Comic Book – Al Bahja (French)

Description

Al Bahja is a comic book centered on a young Moroccan girl. She leads a difficult life under the control of a domineering father who, in a society where men without sons are shamed, forces her to live as a boy. Al Bahja is thus thrust into a troubled and unstable identity, torn between her true self and the one imposed by her father. Her only escape lies in performing in the Halqa, the storyteller circles at Jamaa El Fna in Marrakech, where she finds a space of freedom through storytelling.

Themes:

• Gender equality
• The search for identity
• Resistance to familial and societal oppression
• The importance of artistic expression and oral tradition