Jalal Bouzamour, an Amsterdam-born TV producer and director, turned his childhood passion for photography into a career dedicated to telling the stories of Moroccans in the Netherlands. Through his documentary series and production company, he highlights the struggles, resilience, and humanity of the first generation of Moroccan migrants, ensuring their experiences are remembered by both Dutch and Moroccan audiences. Jalal Bouzamour grew up in a family that loved to take photos for fun. Born in Amsterdam to a father from Beni Gmil, near Al Hoceima, one of the first-generation Moroccans who left Morocco in the 1970s to work in the Netherlands, and a mother from Tetouan, Jalal remembers how his parents always took a camera wherever they went. «A very happy childhood», he recalls in a candid call with Yabiladi, one in which photography played a big part in his family's life. «We were probably the only Moroccan family in Amsterdam obsessed with taking pictures. Whether at the park, at the zoo, during summer trips to Morocco, on the road, or on the boat, we have photos documenting every step of our childhood», he reminisced. That love for capturing the moment, passed on from his parents, grew in Jalal until he knew from a very young age that it was what he wanted to do for a living. «My father encouraged me. He was a humble cleaner who did not earn much. He was kind and big-hearted», he recalls. A father's support and a first camera A turning point came when Jalal's father decided to buy him his first real camera. Crazy about photography, Jalal was only 17 back then. «I asked him for it, and I remember it as if it were yesterday. He took me to the shop and bought it, paying in installments every month with his modest salary», Jalal shared. With that camera, «one that needed a cassette and was used to film weddings in Morocco», he joked, Jalal began experimenting. «They called me 'the cameraman'», he said. And for good reason: Jalal used his new camera to film his friends, his family, school parties, and neighborhood gatherings. «My friends used to joke, 'Jalal is using us to learn and experiment with his camera'». Always with the support of his father and family, Jalal took his passion to the job market very quickly, driven by a deep urge to learn. At the age of 16, Jalal started working. «I started with local news for a small station for Moroccan migrants in Amsterdam», said Jalal, who began first as a cameraman. But he wanted to learn more and work for Dutch TV channels. He began writing and sending letters, making calls, and asking for opportunities. «I literally reached out to every Dutch TV channel, program, and presenter, even to 2M in Morocco», he remembered. Some said yes, some no, but he kept trying. Eventually, Jalal started working as a studio assistant, then took a camera course when he turned 18, and that's how his career as a reporter began. «I learned and did so much», he said. A mission to break stereotypes For years, Jalal worked in Dutch television as a talk show host, news reporter, TV presenter in a human-interest program, and journalist. With all that experience, he decided it was time to move into production, creating programs that spoke to him and his community. «My mission has always been to show Dutch audiences that Moroccans are normal people. Too often, Dutch society stereotypes us. I wanted to show that we are born here, but remain connected to Morocco, that we integrate, we work, and we contribute», he explains. Jalal founded his production company, TV Affairs, producing reality TV, documentaries, and programs that tell the stories of Moroccans in the Netherlands, from the first generation of workers to young people trying to rediscover their roots and navigate their dual heritage. Senior guest workers : a walking museum His most recent project stems from the relationship he had with his late father. Through this program, «Mocronado's: From Guest Worker to Retiree», an emotional documentary series, Jalal pays tribute to Moroccan guest workers. In the episodes, the Moroccan men look back on their working lives in the Netherlands and reflect on how a temporary stay turned into a lifetime filled with love, work, and family. «They are living archives, a memory we risk losing», he stressed. «Many of them are over 70, and in a few years they won't be here to tell us about the hardships they endured when they first came. That's why I want to give them a voice, on Dutch TV, not just for Dutch-Moroccans, but for all Dutch audiences». The second season of the documentary will premiere on September 6, featuring four senior retirees in the Netherlands: Mustapha Douhaha, 80, from Purmerend; Akil Lamdahhi, 77, from Nieuwegein; Fouad Bennis, 77, from Amstelveen; and Mohamed Yettefti, 75, from Tytsjerk. In each episode, «we explore a new theme, migration, love, work». But convincing these Moroccan retirees isn't always easy, not so much the elders, but their children, who, according to Jalal, are «often more conservative and protective». «Sometimes the parents want to participate, but their children object. So I go to mosques, souks, cafés, always trying to convince them», he shared. Jalal is committed to the series in memory of his father, who died during the filming of the first season. «It broke my heart that he never saw the final product, because he had always supported me and came to my premieres», he regretted. «I tell these seniors my story, that their children and grandchildren must know about them, that this work is important», he said. In another show called Groeten uit Holland, Jalal featured the stories of first-generation women. «People often see these women as passive and silent, but no, they had the courage and resilience to leave their country, move somewhere they knew no one, and succeed», he explained. Representation matters Jalal strives to share these stories, to reveal the human side of Moroccans, with tears and laughter. «I try to deliver my messages in a light way, with laughter, emotion, joy, and seriousness all together», he added. The feedback was overwhelming, said Jalal. «Young Moroccans told me, 'Thanks to these shows, our parents are finally sharing their stories. We're discussing things we never talked about.' That makes me proud». In addition to his documentary series about senior Moroccans in the Netherlands, Jalal has worked on many other projects focused on Moroccans in the diaspora. Like Poldermocro's in 2022, when he followed six youths on their journey to learn more about Morocco, their country of origin. In 2023, he also followed Dutch women who flew to Morocco to show solidarity and help survivors of the Al Haouz earthquake. Striving to create more content about Moroccans in the Netherlands, Jalal stressed the importance of young Moroccans seeing themselves represented. «When I was young, I had no role models on Dutch TV. I dreamed of working in television. When I finally did, I received letters and messages from Moroccans saying they saw me as an example. That is why I believe representation matters. Moroccans must be visible on Dutch and European screens», he concluded.
