Thanks to Youssef Aboutaleb, a 20-year-old film maker in Tamri, Game of Thrones fans in Morocco were surprised by a Berber version of the series theme song. The video published on the 29th of November, shows a young man wearing a Djellaba, holding a Ribab (a Berber instrument) and playing the opening title song of the American fantasy drama series.
Watched more than 40,000 times, the video has managed to make headlines in Morocco and in the Arab world, teasing all those who are in love with GOT. And as everybody was busy watching the video, Yabiladi seized the moment to shed light on those behind it. Speaking to Youssef Aboutaleb, a Tamri-native, he explained the making of the video meant to pay tribute to his region.
«Two years ago I started a Youtube channel, making videos and taking photos. I have never studied video-making or cinematography», Youssef told Yabiladi. With the help of a small team, he had the idea of making a unique yet creative video.
«Two years ago, we thought of making a cover for the Game of Thrones opening music. The idea came when I was sitting with my team thinking of doing something original that would highlight the beauty of our small village Tamri».
Paying homage to the Amazigh culture
Youssef Aboutaleb also wanted to pay homage to the Amazigh culture making use of the costumes and the instruments. However, Youssef had to make their brilliant idea sink. «At the beginning, we did not want to rush into making the video», explained the young man. «I thought that I did not have enough expertise to do it. Later on and once I felt that I accumulated enough know-how to start, we simply went for it», Youssef told Yabiladi.
Although their means were limited, Youssef and his team managed to realize their idea and bring it to life. «We recorded the beat, and then filmed in Tamri chosing different locations that would represent the region we live in», said Youssef adding that :
«Each one of us had a task to work on and deliver. A friend of mine played the Ribab, another one played the role of the man in the video, and others dealt with color grading and other technical stuff. Meanwhile, I took charge of the directing, filming and editing the video».
When asked about his other projects, Youssef who is also the owner of Ayecinematographie studio in Tamri and creator of a channel on Youtube that bears the same name insisted that alongside his team he is planning to create more content. All while focusing on Tamri, the young man has created in the past a series called «Lost in the Wild of Tamri». «I was surprised by how people reacted to the Game of Thrones video and happy to follow the same path and peace when producing videos», stated Youssef who dreams of creating a production company in the future.