In the face of the global economic and technological forces reshaping the city of Tangier, the profession of the bleach vendors seems to be on the verge of disappearance, yet this filmic portrait of their supply chain – and notably their insistent chanting– conveys acoustic and visual images of endurance. Shot in 16mm, In Praise of Slowness speaks to the accelerated urbanisation and industrialisation of Tangier, but also attests to how locally situated choreographies of Slowness articulate modes of resistance to the speed of capitalism.
Hicham Gardaf (b. 1989) is a Moroccan visual artist born in Tangier currently based in London. Gardaf works across photography and film, using them as vehicles to engage people in critical conversations with their immediate environment. A large part of Gardaf’s practice delves into transformations of contemporary landscape in relation to time, space, and politics of place. Recent screenings and exhibitions include the Berlinale in Berlin, Open City Documentary Festival in London, Centre Pompidou in Paris, MAST Foundation in Bologna among others.
