The World of Movies: Trances
Written by Rachael Crawley
The World of Movies is a series that explores global cinema, drawing on films from many countries, industries and eras. This week, we’re following the band! Let’s go on tour, starting in Morocco.
Trances.
May contain spoilers.
A good concert movie captures the vitality of the group it’s chronicling – the rush of the crowd, the energy of the performers. It brings you into the music’s space and makes you feel a part of it. Especially on the big screen, it can almost pass for the real thing. At the same time, it works within the medium of film, utilizing its singular advantages to highlight its subject in an innovative manner.
Trances (Ahmed El Maânouni, 1981) was the first film restored by Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project. Reportedly, he adored the movie – he picked it himself, and some of the band’s music even appeared in his film The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). Nass El Ghiwane’s music is described as “avant-pop” and “soul music”, with a strong political influence. In the film, theatre director Tayeb Seddiki refers to them as troubadours, or “a theatre group that sings”. Together since the 1970s, they are known for their mixture of Western styles with traditional North African music, Sufi poetry and local instruments. In Morocco and the worldwide music scene, they have been enormously influential. They still perform to this day.
Trances.
And what an experience this movie brings. We jump immediately into their concerts, which is a great choice – the fast-paced music and the excited audiences key us up for the band right away. The music itself is completely captivating, with compelling lyrics and stories backed by gorgeous instrumentals. Even their low-key songs are full of energy. Interspersed are scenes of the band going about their daily lives, and footage of the cities. One striking motif that I noticed was that El Mâanouni highlights, time and again, people within the community making their own music – sometimes the band even joins in. There’s some archival footage as well, of both the band and of Morocco in the colonial era. The band’s private sessions also absorb the viewer. It’s really enjoyable to watch these artists at work, to witness their easy camaraderie and the meticulous planning that goes into their collaborations. Trances goes beyond the concert doc – we dive deep into musicmaking itself.
The movie uses no narration and makes sparing use of interviews. For the most part, we simply observe their tour. This gives the band room to show their process, and better yet, it allows the music to really stand out. It’s tempting to close your eyes and simply listen to this movie – and to be honest, I will likely do this at some point – but then you’d miss the truly dizzying amount of great footage. The fast pace and the all-encompassing music, paired with gorgeous imagery of North Africa, really do create a kind of trance.
Trances is one of the best examples of a music documentary. The audience discovers the group, the milieu in which they make music, and their significance to the public, all in one go. Its relentless energy and deep dive into the music’s creation results in a rich visual and auditory experience. I had never heard of Nass El Ghiwane before finding this movie – but this sure was a great introduction.
Rachael Crawley holds a Master's Degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, and has worked with film in Canada and in Europe. She adores language and cinema, and how these subjects interact with each other.