Algerian Radio
The premiere of the documentary film "Aminatou" will be presented on March 13 in the Spanish city of Malaga. This step aims to shed light once again on the path of one of the most prominent symbols of the peaceful struggle in Western Sahara, Aminatou Haidar, and on the cause of a people who have been struggling for decades for their right to self-determination under Moroccan occupation.
According to the Spanish crowdfunding platform "Goteo" on Monday, the screening of this cinematic work, which takes place within the activities of the Malaga Film Festival, comes in an international context of increasing interest in the Western Sahara issue, especially with the passing of fifty years since Morocco's invasion of Western Sahara, marking the beginning of a long phase of occupation, displacement, and humanitarian suffering.
From this standpoint, the film seeks, according to the platform, to reintroduce the Sahrawi issue from a humanitarian and human rights perspective, far from the official narrative that the Makhzen regime has consistently promoted in international forums.
In this context, the film revisits one of the most prominent milestones in Aminatou Haidar's journey: her expulsion by Moroccan authorities on November 13, 2009, from occupied Laâyoune to the Spanish island of Lanzarote, for declaring her Sahrawi identity on an airport passport control form.
That decision sparked a wave of widespread condemnation, especially after Haidar entered a hunger strike that lasted 32 days, drawing the world's attention to the reality of repression faced by human rights defenders in the occupied Sahrawi territories.
Through this pivotal event, the film highlights the transformation of Aminatou Haidar's cause, as she became a global symbol of peaceful resistance earning the title "The Gandhi of the Sahara." She was subsequently awarded the "Right Livelihood" Award in 2019, known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize."
The documentary does not merely narrate a personal biography; it goes beyond that to present a humanitarian testimony to the reality of a people living under the weight of occupation for decades.
The film opens the door to debate regarding Spain's historical responsibility concerning Western Sahara, amidst the ongoing controversy over the decolonization phase and the abandonment of the territory in 1975.
The documentary "Aminatou" serves to remind international public opinion of the story of a people still clinging to their right to freedom and independence. It reaffirms that the peaceful struggle embodied by Aminatou Haidar remains one of the most prominent symbols of civil resistance against the Moroccan occupation and the policies of creating facts on the ground "the fait accompli " it seeks to impose in Western Sahara.
