Near Imilchil, Morocco. Kamal and Saida travel in the back of a transport truck along a snow-lined mountain road, passing near Lake Isli.
High Atlas Mountains. When the winter storms hit, the isolation is absolute. Daily life, school commutes, and supply runs are put entirely on hold until heavy machinery can carve a way through, slowly reconnecting the high-altitude villages to the rest of the province.
A heavy blanket of winter snow nearly swallows the low stone walls of a remote mountain settlement near Imilchil. When severe winter storms strike this high-altitude region, rudimentary roads and paths are instantly buried under deep drifts, severing the physical connection between these outer douars and the rest of the province, leaving inhabitants completely isolated against the cold.
Douar Aqanouanine, Imilchil. A father waits for his children to return home at the end of a long week. Although the main village and its school aren't actually that far away, the heavy mountain snow makes daily travel completely impossible. To get an education, the children have to live away from their families during the week, turning a short distance into a painful separation
Winter: A season of suffering as much as a season of beauty
Based on the title above, which divides into two axes, suffering and beauty, we can begin with the latter. The Imilchil region, located high in the Midelt province's High Atlas, abounds with breathtaking nature, adorned by snow and highlands. It is a region that attracts many tourists and visitors seeking beautiful landscapes and memorable photographs. However, this winter in Morocco has been exceptional. Heavy snowfalls and torrential rains have overwhelmed dams and valleys, causing floods and leaving several Moroccan cities and regions disaster-stricken. While visitors enjoy the stunning scenery, the locals and their families bear the brunt of these conditions alone. During winter, suffering and anxiety increase. These areas and the neighboring douars [villages] endure total isolation: roads are cut off, and cold, snow, and rain cast a heavy shadow over the inhabitants. Worrying issues arise: a shortage of livestock fodder, dwindling daily savings, a lack of heating, and scarce food supplies. This is without overlooking students being cut off from their education due to distant, closed schools, leading to a growing dropout rate among girls. In this context, the siblings "Kamal and Saida" from Douar Aqanouanene, on the outskirts of Imilchil, stand as a model of challenge and dedication to the right to study regardless of the conditions. They insist on continuing their education without interruption to achieve a dream: overcoming their suffering, their limited resources, their father's weak income, and the burden of many siblings. They are fighting for a job that will rescue their family from loss and for the sake of a dignified, happy life. It is the cry of a student-sister bearing the responsibility of saving the family waiting for her. She continues her studies even under harsh conditions, struggling with shelter, school supplies, food, and clothing. Every weekend or school holiday, she is forced to commute from the school back to the douar, relying on government trucks, beasts of burden, or any available means of transport. The story of these two siblings is a testament to challenge, persistence, and faith in achieving the dream of a decent, stable life. Is there any gesture of help or embrace to assist them in defying these difficulties? The winter season is a season of suffering, just as much as it is a season of magnificent beauty.
Near Imilchil, Morocco. Kamal and Saida travel in the back of a transport truck along a snow-lined mountain road, passing near Lake Isli.
High Atlas Mountains. When the winter storms hit, the isolation is absolute. Daily life, school commutes, and supply runs are put entirely on hold until heavy machinery can carve a way through, slowly reconnecting the high-altitude villages to the rest of the province.
A heavy blanket of winter snow nearly swallows the low stone walls of a remote mountain settlement near Imilchil. When severe winter storms strike this high-altitude region, rudimentary roads and paths are instantly buried under deep drifts, severing the physical connection between these outer douars and the rest of the province, leaving inhabitants completely isolated against the cold.
Douar Aqanouanine, Imilchil. A father waits for his children to return home at the end of a long week. Although the main village and its school aren't actually that far away, the heavy mountain snow makes daily travel completely impossible. To get an education, the children have to live away from their families during the week, turning a short distance into a painful separation