toes." It's also the kind of laughter people need in a time of growing social polarisation, Elmaleh says, noting how stand-up's resurgence is fuelled by its perception as a rare space for unfiltered truths. 'Everything right now feels tense,' he says. 'But comedy is a place where we can breathe. It's a place where you can say things, explore contradictions, and still connect.'
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Duncan Bannatyne, 75, and his wife Nigora Whitehorn, 45, witness life-changing operations at children's hospital in Casablanca with charity Operation Smile
Duncan Bannatyne and his wife Nigora headed to Morocco this week with charity Operation Smile to witness life-changing operations. The Scottish entrepreneur has been a supporter and ambassador for Operation Smile - which helps children with cleft palettes and carries out free surgeries across the world - since 2013. Duncan recently travelled with Nigora to Casablanca with the charity to observe life-changing operations and meet the patients - many of whom are babies and toddlers receiving surgery - and their families, as part of the Women in Medicine programme. The former Dragons' Den star has previously visited The Philippines, Mexico, Vietnam, and Ghana with the charity. Duncan shared a snap of himself in a surgical gown and cap as he introduced eight-month-old Zyad, who was heading into surgery for a cleft palette operation. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. He later shared another snap of the tot after the surgery as he wrote: 'Zyad is recovering well from his operation, Handsome boy.' Sharing a look at their trip to Morocco, Nigora wrote: 'Day One: Selection Day with @opsmileuk and @operationsmilemorocco_official @gabbywhitehorn @tombannatyne1 @ — an emotional and inspiring start, meeting the incredible kids and families filled with hope. ✨.' Duncan showed his generous and philanthropic spirit last year at the Pride Of Britain Awards, after making a huge donation to an incredibly inspiring child's fundraiser. The ceremony had viewers in floods of tears when it aired in November, as it showed eight-year-old girl Florence Bark honoured with a Child of Courage award. The exceptionally brave little girl has battled acute myeloid leukaemia from a young age and is currently waiting for a lung transplant. But even while coping with her own health issues, Florence - who goes by Florrie - has set up her own charity to help other children with cancer, called Be More Fab. And her family has set up a secret GoFundMe page to raise money for the charity, which can be found here. Entrepreneur Duncan, 75, dug deep after being touched by Florrie's story when he attended the Pride of Britain Awards on Monday. Sharing a look at their trip to Morocco, Nigora wrote: 'Day One: Selection Day with @opsmileuk and @operationsmilemorocco_official @gabbywhitehorn @tombannatyne1 @ — an emotional and inspiring start, meeting the incredible kids and families filled with hope. ✨' The businessman benevolently gave a whopping £30,000 to Florrie's fund on Thursday, becoming the top donation of the almost £75,000 raised so far. The Bannatyne health club owner celebrated his milestone 75th birthday with a lavish party in February, as he danced the night away with his beloved wife Nigora. The acclaimed entrepreneur enjoyed the special day as Nigora documented the celebration on her Instagram page, sharing a stunning shot of the couple posing together. Taking to her Stories, the former dental surgery receptionist recorded herself next to Duncan during their lavish outing. Another snap captured Nigora posing inside the sumptuous location as she beamed next to her husband. The Uzbekistan-born beauty exuded fashion wearing Versace from head to toe, sizzling in a chic gold print co-ord from the house brand. Another video captured the Dragon's Den star enjoying his time as he was seen busy chatting to one of his friends, showing a live band on stage in the background. Duncan was in high spirits and appeared to have fully recovered from his recent injury, after he was seen using a walking stick and wearing a knee brace. Right after New Year's celebrations, the philanthropist was seen boarding a plane to depart St Barts' Gustaf III Airport - after spending the festive season on the island alongside his beloved wife.
