From where I stand: Daouya Feriel Achir
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This 24-year-old young woman, a sociology graduate, is passionate about photo journalism and video making. She produced “The Adventures of El-Makhlouqa” during the visual arts residence organized by UN Women, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and the Algerian Agency for Cultural Radiance (Agence Algérienne pour le Rayonnement Culturel), between February 15 and 24, 2018. This residency represented a new experience for her and turned her usual rules upside down. Used to working alone, in a closed space, and to sharing her work only once finished, she instead followed a different protocol in a new environment that favored collective brainstorming and sharing.
Originally published in French on ONU Femmes Maghreb’s website.
During this residence, I did everything differently. I started at the end, by sharing my ideas and my creations. During the entire journey, it was all about questioning things and sharing. A new, lively and quite special experience. It was also the first time that I could work on the theme of equality, that I was disconnected from my environment, to concentrate on that subject with other artists. At the beginning, it was difficult for me, because I wasn’t used to working in such conditions, but I quickly came to appreciate this atmosphere.
In “The Adventures of El-Makhlouqa”, the choice of this Arabic word (meaning “creature”), is not insignificant, because it describes a woman, without any connotation; and that’s exactly it, women are first of all living beings, creatures. In my video, El-Makhlouqa is a sort of Wonder Woman, a feminist heroine. I developed the story, wrote the scenario and used the Algerian dialect. I did everything my own way, because it’s important for me. Video imagery is stronger than words, as the visual impact can be extraordinary.
The theme of the cause of women interests me and I think it’s absolutely necessary to think about this issue, as it is still a contemporary one, whatever we think. With art, we can talk about several subjects with humour. I like that, to make people laugh and to push for further reflection. Videos are a great means to transmit a message. It really strikes people and the images stick in their minds.
If we want to change women’s conditions, we need to start at home. It’s the first cultural institution that educates, that transmits, through the education of children, values and collective representations.