Prayers, 2009 (excerpt)
Running time: 7:13 minutes / HD / colour

The relationship between sound and place is explored in the synagogue of Oufran, southern Morocco. The audio consists of Muslim prayers recorded while filming the synagogue, and of Jewish prayers recorded in Moulain Ighir, Morocco, in November 2009.

Camera: Sylvia Safdie
Editing: Patrick Andrew Boivin, Sylvia Safdie
Audio Design: Patrick Andrew Boivin

Ifrane, Anti Atlas was an ancient home to a 2000-year-old Jewish population, the oldest in Morocco. In 1958 they left as a group to settle in Israel. The exact age of the synagogue is unclear, with some dating its origins to the 1620s and others to over 1800 years ago. Its structure represents a classic Berber Jewish architecture, with interior benches along the walls (which feature small windows and slots for candles) and an elevated central platform for the service leader illuminated by an overhead skylight.