Serenade of the Skies: Stargazing in Morocco

The stars in the night skies above Oukaimeden, a remote village in the mountains of Morocco, are a stunning sight to behold. Rania Abdelmoutalib is a PhD student and member of Stargazers of Marrakesh, who volunteers at the Oukaimeden Observatory, where she tracks stars with the giant telescopes poised on the ancient mountains. Each star has a story, a past. She studies and celebrates the heavens, and shares the joys of understanding stars with the villagers who visit the observatory, exploring parallels between events on earth and in the skies.

Adnane Baraka is a Moroccan independent filmmaker and musician based in Marrakesh. His feature documentary – Fragments from Heaven – premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, thereafter screening and winning awards at several international festivals.