In the Sahara desert, the voice of Mariem Hassan, one of North Africa's greatest singers, still echoes. Her songs have given comfort and hope, and have been used as a tool in the fight for independence in Africa's last colony, Western Sahara. The film intertwines the narrative of Mariem's life with her relentless quest for the territory’s liberation. Archival footage and interviews with family, friends, poets, soldiers and fellow musicians paint a vivid picture of a woman whose artistry transcended borders and touched the hearts of those who listened. The title "Haiyu" – meaning to encourage in Arabic – reflects both her rebellious spirit and the collective determination of a people in their ongoing struggle for a free Western Sahara.
Sweden, Western Sahara 2024, '90
DIRECTOR: Anna Klara Ahre, Brahim B. Ali, Mohamedsalem Werad, Alex Veitch
SCENARIO: Anna Klara Ahren, Brahim B. Ali, Mohamedsalem Werad, Alex Veitch
CAMERA: Anna Klara Ahren, Mohamedsalem Werad, Alex Veitch
MONTAGE: Anna Klara Ahren
MUSIC: Mariem Hassan
PRODUCERS: Anna Klara Ahren, Brahim B. Ali, Mohamedsalem Werad, Alex Veitch
PRODUCTION: Saharawi Voice, RåFILM
FESTIVALS & AWARDS:
Sheffield DocFest: Youth Jury Award (2024)
Dokufest (2025)
Arabisk FF (2024)
MENA FF (2025)
Fipadoc (2025)
Göteborg FF (2025)
Anna Klara Ahre, Brahim B. Ali, Mohamedsalem Werad, Alex Veitch
The film is a product of a collaboration between the filmmaking collectives Saharawi Voice and RåFILM.
Saharawi Voice is a collective of Saharawi filmmakers and storytellers based in the Saharawi refugee camps and aims to raise awareness about Africa’s last colony, Western Sahara. The combined knowledge and expertise enable them to tell a story about Western Sahara that is compelling, unique, and informative.
RåFILM is a collective from Sweden who have worked on social justice projects in a wide range of forms, including another documentary on Western Sahara titled ‘3 Stolen Cameras’ which was produced and directed with the Saharawi media organisation Equipe Media.
