“The Fifth Cord” around the world

The MEDA films development project, financed by the European Union, gave the Euromed Audiovisual programme a totally different dimension. Salma Bargach witnessed this boost.

Nadia Ben Slam - Rabat, Eurojar

“The Fifth Cord”, written and directed by Salma Bargach (Morocco), relates a musical adventure of an 18 year old man. Salma does not want to say more about the scenario, for fear of revealing what seems to be the secret of her professional life.

However, Salma’s experience in this project, financed by the European Union, is in itself a story to tell. She was able to shine in the world of words and music thanks to the “MEDA Films Development”, related to the Euromed Audiovisual programme. “If I had to redo this work, I would have redone it without any hesitation”, says Salma, who wished to live this professional experience forever.

The second phase of the Euro-Mediterranean audiovisual partnership was launched in 2006. With a global budget of 15 million Euros, the project aimed at encouraging dialogue of cultures and exchange of expertise between the North and the South of the Mediterranean. Morocco was able to win two of the twelve selected projects. Within the development section, Ali’n Production created by the Moroccan Nabil Ayouch, well known as a movie director, was financed by 1.5 million Euros for his “MEDA Films Development” proposal. The Moroccan centre of cinematography, in its distribution and exploitation activities, continues implementing the 3.5 million Euros Euromed Cinemas project.

The gestation of writing and re-writing
The added-value of the “MEDA Films Development” project came from the fact that it financed feature-length films that are theoretically easier to be commercialized. This step gave a push to the Moroccan cinematographic field that was going through a difficult stage. The dilettantism in writing the scenarios and in producing them constrained film makers to fulfill several obligations at the same time. The efforts in this project focused on the consolidation of the duo scenarist/producer. Twenty beneficiaries were chosen, during each of the project’s three years, from the two sides of the Mediterranean to take advantage of this programme.

During one year, and with three one-week workshops, Salma was able to live the process of writing and rewriting a scenario. These sessions were also fruitful in the sound and image technologies, in the artistic editing of the film, as well as in music…

Salma admits that the “MEDA Films Development” programme offers a rich and diversified training for film makers. It paves the way as well for young film makers to meet big names in the cinematographic industry. Salma was able to meet for instance Christophe Toque, a producer whose films were nominated for the Oscar (as best foreign language films), as well as Gabriel Yared, a Lebanese composer, well known on the international level; Emmanuelle Bernheim, a French script-writer who worked with great French directors; Laurent Hassid, director of foreign language films at Canal Plus. She was able to profit from their experiences, and she proudly announces that she is still in touch with all those names through internet and phone calls. She feels that they are there for her to offer any support when in need for it: an added proof of the efficiency of the European project.

Unexpected tour of the world
The MFD workshops constituted a major turning point in the professional life of Salma Bargach who started her cinematographic carrier with few short films. Proud and delighted, she explains that the scenario of her film toured the world. From one country to the other, she accompanied her scenario and visited many places that she would not have been able to visit otherwise. The scenario of “The Fifth Cord” was acknowledged and praised by several juries and international film festivals. It has won prizes in 2007 in Montpellier and Cannes Festivals. This is where Salma benefited from several workshops and got inspired to improve her scenario. This scenario was also presented at the Sundance Festival in Jordan, and then in Dubai festival. In the United States, the film was supported by Global Film Diffusion. Recently, it also benefited from the support of the Moroccan cinematographic centre.

All these recognitions are nothing but a proof of the quality of the work that was supervised by professional people. Nabil Ayouch, chief of project, explains that their intention is not to financially support projects, but to find ways to improve the work of beneficiaries and to offer them the international expertise that can accompany them in the production process.

It is very important to note that despite the interference of professionals in the making of this scenario, the story remained untouched. “This is something rare”, highlights Salma, “the professionals who worked with us did not impose anything on us. On the contrary, they respected our work and our vision and supported them. If it was not for the workshops, I would have spent much more time in writing the scenario, without reaching the present outcome”.

N.B: Text translated from Arabic by Eurojar team