Le Cadeau

Le Cadeau is a tribute to the 'youyou' (in French) or the 'zagharit' (in Arabic), a shrill trill that is used by women in North-Africa, the Middle East, Subsaharan Africa, amongst other countries, to express joy and other intense emotions. Nowadays the cry can be heard more and more in Western contexts, where it diversifies the soundscapes of private and public spaces.

At the heart of this film are four portraits of women who highlight their personal relation to the youyou and their voice. Their stories culminate in a collective performance action of the Brussels YOUYOU group. From the rooftops of Brussels and with a loud voice they cast their net of sound over the city as if it were a spell.

“In 48 minutes, Le Cadeau spins desire into a web of gossamer-thin relations that waver between cultural codes and personal use, tradition and transmission, background and new destinations.”