PIFF | Visualising the Unfilmable: A Journey Through Storytelling

What happens when the ancient oral storytelling of Moroccan master Mohammed Mrabet meets the latest in technology? This event is part of the Film & Talent Industry Day. The documentary 'Mohammed & Paul – Once Upon a Time in Tangier,' which premiered at IDFA 2025, follows director Nordin Lasfar and cinematographer/AI artist Jean Counet as they explore the complex friendship between Mrabet and the American writer Paul Bowles. Bowles translated Mrabet's cassette-recorded tales for Western readers, raising questions about creative collaboration versus colonial exploitation in 1950s Tangier. By combining three decades of cinematographic experience with generative AI, the filmmakers visualize Mrabet's magical, intimate, and abstract stories—such as talking fish or palaces made of melons—without traditional reconstructions. In this case study, they reveal their hybrid workflow and reflect on the use of AI, not as a gimmick, but as a vital tool to preserve soul and authenticity while bringing unseen inner worlds to life.