The Middle East Institute and Morocco's Embassy in Washington screened the documentary «A Thousand and One Berber Nights» on Thursday evening, honoring the late Hassan Ouakrim, who introduced Amazigh dance and music to the United States in the 1970s. The event celebrated Morocco's cultural heritage and its transatlantic connections with America. Directed by Moroccan-American professor and filmmaker Hisham Aidi, the film chronicles Ouakrim's career as a choreographer and artistic director who became a prominent figure in New York's cultural scene. Born in 1947 in Aday near Tafraout, Ouakrim moved to Tangier as a child before continuing his education in Marrakech, where he was influenced by street performance and Sufi mysticism. In 1968, he founded Inossis, a Berber ballet theater group blending Amazigh folklore with modern performance. Four years later, Ouakrim relocated to New York after receiving an invitation from Ellen Stewart, founder of the experimental La MaMa theater and Off-Broadway pioneer. He became a longtime artistic director there, blending traditional dances like Ahwach and Guedra with avant-garde theatrical approaches. Ouakrim performed across America and collaborated with jazz musicians Ornette Coleman and Randy Weston, establishing himself as a pioneer of Berber performance art in North America. The documentary features archival footage and interviews tracing Moroccan artists' contributions to twentieth-century cultural movements and examining transatlantic connections between Morocco and America. Morocco's Ambassador to the United States, Youssef Amrani, noted that Ouakrim connected Morocco and the United States through his artistic work. Kate Seeley, the Middle East Institute's vice president for arts and culture, emphasized the importance of such initiatives in promoting intercultural dialogue and celebrating shared cultural heritage.
